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Forensic
Anthropology

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Forensic Anthropology

This skeleton of a 17th-century teenage boy

was found in 2001 at the Leavy Neck site in
Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Smithsonian photo 18AN828.

What Do
Forensic
Anthropologist
s and
Detectives
Have in
Common?
Forensic anthropology is a special
sub-field of physical anthropology
(the study of human remains) that
involves applying skeletal analysis
and techniques in archaeology to
solving criminal cases. When
human remains or a suspected
burial are found, forensic
anthropologists are called upon to
gather information from the bones
and their recovery context to
determine who died, how they
died, and how long ago they died.
Forensic anthropologists
specialize in analyzing hard tissues
such as bones. With their training
in archaeology, they are also
knowledgeable about excavating
buried remains and meticulously
recording the evidence.

Reading a
Skeleton
A forensic anthropologist can read
the evidence in a skeleton like you
read a book. The techniques they
use to answer questions in
criminal cases can be applied to
skeletons of any age, modern or
ancient. The stages of growth and
development in bones and teeth
provide information about
whether the remains represent a
child or adult. The shape of pelvic
bones provides the best evidence
for the sex of the person.
Abnormal changes in the shape,
size and density of bones can
indicate disease or trauma. Bones
marked by perimortem injuries,
such as unhealed fractures, bullet
holes, or cuts, can reveal cause of
death. The trained anthropologist
is also able to identify skeletal
clues of ancestry. Even certain
activities, diet, and ways of life are
reflected in bones and teeth.

Analyzing
Human
Remains
Anthropologists at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of
Natural History have been called
upon to analyze human remains
for over a century. The remains
may represent victims of violence
or natural disasters. In these cases
Smithsonian anthropologists work
with the FBI, State Department,
and other law enforcement
agencies to identify the individuals
and solve crimes. They also
conduct research on historic and
prehistoric human remains to learn
more about people from the past.
As Smithsonian forensic
anthropologist Kari Bruwelheide
says, "The bones are like a time
capsule."

Smithsonian anthropologist Dr.

Douglas Owsley, examining a
skeleton from historic Jamestown,
discovered evidence of chops to
the skull from an axe or other
sharp bladed, implement. Knife
cuts were also observed on the
bone. Along with other
information such as biological
indicators and discovery location
of the remains, Dr. Owsley
concluded that a 14-year-old girl
had been cannibalized after she
died. His discovery supported
other historic data that the
colonists of Jamestown suffered
severe starvation during the harsh
winter of 1609-1610.

Techniques:
Leaving No
Bone Unturned
Anthropologists at the National
Museum of Natural History use a
variety of techniques to analyze
human remains and record their
observations. For example, the
bones are typically photographed
and X-rayed. Some remains may
undergo CT scanning or be
examined with high-powered
microscopes. These techniques
provide detailed information
about remains without altering
them while providing a visual
record. DNA analysis may be used
to help establish identity. This
type of testing is most often used
in modern forensic case work, but
mitochondrial DNA in bones and
teeth can be used to confirm
relationships of old remains with
deceased or living descendants.
Other chemical analyses, such as
those involving isotopes, can
provide information about the age
of bones and a person’s diet.

The data gathered is studied and

combined to draw conclusions
about the deceased individual.
For a modern case, photos of the
skull may be superimposed on
photos of missing people to look
for consistencies between the
bone and fleshed form. Even in
cases where no photos exist, the
face can be reconstructed based
on the underlying bone structure
and known standards of facial
tissue thicknesses. For example,
using facial reconstruction,
Smithsonian forensic
anthropologist Dr. David Hunt was
able to bring about correct
identification of the remains of a
child found near Las Vegas.
Owsley and Bruwelheide were
able to help rebuild the likeness of
the girl from Jamestown.

Collections of
Bones
Comparing found remains to
other human skeletons is essential
for many analyses. The National
Museum of Natural History has
one of the world's largest
Biological Anthropology
collections, with over 30,000 sets
of human remains representing
populations from around the
world. Many of the skeletons have
associated age, sex, ancestry, and
cause of death data. Individual
remains with known biological
information are especially valuable
references. Forensic
anthropologists have used these
skeletons to develop standards for
determining sex, age and ancestry
in unknown remains. The bones
and teeth are also used as
comparative materials in cases
where interpretation of certain
features is difficult. They are
also used to train students who
are the next generation of
biological anthropologists.
Skeletal reference series may also
be used to document trends in
health and population structures
over time. Smithsonian Curator Dr.
Douglas Ubelaker, looking at a
range of skulls from 16th-20th
century Spain and Portugal, found
that women's faces got larger over
time.

Reconstructing
the Past
The study of historic human
remains by biological
anthropologists at the
Smithsonian has led to discoveries
that are changing our view of the
past and how we investigate it.
The work of Dr. Owsley and Kari
Bruwelheide has helped create a
better picture of how people lived
and died in colonial America. For
example, even a wealthy woman,
the wife of the governor of
Maryland's first English colony,
St. Mary's City, suffered from
limited medical care for a
fractured thigh bone. The sorts of
treatments that would be used
today (traction and screws), were
not options at the time. Available
treatments, such as medicine
containing arsenic, may have
made conditions worse. Chemical
testing of this woman's preserved
hair show ingestion of this toxin
with increasing dosage closer to
death.

Whether used to better

understand modern or historic
remains, the tools and techniques
of forensic anthropology give the
living a window into the lives of
the dead.

Related
Resources

Written in Bone

Video: Forensic
Anthropology - Bone
Whispering

Subject Guide - Bones

and Forensic
Anthropology

Featured Collection:
Pathologies on Human
Femora

Subject Guide: Bones and

Environmental Health

Resource Type
Science Literacy Articles

Grade Level
6-8

Topics
Anthropology and Social Studies

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