Forensic anthropology & archaeology constitute a discipline that has made significant contributions to the resolution of legal and medical problems and issues both domestically and internationally. The study of forensic science through the lens of archaeological and anthropological theory, method and procedures is primarily concerned with the reconstruction of identity (a person’s age, sex, race, height, occupation etc) and the events surrounding their death (cause of death for instance) and those factors impacting on the body (decomposition for example) after death and up until they are discovered. At the completion of this course, students will have become acquainted with a range of theories and techniques used to identify skeletonised human remains; have an appreciation and understanding of a wide range of factors modifying a body and a crime scene over time; and finally, have a set of skills necessary, and appropriate in terms of the requirements of the Australian medico-legal professions, for the practical management and excavation of a body/crime scene. Numerous ‘real-life’ case-studies illustrate the theory and ideas presented in this course. Students will participate in a practical crime scene management/excavation exercise involving a simulated murder victim burial.

Forensic excavation/crime scene management report (50%), essay and literature based research (50%).

2 hours of lectures and one hour of laboratory each week (may be in block form).