Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology

This text is the first of its level written in more than twentyyears. It serves as a summary and guide to the core material thatneeds to be mastered and evaluated for the practice of forensicanthropology.

The text is divided into three parts that collectively provide asolid base in theory and methodology:

• Part One, "Background Setting for Forensic Anthropology,"introduces the field and discusses the role of forensicanthropology in historic context.
• Part Two, "Towards Personal Identification," discusses initialassessments of skeletal remains
  determining sex, age, ancestralbackground, and stature
  and skeletal markers of activity and lifehistory.
• Part Three, "Principal Anthropological Roles in Medical-LegalInvestigation," examines trauma
  the postmortem period
  professionalism, ethics, and the expert witness
  and genetics andDNA.

The critical and evaluative approach to the primary literaturestresses the inherent biological constraints on degrees ofprecision and certainty, and cautions about potential pitfalls. Thepractical focus, coupled with theoretical basics, make Fundamentalsof Forensic Anthropology ideal for upper-level undergraduates andgraduate students in biological anthropology as well as forensicscientists in allied fields of medical-legal investigation.