Forensic Anthropology

By definition, the word forensic comes from the Latin word "forensic," meaning "to the forum." The forum was the basis of Roman law and was a place of public discussion and debate pertinent to the law.

Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology to the legal process.

The identification of skeletal, badly decomposed, or otherwise unidentified human remains is important for both legal and humanitarian reasons. Forensic anthropologists apply standard scientific techniques developed in physical anthropology to identify human remains, and to assist in the detection of crime. Forensic anthropologists frequently work in conjunction with forensic pathologists, odontologists, and homicide investigators to identify a decedent, discover evidence of foul play, and/or the postmortem interval. In addition to assisting in locating and recovering suspicious remains, forensic anthropologists work to suggest the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and unique features of a decedent from the skeleton.

The Challenge of Forensic Anthropology

Often presented with few clues and badly decomposed remains, the forensic anthropologist attempts to piece together a puzzle of indicators, evidence and testimony to answer the following basic questions:

Depending on the level of decomposition, animal remains are often mistaken for human remains. Common techniques employed are skeletal morphology, radiography, and histology.

Pinpointing time of death is critical evidence for crime scene investigators. Methods vary depending on whether the remains are

prehistoric, historic, or recent. For recent remains, techniques vary based on the condition of the remains: fresh, decomposed, mummified, or skeletalized. Procedures include analysis using chemical tests, entomology, and investigation of context / associated artifacts.

Remains are often delivered with no idea as to their identity. Discovery of sex, age, ancestry, height, and individuating characteristics are used to help determine identity. 

Detailed investigation as to the exact cause of death often answers many other questions. For decomposed remains, more common methods involve the analysis of skeletal trauma and bone fracture. 

Remains can be altered by humans attempting to destroy evidence, animals, insects and many other factors.

Forensic Anthropology in Practice

The world of bones, skulls, cadavers and human remains is second nature to Dr. Kathy Reichs. One of a handful of forensic anthropologists working in North America, Reichs is called upon to identify bodies when all other means of identification have been exhausted.

Her work as a scientist provides fodder for her best-selling crime novels. The protagonist of the novels, Dr. Temperance Brennan, is a forensic anthropologist, just like Reichs. From grim autopsies to glittering book launches, Kathy Reichs straddles the two worlds. Whereas Reich's novels conclude with their crimes neatly tied up and explained, in real life, that's often not the case. Reichs opens her casefile to reveal the painstaking, and often frustrating investigations she conducts in the course of her work.

Reichs divides her time between Quebec, where she is a tenured case worker for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciares, and Charlotte, North Carolina where she works for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. She also holds a teaching position at the University of North Carolina. As one of only fifty-five certified forensic anthropologists at work in North America, she takes on private cases, works for international human rights tribunals, and has been called upon to help identify human remains in war zones, air disasters and ancient burial sites.

In one of her recent cases, Reichs is contracted by the family of a mid-west multi-millionaire to look into the cause of his death. The coroner has ruled suicide, but the family has doubts. With the help of a New York pathologist, Reichs reads the clues left behind in the bones. In the end, when she is able to find no evidence of foul play, she shares her conclusions with the family. As a scientist, Dr. Reichs is a no nonsense pragmatist. Yet much of her work is informed by the underlying sense that what she does is absolutely crucial for the families left behind. She understands their need to know as much as they possibly can, even when they may never know why a death has occurred.

A body, badly mutilated, found in a cardboard box by city workers in Montreal in 1991, finds its way to Kathy Reichs. Nine years later all that is left is a skull and some of the skeletal structure. With the aid of computer artist, Bette Clark, with the Toronto Forensic Identification Service, Reichs is able to reconstruct the facial characteristics. But the identity of the victim remains unknown.

Reich’s novels present a fascinating glimpse into the research carried out by forensic anthropologists. Recently, Kathy Reichs paid a visit to the Anthropological Research Facility at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, with its founder, fellow forensic anthropologist Dr. William Bass. The only research facility of its kind in the world, the Anthropological Research Facility houses multiple bodies, spread out on the forest floor, all in various stages of decomposition. The purpose of the lab is to allow studies of the rate of body and organ decomposition and the relevant stages of insect development, that will allow the time of death to be pinpointed with increasing accuracy.

Dr. Reichs’ work in Guatemala as part of a human rights team uncovered a mass grave - men, women and children burned and dumped in a heap during that country's bloody civil war. The uncovering of the mass grave, and the collection and reassembly of the victims' bones requires archeological and anthropological precision, skills possessed by Reichs. Reichs and the team work round the clock as they have only a temporary permit for exhumation. Their work is watched by relatives of the massacred victims. There is an understanding that in uncovering the exact nature of this crime, and in identifying the victims of the massacre, an historical record is being created, and with it, some kind of justice is at long last served.

The Science of Forensic Autopsy

The examination of the human body is the painstaking execution of scientific examination principles.

We are fortunate and thankful to both HBO and Dr. Michael Baden for an excellent demonstration of the science of autopsy.

In this presentation, Dr. Baden uses an anatomical dummy to demonstrate the basic procedures associated with a typical forensic autopsy.

Please be advised that some of the images shown in this demonstration are taken from actual autopsies which some visitors may find objectionable. Viewer discretion is advised. Click on the link below.

HBO's Interactive Autopsy