Forensic Anthropology Training Manual

Forensic Anthropology Training Manual, fourth edition serves as a practical reference tool and a framework for training in forensic anthropology. It introduces readers to the field of forensic anthropology, including methods for identifying, recovering, and analyzing human bone in medicolegal contexts. An introductory chapter situates forensic anthropology within the forensic sciences and its historical framework. Much of the first half of the volume covers bone biology, growth and development of the human skeleton, and skeletal and dental anatomy. The second half of the volume focuses on practical skills and methodological approaches for human bone identification, field recovery, taphonomy, estimation of the postmortem interval, laboratory preparation and analysis, and professional results. The final chapter describes the work of forensic anthropologists in large-scale applications such as mass disasters and human rights contexts.

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

• Understand the role of forensic anthropology within the broader forensic sciences.
• Develop a strong foundation in human skeletal anatomy, including bone biology and growth and development of the human skeleton.
• Explain how skeletal and dental anatomy contribute to the physical description and personal identification of human remains.
• Identify anatomical differences between human and nonhuman bone.
• Understand the basics of field recovery techniques, including surface survey and excavation.
• Explain how taphonomic analysis is used to estimate the postmortem interval and evaluate postmortem contexts.
• Apply skeletal techniques to reconstruct the biological profile and identify the effects of disease and trauma on bone.
• Understand the requirements for report writing and expert witness testimony in a court of law.

Dr Dawn Mulhern is a practicing biological anthropologist with expertise in forensic anthropology, skeletal biology, paleopathology, and bioarchaeology. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a professor at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado where she has taught undergraduate students since 2005; she currently holds the position of Associate Provost. She served as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordinator at FLC from 2005-2017. She regularly consults with local and state, and federal agencies in cases involving skeletal remains. Dr. Mulhern served on the editorial board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences from 2012-2022 and has served as chair of the education subcommittee for the Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences since 2015.

Dr. Karen Ramey Burns was a renowned forensic anthropologist, educator, writer, and human rights advocate whose impactful career left a lasting legacy. She taught at the University of Georgia, as well the U.S. Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). Throughout her career, she testified as an expert witness in numerous local, state, and international cases. Her career included extensive international work, where she provided expertise in the excavation and identification of human remains in Latin America, Haiti, the Middle East, and Africa. She documented war crimes in Iraq (1991) and testified in Haiti’s Raboteau Trial (2000). She authored the United Nations’ “Protocol for Disinterment and Analysis of Skeletal Remains” (1991), a significant contribution to human rights investigations. She worked with the National Disaster Medical System during emergencies, including Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the 9/11 attacks. She contributed to historic research, such as identifying Casimir Pulaski and investigating Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. At the time of her passing, she was Director of Field Investigations for EQUITAS, the Colombian Interdisciplinary Team for Forensic Work and Psychosocial Assistance, Bogotá, Colombia.