Physical Anthropology
The next time you read in the newspaper or hear on the
radio or TV that a body or skeleton has been found, it is
likely that a forensic anthropologist will be contacted
to identify it. Forensic anthropologists are also called
to identify individuals killed in disasters such as plane
crashes, explosions, fires, and other tragedies resulting
in the loss of life and mutilation of bodies.
In this society, identification of the dead is important
for many reasons. The initial step in homicide investigations
is usually determining the identity of the victim. This
not only concerns relatives of the deceased, but also judicial
authorities who need to know whether someone is alive or
dead so that wills can be read, estates settled, second
marriages can be contracted, and so forth. Law enforcement
agencies need to know if recovered bones are human or non-human.
If they are human and of recent origin, the individual must
be identified, and the cause of death and time elapsed since
death need to be determined. If they are old, human bones,
perhaps a burial ground has been uncovered.
Anthropologists using a metal detector
for
recovery of materials during crime scene analysis.
