Anthropology

How an Anthropologist Knows

There are many different ways anthropologists can gather information and draw conclusions about the artifacts they encounter. Even when confronted with two very similar female skeletons from the same period, a skilled anthropologist will likely be able to make certain determinations about the people that these skeletons belonged to back when they were animated and covered in softer tissues. Features of the skeletons themselves as well as other artifacts found on or near the skeletons can also provide clues as to their identity -- not their names or other highly specific information (at least, not in most cases), but possibly their occupation familial role(s), station in society, and especially their socioeconomic status. The next few paragraphs will outline several ways in which an anthropologist can come to these and other conclusions about a skeleton from a simple examination.

There are three main types of forensic...
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