ANTH365

This course provides an introduction to the field of Forensic Anthropology and the anthropology of mortality through lectures, discussion, guest lectures from local practitioners, and hands-on experience with skeletal remains, models, and casework scenarios. Forensic Anthropology, a specialization within Physical Anthropology, is applied in the modern medicolegal context to address questions relating to the cause of death or identity of decedents. This course will cover the history, significance, and various applications of the field, including domestic casework, mass disaster settings, and state-perpetrated human rights abuse contexts, with a particular focus on locally-relevant issues. It will cover introductory human osteology and odontology, methods for the recovery and location of human remains, the biological profile, sensitivity to grieving and traumatized families and communities, and the basic methods forensic anthropologists use to determine identity and cause of death. In addition to familiarity with human skeletal biology and examination methods, students will come away with a basic understanding how the broader field of anthropology approaches issues of death, mourning, and mortality.