Forensic Anthropology: Case Studies From Europe

• NCJ Number: 219010
• Author(s): Megan B. Brickley Ph.D.; Roxana Ferllini M.A.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 266 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To highlight recent developments in the discipline of forensic anthropology within Europe and allow for comparisons to be made between work done in various European countries and the Americas, this book provides a collection of forensic anthropology case studies from recent work undertaken across 12 European countries.

Abstract

Today, forensic anthropologists are involved in a wide range of cases requiring human identification. The evolution that the discipline has gone through in both continents has brought forensic anthropologists to participate in forensic investigations composed of a multidisciplinary team and become recognized as an integral part of investigations concerning human identification. The case studies presented illustrate the many challenges that forensic anthropologists face while assisting on everyday investigations, as well as the challenges presented while in the field and at the mortuary when working in human rights investigations. In addition to covering the work undertaken in a number of European countries, the case studies presented cover a range of issues dealt with by forensic anthropologists from around the world including: stab wounds; blunt force trauma; gunshot wounds; dismemberment; burning; personal identification, including issues relating to the investigation of ancestry in European investigations; juvenile human remains; the work of forensic anthropologists in unsolved cases; and work undertaken to eliminate discoveries of human remains from police investigations. The final chapter of the book explores new developments in the field with gait analysis and facial recognition of a living individual based on analysis of CCTV footage. Each chapter contains clear up-to-date references and a full discussion of the techniques applied, which also make this book accessible for the non-specialist reader. The book, however, is primarily designed for students of forensic anthropology and those engaged in forensic anthropological work in various areas of the world. The book seeks to introduce and exemplify the role of forensic anthropologists as a vital investigative tool within crime investigations. Figures and references