Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology Course - Durham University
Online, United Kingdom
Course
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
Key Summary
About: This online course from Durham University covers forensic archaeology and anthropology, showing how to locate, recover and analyze human remains. Using case studies, practical video labs, 3D models, photographs and podcasts, you'll learn grave location, excavation and exhumation, human osteology, estimating sex and age-at-death, identifying skeletal pathology and an introduction to DNA analysis. It’s taught by Rebecca Gowland (bioarchaeologist) and Tim Thompson (professor, forensic anthropology). Learn 100% online.
Career Outcomes: This course may support careers as forensic archaeologist, forensic anthropologist, human osteologist, medicolegal investigator, crime-scene recovery specialist, museum curator, academic researcher and roles in policing, heritage and forensic labs.
Enter the fascinating world of forensics, and learn how the deceased is located, recovered and analysed using DNA and pathology.
Learn the science behind the exhumation and identification of skeletal remains
The location, exhumation and identification of the dead require highly specialised expertise. In this course, you’ll learn the latest scientific techniques for body location, recovery and analysis.
Through a series of real-life case studies, video lab sessions, interactive 3D models, photographs and podcasts, you’ll explore key forensic techniques.
You’ll learn how to locate gravesites, excavate human remains, and determine factors like sex and age-at-death from the skeleton. You will also understand how to identify pathology on the skeleton, and be introduced to DNA analysis.
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts.
- Date to be announced
Who will you learn with?
Rebecca Gowland
I am a bioarchaeologist at Durham University, teaching and researching human skeletal remains. I also train national and international forensic practitioners in archaeology and anthropology.
Tim Thompson
I am a Professor and Associate Dean at Teesside University. I work in the area of forensic anthropology where I teach practitioners, research new forensic methods, and undertake case and advisory work
Who developed the course?
Durham University
Durham University is a collegiate university with long traditions and modern values, proud to be an international scholarly community that reflects the ambitions of cultures from around the world.
What topics will you cover?
Week 1: Introduction to Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
- Introduction
- What is Forensic Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology
- Summary, Quiz and Discussion
Week 2: Bodily Decomposition, Locating Graves and Excavation
- What Happens to Human Bodies in the Ground
- Body Location
- Excavation
- 3D Scanning and Documentation
- Summary and quiz
Week 3: In the Lab: Creating an Osteological Profile
- The Human Bone Lab
- Determining the Sex of Adult Skeletons
- Estimating Age-at-Death of Infants and Juveniles
- Estimating Age-at-Death and Stature in Adults
- Quiz and Summary
Week 4: Disease and Trauma: Identification of Pathological Lesions
- Introduction to Trauma and Pathology
- Recording Pathology
- Trauma
- Forensic Odontology
- Quiz and Summary
Week 5: Biomolecular Techniques of Identification
- DNA
- Stable Isotopes
- Sex determination from the teeth
- Quiz and Summary
Week 6: Challenging Contexts
- Burned Bodies
- Commingled Contexts
- Humanitarian Forensic Action
- The Refugee 'Crisis'
- Summary and Next Steps
- End of Course Test
What will you achieve
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to:
- Explore the application of archaeology and anthropology to different forensic contexts.
- Develop knowledge of the latest methods in forensic archaeology and anthropology.
- Compare the roles of different forensic specialists.
- Interpret the post-mortem changes to the human body in differing contexts.
- Describe a range of forensic case studies.
- Evaluate the potentials and limitations of the scientific methods used to locate and recover human remains in forensic contexts.
- Investigate the different scientific techniques used to identify deceased individuals from skeletal remains and establish the cause of death.
- Reflect on learning gained throughout the course, including the latest research, and how this can be applied to modern forensic and archaeological contexts.
Who is the course for
This course is suitable for anyone intrigued by forensic archaeology and anthropology.
The course is specifically designed for forensic, crime scene, and police practitioners who require training in anthropological and archaeological techniques.
It will be useful for undergraduate forensics students or those interested in studying forensic archaeology and anthropology at university.
It may also be useful to those working in legal and human rights contexts who require an understanding of forensic methods.
