02 brief history of forensic anthropology
TRANSCRIPT
Brief history of forensic anthropology 1/9/08 1:44 PM
← Important Announcement
Final syllabus posted online
o Exam 1: Mon, Feb. 11
o Exam 2: Fri, Mar. 21
o Exam 3: Thurs, May. 1
←← readings
required: Byers Chapter 1
recommended (on e-learning):
o C. Snow article – history of forensic anthropology
o T.D. Stewart article – Luetgert Case
←← Today’s Class
← what is forensic anthropology? How does it fit into the field of
anthropology?
What do forensic anthropology do?
Who were the main people influential in starting the field?
How has the field changed over time? What are the major events in
development?
←← What is anthropology?
The study of the biological and cultural aspects of all humans in all
places in all times.
Four main fields
o Biological
Primate behavior and studies, evolution of humans and
ancestors
o Cultural
Studying their traditions, both historical and modern
o Archeology
Historical sites, looking at skeletons and actual locations
where people might have lived
o Linguistic
How languages change and how they interact
← What are forensic sciences?
Fields of study in medicine and jurisprudence that deal with legal
issues, both criminal and civil
Any scientific field applied to the law
o Toxicology
o Entomology
o Pathology
o Anthropology
←← Forensic anthropology as an interdisciplinary field
Combines biological anthropology and forensic science
o Study of skeletal material that comes under the
jurisdiction of law enforcement and similar agencies
(i.e. medico legal context)
What makes skeletal material of medico-legal interest?
o Human
Not human, not really important
o If you have to testify in court
Blunt force trauma, dental records and such
o Skeletons over 50 years are dealt as historical, if 50 years or
less then it is important
← Definition: ABFA
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.
← Questions Concerning human remains
Who is the person?
When did they die?
How did they die?
← Types of cases analyzed
Decomposed
o Might be a few days, 5 years. All states of decomposition.
Burned
Buried
Surface recovery
Partial skeletonization
Complete skeletonized
Human rights
Cremation analysis
Mass fatalities
← Main objectives of a forensic anthropologist
Create a biological profile
Identify traumatic events
Time since death (postmortem interval)
Location/recovery of remains
Identifying characteristics
← Data gathering methods
Anthroposcopy = visual inspection of the human body
Osteometry = measurement of human bone
Histology = study of the microstructure of bone and teeth
DNA analysis on bones if you think you know the relatives
← 1. Biological Profile
determination of:
o human vs. non-human
o sex of an individual
depends on what bones you have
o age
certain parts of the skeleton are better to determine
age
o ancestry
skull is critical for this
o stature
← 2. Traumatic Events
identify nature of traumatic event on the bone and how it occurred
blunt force trauma and sharp force trauma
← 3. Time Since Death
determination of postmortem interval (PMI)
o the amount of time that has passed since death
is it of forensic significance?
o Recent?
o Historic?
o Prehistoric?
← 4. Location/Recovery of Remains
location and recovery of buried or surface remains using
archaeological methods
o being able to preserve the context of things
← 5. Identifying Characteristics
provide information useful in obtaining positive identifications
o dental work is great
o teeth last a lot better than bone
o x-ray comparison
a weird skeletal issue. Broken bones and such that had
surgery.
o Broken bones
o Surgical devices
o Unique attributes
← Relationship of FA with MEO and Law Enforcement
Body recovery
o Better knowledge of what they are looking for
Body identification
Scene analysis
o If this were scattered it might provide some information
Trauma
Testify in court
o About the findings
← History of forensic anthropology
←← three periods
formative (1800s – 1938)
Consolidation (1939 – 1971)
Modern (1972 – present)
←← formative period (1800s – 1938)
no such thing as “forensic anthropology”
skeletal identification
o nothing fancy about it
current forensic anthropology has it roots in
o anatomy
o biological anthropology
Parkman Murder (1849)
o Dr. Parkman
Rich physician
o Dr. Webster
Borrowed money from Parkman
Parkman wanted his money back
Killed and dismembered Parkman
Placed body pieces in different places
o Two anatomists, Holmes and Wyman investigate the death
o First to use some of the methods still used today
o Webster claimed they were “anatomical specimens”
o Holmes and Wyman determined the body was of 5’10” white
mal, 50-60 years old
o They found no evidence of embalming fluid
o Park man was identified by the dentist that made his new
dentures
Thomas Dwight (1843 – 1911)
o Father of forensic anthropology
o Anatomist at Harvard
o Human skeletal Identification
Age, height, and sex
Stature estimates
Emphasized human variation and that it could be
used to identified someone
Luetgert “Sausage Vat” Murder (1897)
o Adolph Luetgert was accused of killing his wife
o He mixed the body in the sausage factory with hot potash
o Turned her body into soap and her bones into “jelly”
o They found a few pieces of evidences which were smaller than
a quarter
o Anthropologist George Dorsey testified the fragments were
human, hand, foot, and rib bones
o First “forensic anthropologist” to testify in court
1/9/08 1:44 PM
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1/9/08 1:44 PM
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