Flesh and Bone

Flesh and Bone offers the reader a solid overview of forensic anthropology with a comprehensive outline of the methods and procedures that best define the discipline. It introduces readers to the rapidly changing area of forensic science, providing a broad look at some of the participants and technologies in the field. The author avoids technical terminology whenever possible and includes detailed photographs, charts, and illustrations to complement the text.

The book evolves sequentially, beginning with a discussion of the structure and function of forensic science including its legal and scientific associations, and the fields that comprise various lab and police sciences. Following an overview of the diverse scope of anthropology, the forensics of skeletal biology are explored through the natural progression of death, the process of decomposition, and the degrees of skeletonization. Chapter Four offers a brand-new photographic description of the entire human skeleton, alongside a variety of methods of identifying human remains and the updated section on DNA analysis and the reconstruction of biological identity. Chapter Eight deals with the application of forensic anthropology to human rights missions and discusses the intensification worldwide of this practice.

The fourth edition is the book's twenty-first anniversary, featuring updated references, color photography, and a new chapter that highlights the practice of buying, selling, and displaying human remains with a focus on the challenges faced by law enforcement when pursuing trafficked body parts.

"An excellent text for a general forensic anthropology course."
— Conrad Quintyn, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania