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Module 01: Introduction to Forensic
Anthropology
and Archaeology
OBJECTIVES:
- To introduce the course
- Summary of course content
- Primary learning objectives
- Teaching philosophy
- Expectations and Requirements
- Times and Locations of lectures and labs
LESSON PLAN:
- Introductions
- Myself
- Current research interests
- Forensic Anthropology
- Consulting since 1991
- Research
- Bioarchaeology of Western Great Lakes and Upper Midwest
- Academic Background
- Undergraduate
- Graduate
- Interdisciplinary
- Seminal Experiences in Forensic Anthropology
- First case
- First scene
- First courtroom experience
- Wrongful conviction and Innocence Project Network
- Teaching Apprentices
- Introduce them, their role as teaching apprentices
- Each speaks about their background, interests
- Students
- Each introduces themselves, interests, why take the course
- Institutional context of the course
- Elective credit
- Anthropology major/minor
- Criminal Justice major
- Forensic Sciences Certificate
- Natural Science credit
- Separate lab, 3 hours
- Expect to work hard
- Emphasis on the fundamental principles of science
- Data
- The Scientific Method
- How applied to an historic science
- Systematic methods of observation, data collection
- Analytic methods
- Interpretations and conclusions
- Forensic Anthropology as a forensic science and as anthropology
- As a forensic science
- Embedded within the legal system
- Must be aware of and consider issues of admissibility of evidence, of you as the expert
- Define the objectives of consultation
- Importance of ability to communicate both written and orally
- Broad in scope to include violations and compliance issues with preservation and cultural heritage laws – ARPA, NAGPRA
- As anthropology
- Broad in scope: An applied context for archaeology (scene recovery, documentation), biological anthropology (analysis of human remains), cultural anthropology (cultural practices)
- Importance of culture/patterns of behavior when interpreting human remains; biocultural approach
- Interdisciplinary
- Applied to past and present
- Summarize course content and requirements
- Roles and responsibilities
- Scene
- Location of
- Processing of
- Documentation of
- Interpretation of
- Analysis of recovered remains
- Human Osteology
- Identify complete and fragmentary bones
- Identify features
- Analysis (sex, age, stature, …)
- Communication of results
- Written report (scene and skeleton)
- Expert testimony (scene and skeleton)
- Educational and experiential requirements
- Degrees
- Board certification
- Course requirements
- Skeletal identification tests
- Reports
- Basic mapping skills
- Determination of Sex, Age, Stature, Population Affiliation, Trauma, etc.
- Crime scene investigation (with Hennepin County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory personnel)
- Forensic Odontology (with Forensic Odontologist Ed Bick)
- Forensic Anthropology Case Study
- Oral presentation and expert testimony
- SAA Matrix project
- What it is
- Principles
HANDOUT: Student Survey