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28th-Jun-2007 04:48 pm - Bones and stones
monkeying around
Well I saw this community and just add to join it. I am a physical anthropologist...need I say more? My emphasis is on skeletal biology and paleopathology. Primarily, I study health and disease in the human skeleton along with trauma of course. Most of my work actually focuses on 19th century and early 20th century skeletons. I pick up a spare forensic case here and there...currently not in a area where there are many of those types of cases...There seems to be a lot of hoopla over being a forensic anthropologist. I don't discourage it in my own students, but I would like to add that many of us actually do few forensics cases...Even my pals in DC only get 1 or 2 cases a year...so we focus on our research and take cases as they come...Natural disasters, plane crashes, and other events such as 9-11 and Waco are of course the exception. Some of us do get called out on those...as well other mass burials around the world.

my my how TV makes our field look so glamourous..
23rd-Jun-2007 05:24 pm - Honours thesis topic
LadyAlyceVH
Hi, I'm a undergrad student studying archaeology/biological anthropology at the Australian National University. I can't believe that I never found this community before!

I'm going to be starting Honours next year in a combined archaeology/bio anth (the closest we have to forensic anth honours at ANU) and have been trying to come up with ideas for an honours thesis topic. If anybody has any information on current trends in forensic anth research or areas in which more work needs to be done (at the moment I'm leaning towards cutmarks on bone) then I would love to hear them.

Thanks so much.
9th-Jun-2007 05:53 pm - Begging for advice
Hi,
I've been reading through the advice other people have received on here and I was just wondering if I could pick everybody's brains as you've all been so helpful to everyone!

Forensic anthropology is the area I really have a passion for, so obviously I'd love to study it for an undergraduate degree. But after reading the advice on here it looks like the general feeling is that specialising too early can make it more diffcult to get into the field as a career post-PhD. And I'm sure I can put up with studying a more general subject that I'm not as interested in if it means I have a better chance of being able to build a log-term career in forensic anthro.

So, what I was wondering is, would it be better to go for a anthropology and archaelogy BA to give me the widest skill base or would I be just a well off taking a bio antho BA? Osteology and forensic anthro are where my interests really lie, so I just don't know! I'm planning to go back to college and take some more A-levels this year, to strengthen my university applications and I need to decide which subjects to concentrate my efforts on. Any suggestions/information to help me make the decision would be much appreciated.

And also, thanks for all the fantastic book suggestions throughout the community, I have a pretty hefty reading list to keep me busy for a while now.
30th-May-2007 11:07 pm
darcy thinking
New to this community but thought I might recommend a really enjoyable book that many of you may be aware of as it is by a leading forensic anthropologist.  It's an autobiographical book of forensic anthro cases undertaken by William R Maples.  It covers high-profile and obscure cases, all of which are fascinating.  I highly recommend it, you will read it in one sitting :D
8th-Feb-2007 11:13 am - A little help please.
Kesi
Hi all! I'm new to this community, I just need a bit of advice really.

I need to get some experience and preferably a degree of some sort in Human Osteology and Paleopathology. Basically I have an MA degree in Archaeology but I need to get some work in with bones as my husband is also an archaeologist(phD) and he needs a bone wench for his dig. :-)

So my question is: Does anyone know any good distance learning courses for Human Osteology/Paleopathology/Bio-Anth/Forensic-Anth?

Thanks!

P.S. Thanks for all the advice, I am enquiring around my husbands dept for anyone willing to help me out in learning and hopefully I'll go from there!
3rd-Feb-2007 11:37 am - Mummified baby boy wrapped in 1957 newspaper
Dead

copied from imflying (*thanks!*)

News Shocker:
Mummified baby boy found in 1957 newspaper in Florida
By STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
(Original publication: January 24, 2007)



DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - A woman cleaning out her dead parents' rented storage unit discovered a partially mummified baby boy, wrapped in a 1957 newspaper and stuffed inside a suitcase-within-a-suitcase.

The body will be sent to a forensic anthropologist to determine the cause of death, authorities said.

According to investigators, the child was wrapped in a newspaper called the Daily Times dated Jan. 9, 1957. They believe the paper was from New Jersey or New York.

It could not be determined last night if the Daily Times in question was one of several Gannett-owned newspapers that merged in 1998 under The Journal News. The Daily Times covered the Sound shore community of Mamaroneck. Delray Beach police last night could not provide details about the newspaper in which the boy was wrapped.

The daughter who found the body Monday night "was a little rattled at first" and wondered to herself, "Could this be a sibling?" said spokesman Officer Jeff Messer.

"It's obviously a concern of hers," Messer said. "Based on the condition of this baby, it could really be 50 years old."

The storage unit had been rented by the couple in 1996. The man died several years ago and the woman, who was in her 70s, died last year, Messer said.

The couple's daughter had flown down from New Jersey after receiving a letter warning that the contents of the storage unit would be auctioned off because the rent had not been paid for several months, Messer said.

"As they were cleaning it out, she came upon a big suitcase, opened that suitcase, found another smaller suitcase, opened it and found a baby wrapped in a newspaper," he said.

Messer called the discovery "spooky."
Authorities would not release the names of the couple or the daughter.

Messer would not say whether DNA was extracted from the baby to be compared to the daughter.
Photos, videos, and more here.


actual article archived below the cut, since online news articles sometimes disappear )

17th-Oct-2006 05:27 pm
небо
Hello! If somebody can help me and give information about ancient cases of bone tuberculosis, or some references, where I can read abot it?
thanks...
4th-Aug-2006 01:09 am - Short Courses for next summer
Dr. Girlfriend
I wanted to mention that the University of Montana offered two forensic anthropology short courses this summer and if all goes well will offer them again next summer. Each is one week long and 3 units (credits). The first is Forensic Archaeology and Death Scene Investigation. The second is Forensic Osteology and Human Identification. They were a fast and fun way to get some more experience doing hands on forensic anthro. The faculty (Ashley McKeown, Randy Skelton, and Garry Kerr) was great too.

These courses were open to students and law enforcement professionals. There was an application process. This shouldn't change for next year's courses.

So, if getting down and dirty and spending some time in Missoula, Montana sounds like a good time, be sure to check out the department website: www.umt.edu/athropology

I'm not sure what's posted about it right now, but I will try to keep you guys up to date as things go on.
31st-Jul-2006 08:57 pm
aibohportposie
Hi, I was wondering what some good books to read would be to get a basic understanding of what a forensic anthropologist does, that isn't all glamour and fluff. I've already read Dr. Bill Bass's book on The Body Farm.

Also, I'm about to start school for an associates. What I've seen, most people get a PhD in Forensic Anthropology. What about the Masters and Graduate degrees? What do you major in, and what are good classes to take?

I'm definitly going to talk to the college career counselor, but I thought asking here would be a good idea.

Thanks for any and all info!
5th-May-2006 08:11 pm - Looking for references
Flying Spaghetti Monster
Hi all

I'm having to write a paper on the history of forensic anthro and I'm hoping some of you might be able to point me in the direction of some more informative texts than the current 'how to'/osteology ones I currently have.

Thanks!! :-)
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