ANTH 282 - Forensic Anthropology: Anatomy, Crime, and Humanity

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

This full-semester course is divided into two sections and includes a 2-hour lab throughout its entirety. The first six weeks are dedicated to learning the anatomy and physiology of the human skeleton, with students gaining exposure to (1) identifying individual bones (complete and fragmentary), (2) identifying bone landmarks, (3) describing normal and abnormal bone growth processes (including common mutations), and (4) assessing bones for signs of pathology at the macroscopic level. Topics are introduced through Dame Sue Black’s Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind, and then supplemented by more technical readings. The second half of the course introduces students to the basic methods of forensic anthropology, focusing on how age, sex, race, and height of an individual can be determined from their bones. Students also gain an understanding of how forensic anthropologists function within the legal framework of crime investigation and prosecution. Finally, students explore current debates in forensic anthropology, such as the ethics of race and gender classification and the repatriation of remains. Students are tested through two practical exams and a graded seminar activity. April Beisaw.

Two 75-minute periods and one 2-hour lab.

Course Format: CLS