Forensic Anthropology

Generally speaking, forensic anthropology is the examination of human skeletal remains for law enforcement agencies to help recover human remains, determine the identity of unidentified human remains, interpret trauma, and estimate time since death. Anthropology is the study of man. Anthropologists are interested in many fields like culture (cultural anthropologists), language (linguistic anthropologists), the physical remains or artifacts left behind by human occupation (archaeologists), and human remains (physical anthropologists). Over the past century, physical anthropologists have developed methods to evaluate remains, so that they can attempt to understand people who have lived in the past. Questions they are trying to answer might include:
The Anthropology Research Facility is the first of its kind to permit systematic study of human decomposition. The 1.3 acres of land made famous by Dr. Bass has recently been expanded. The research facility is approximately 2 acres across; which, is dedicated to research and systematic study. This addition provides space for studies using advanced technology to quantify how bodies interact with the environment. The skeletal collections provide unparalleled opportunities to study modern human skeletal variation, pathology and trauma. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment made by this location is the Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. This collection now consists of over 1700 individuals and is the the largest collection of contemporary human skeletons in the United States. The Forensic Data Bank (FDB) was also established by the researchers of this facility. The Forensic Data Bank contains data on over 4080 forensic cases in the United States and has recently expanded to include contemporary individuals from Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. The Forensic Data Bank has been instrumental in documenting changes within human populations. Another one of these active body farm facilities is the Forensic Osteology Research Station at Western Carolina University. Researchers active at this facility are primarily interested in taphonomy, or what happens to a body after a person has died. These scientists focus on how decomposition is affected by the environment and how other post-mortem processes, such as scavenging or rain, affect the body itself. This facility may be best known for their twice yearly cadaver dog training sessions, as they are among one of the few forensic facilities in the United States that offer this kind of program. Trained cadaver dogs can aid law enforcement in finding and recovering a