Essentials of Forensic Anthropology, Especially As Developed in the United States

By T. D. Stewart, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. With a Foreword by Ellis R. Kerley. The three sections of this book tell precisely what a forensic anthropologist contributes to the investigation of death and how he or she reconstructs the biological nature of an individual from a skeleton. The first section, Preliminary Considerations, includes chapters on history, the role of the expert witness, handling skeletal remains, human and animal remains, burned bones, and judging time and cause of death. General Skeletal Traits presents data on attribution of sex and race and on estimation of age, stature and weight. The final segment, Specific Skeletal Traits, covers traits peculiar to the individual and reconstruction of facial soft parts. The innovative features that run throughout the book, as well as the authoritativeness of the text, make this an indispensable volume for forensic anthropologists, forensic pathologists, and forensic odontologists.