Forensic Anthropology

Making Archaeology Teaching Relevant in the Twentieth Century

FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Course

Dr. Susan M. Thurston Myster
Department of Anthropology
Hamline University
MB 196
1536 Hewitt Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-523-2554
smyster@gw.hamline.edu

Forensic Anthropology is the application of the theories, knowledge, and techniques of the subdisciplines of Biological Anthropology and Archaeology within a legal context. Traditionally, forensic anthropologists have been involved in the recovery and analysis of the remains and associated evidence of recently deceased individuals. The primary objectives of their involvement have been to process and document the scene, reconstruct the activities which took place on-scene, recover the remains, provide information to aid in the identification of the unknown individual, and to reconstruct the cause and manner of their death. This course will explore the role of anthropologists in such forensic death investigations, but will also promote a more expansive view of the scope of forensic anthropology by examining the contributions of forensic anthropologists to the investigation of violations of historic preservation and cultural heritage laws. Case studies specifically addressing violations of the Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA), compliance issues related to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), violation of Tribal treaty rights, and the role of forensic anthropologists in these cases will be presented and discussed. Students will also learn and practice the essential skills utilized by forensic anthropologists through laboratory projects that reflect a wide range of professional and ethical responsibilities. Exercises include locating, processing and documenting an outdoor crime scene comprised of scattered human skeletal remains and associated evidence, recognition of taphonomic processes affecting the remains and evidence, identification of complete and fragmentary human bones, osteological analysis of human skeletal remains, and communication of results and interpretations of the scene investigation and osteological analysis in a written report and as oral expert testimony.

Teaching Statement
Approach, Rationale, and Overview
Matrix Principles
Institutional Context of Course
Course Development

Course Artifacts
Course Goals
Syllabus

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Modules	Assignments	Handouts
01: Course Introduction	Determination of Biological Sex	Course Questionnaire
02: Applied Forensic Science Video	Expert Witness Testimony	Evidence Bag Log
03: Intoduction to Forensic Anthropology	Forensic Odontology	Property and Inventory Recipt
04:Forensic Anthropology Laboratory 1	Final Skeletal Report	Age-At-Death Pg1 Pg2
05: Forensic Archaeology	Outdoor Scene Recovery	Osteological Analysis Checklist
06:Forensic Archaeology Recovery	Stature Estimation	Skeletal Inventory Form Pg 1 Pg 2
07: Forensic Archaeology Outside Lab	Scene Investigation	Skeletal Inventory Codes
08: Forensic Archaeology Scene Location		Determining Race 1, 2, 3
		Forensic Cranial Measurement
		Interorbital Features Method Pg 1 Pg 2
		Nonmetric Race Determination Pg 1 Pg 2
		Female Postcrania Pg 1 Pg 2
		Male Postcrania Pg 1 Pg 2
		Female Pubic Age Determination
		Male Pubic Age Determination

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