Forensic Anthropology

Recovering, identifying and interpreting human remains from criminal and humanitarian contexts.

Working to strengthen the science and support forensic practice through applied research. Developing new methods to detect buried remains and predict deposition sites; producing new standards for identification of the deceased including the assessment of sex, age, and population affinity; utilising new technology to visualize cut marks and thermal damage to bone.

Members of the group are highly experienced in the application of anthropological and archaeological techniques in criminal investigations and mass fatality incidents. We have an international portfolio and have worked with multiple government and non-government agencies investigating individual unexplained deaths, war crimes and terrorist incidents. We have assisted with the repatriation of numerous modern and historic military casualties from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, First and Second World Wars. Individual research interests include the analysis of skeletal trauma, pathological markers on the skeleton, taphonomic changes to human remains, and identification and interpretation of highly fragmented and burnt remains. In premodern populations projects have included studies in funerary archaeology and the relationship between health, disease and social status.

Researchers within the group are Members of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Members of the British Association for Forensic Anthropology (BAFA), the British Association for Human Identification (BAHID) the International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG), the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS), the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeology (CIfA).

Group Members