Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology

Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology

A husband preserved in mothballs, a vigilante victim encased in red mud, and convicts beaten and burned in a prison riot are only a few of the cases of death examined here by forensic anthropologist Stanley Rhine. Drawing on cases he worked for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, Rhine demonstrates how unidentified skeletal remains indicate race, sex, age, height, and ultimately identity and how the specialist decodes skeletal anomalies to establish cause of death. Blunt trauma, gunshot and knife wounds, and other injuries receive his attention. Step by step the author explains the techniques used to solve forensic mysteries. At the end of each case, he explains what lessons the forensic anthropologist learns from the bones. Rhine also explores specific problems and tasks: working mass disasters; recovering bodies from the field; defleshing bones; examining charred and badly decomposed remains; testifying before juries; and others. a. . . an excellent view of the world of forensic anthropology. . . . The voyage provided to us by Rhine is well-worth taking.a aThe authoras clear and entertaining style, along with descriptive passages that rival those encountered in a good novel, make this an excellent choice for the casual reader and for anyone interested in forensic science or awho done ita mysteries.a aThe cases are well-chosen . . . This is a text that both lay person and professional anthropologist can appreciate. . . . it entices the reader to continue on, at the same time inparting useful information.a . . . an excellent view of the world of forensic anthropology. . . . The voyage provided to us by Rhine is well-worth taking. "This is an enormous contribution to the forensic anthropology literature." The authors clear and entertaining style, along with descriptive passages that rival those encountered in a good novel, make this an excellent choice for the casual reader and for anyone interested in forensic science or who done it mysteries. The cases are well-chosen . . . This is a text that both lay person and professional anthropologist can appreciate. . . . it entices the reader to continue on, at the same time inparting useful information. "The author's clear and entertaining style, along with descriptive passages that rival those encountered in a good novel, make this an excellent choice for the casual reader and for anyone interested in forensic science or "who done it" mysteries." Stanley Rhine is professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Used Book in Good Condition