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Forensic anthropologists
deal with the dead.
We translate what is
said by their bones
into information that can
be used by the living.
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This course provides an overview
of the various techniques
forensic anthropologists use to
assess the bones to understand
the biological profile, who
the dead person was, how they
lived, what they experienced,
the trauma that may have
occurred to the
body before, around
the time of, or after death,
and how long they've been dead
and what happened to the body.
We will cover the history
and basics of the field,
then move into the biological
profile, otherwise known
as the big four--
sex, age, ancestry,
and stature--
plus the things that will
help identify the deceased.
After that, we cover the two
areas where court testimony
is most pertinent--
trauma and time since death.
We will finish up with how to
do scene recoveries and case
reporting, and how
all of these things
can land the
practitioner in court,
and what to expect
once you are there.
Understand that there will
be images of dead people
and we will talk
about death and dying.
The deaths forensic
anthropologist see
are often those marked by
violence and isolation.
That knowledge is
hard to carry and will
have lasting effects
on practitioners
beyond simply collecting
skulls and skeletons.
This is not a field
in which to dabble.
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