Forensic anthropologists study human remains and ask questions about the society that left them.
A forensic anthropologist is a specialized remains investigator. While some work in traditional forensic roles, most work in the anthropologist role, dating the remains of the long deceased and examining their role within their culture. Forensic anthropologists develop their techniques with specialized skills that allow them to make accurate evaluations about the length of time since death and the potential reasons that caused the deceased's death.
Education
Forensic anthropologists must earn their Ph.D. in physical anthropology, along with formal graduate work in the fields of osteology, archeology and forensics. Anthropology is the field that examines human beings from a variety of perspectives, including sociologically, culturally, linguistically, archeologically and physically, which is the biological study of human beings. Osteology is the study of human bones, how they work together and the way they degrade after death. Archeology is the study of human society, studying how a society worked, how they buried their dead and what the remains of their society say about their culture.
Experience
A forensic anthropologist is expected to have experience working in the field of human identification, studying human bone variations, growth, pathology and the identification of human remains. This requires experience working as an osteologist, anatomist and biomechanist. These varying fields provide a forensic anthropologist with the experience they need to move into the anthropologist field and begin identifying human remains, identifying their place in a culture and answering questions about what the condition of the remains says about the culture's burial methods and burial treatment.
Mathematical Skills
The required mathematical skills include quantitative principles, probabilities and statistics. These fields provide an anthropologist with the ability to use mathematics to date bone decay over long time periods, while calculating for environmental effects, burial techniques and environmental changes. Mathematical fluency is a powerful tool for anthropologists to evaluate human remains that carry the historical markers of the environment in which they were stored.
Additional Training
Due to the evolving nature of the forensic field, a forensic anthropologist is expected to participate in regular forensic training seminars that discuss new forensic techniques and help keep their forensic expertise updated and growing. This includes training in new forensic techniques, new forensic tools and the latest methods for retrieving and dating human remains. A forensic anthropologist should show a personal interest in expanding their understanding of their field, working to keep their education updated and their methods current through personal research as well as specialized training seminars.
Tags: human remains, study human, forensic anthropologist, Forensic anthropologists, anthropologist expected, anthropologist with, experience working