Recommended Further Reading
- Chapter 3. In: Buikstra, J. E., Ubelaker, D. H. (1994). Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. Fayetteville: Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series 44.
- This contains well known and used methods for determining sex from the human pelvis and skull.
- Giles, E., Elliot, O. (1963). Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of crania. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 21:53–68.
- This is the seminal work applying discriminant function analysis to distinguishing the sexes from cranial measurements.
- France, D. L. (1998). Observational and metric analysis of sex in the skeleton. In: Reichs, K. J., ed. Forensic Osteology. Advances in the Identification of Human Remains. 2nd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
- This is a good overview of the basic methods used to determining sex from skeletal remains.
- Phenice, T. W. (1969). A newly developed visual method of sexing the os pubis. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 30:297–302.
- This is the seminal work on using the ventral arc, subpubic concavity, and medial edge of the pubic bone to determine sex.
- Washburn, S. L. (1948). Sex differences in the pubic bone. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 6:199–207.
- This is the seminal work on the ischium-pubic index and sex determination.
- Washburn, S. L. (1949). Sex differences in the pubic bone of Bantu and Bushman. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 7:425–432.
- This is a follow-up article on the ischium-pubic index and sex determination.
Useful Weblinks
- In 2022, the Society of Forensic Anthropologists (SOFA) and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) paired together to put on a webinar on Forensic Fractography by Dr. Angi Christensen. Dr. Christensen will discuss material failure and how to detect evidence of failure in bones and what that can tell us about trauma. The webinar is now archived. In order to view the archived webinar, you must sign up for an FTCOE account, but it is free to do so. The link below will guide you to the about page for the webinar you must click the “back to webinar series page” and make sure you have an account.
- https://forensiccoe.org/webinar-2022-forensic-fractography-bone/
For a cool bioarcheological exploration of early gunshot trauma from the 1500s check out this video from the Center of Innovation at Leiden University “The Truth in our bones series”
See the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Teams Fredy Perccerelli discuss the mass graves from the 36 year conflict which killed over 200,000 civilians.
Watch the analysis of the trauma to the skeleton of Richard the III done by the University of Leicester. Richard III was the King of England 1483-1485, he was killed at the battle of Bosworth Field during the final battle of the Roses.
Although they are a bit dated, the FilmRISE series Skeleton Stories shows real forensic anthropologists work real cases. There are 13 episodes to the series.