Forensic Anthropology
Death investigation becomes more complex when a body is decomposed or skeletonized. The tools and techniques of forensic anthropology, covered in this chapter, can be vital to the investigation. We will study what happens to a body after death and the many factors that influence the decomposition process that leads to skeletonization. You will see case examples where bones reveal injury patterns that can help in determining cause and manner of death. We will see how forensic anthropologists estimate age, sex, and stature from skeletal remains.
Finding remains that have been purposely concealed is challenging and you will learn a bit about clandestine graves and the tools that are used to find them and recover remains.
Learning Objectives
7.1 Describe the process of decomposition and the factors that influence it
7.2 Recognize the larger bones commonly encountered in forensic investigations
7.3 Understand key elements related to clandestine graves and environmental succession
7.4 List the elements of a biological profile and describe how it is constructed from skeletal remains
7.6 Recognize simple examples of perimortem trauma in bones
