Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology

The course offered by Durham University describes how the deceased are located, recovered and analysed using DNA and pathology. It is available on Future Learn, an online education platform.

The location, exhumation and identification of the dead requires highly specialised expertise. In this course, participants will learn the latest scientific techniques for body location, recovery and analysis. This course explains forensic techniques through a series of real-life case studies, video lab sessions, interactive 3D models, photographs and podcasts.

The participants will understand how to locate gravesites, excavate human remains, and determine factors like sex and age-at-death from the skeleton. The course provides information on identifying pathology on the skeleton, and introduction to DNA analysis.

Some of the key concepts covered in the course are:

• Principles of forensic archaeology and forensic anthropology
• Methods of 3D scanning
• Creating an osteological profile
• Forensic odontology
• Biomolecular techniques of identification