ANTH 3720 - Forensic Anthropology

Content: This course will introduce students to the scope of knowledge, theories, and skills forensic anthropologists bring to forensic casework. Students will learn about the process of forensic death investigations and their application to domestic criminal cases as well as international human rights violations. Students will understand and apply methods of skeletal identification and reconstruction of individual life histories from bone that may be applied in both contemporary forensic and ancient archaeological contexts, including techniques for estimation of age-at-death, sex, stature, identification of skeletal indicators of biological affinity, trauma, and pathology. Additionally, students will discuss and grapple with ethical dilemmas facing forensic anthropologists practicing in the field today. Students will develop and practice problem solving and critical thinking through close observation, evidence analysis, and presentation of results through written reports and oral testimony. The course will culminate in the production of an osteological profile on a set of skeletal remains. Students must have taken ANTH 3710 Human Osteology and Skeletal Identification prior to enrolling in this course.

Taught: Alternate years

Prerequisite: ANTH 3710

Credits: 4