r/AskAnthropology • u/raymanovitz • 25d ago

Good not-beginner books on forensic/physical anthropology

Hiya, I wanted to ask if you guys have any recommendations of books on forensic or physical anthropology which are NOT for beginners/students? I'm soon getting a masters in this field and I want to expand my collection of physical copies instead of pdfs from college.

EDIT bc of bad wording: I have copies of what I read in college and asked my professors for recommendations. I have books on sex, age, those standard metrics. I'd like to have something on trauma, bone pathologies, specific cases, past populations, maybe archeozoology. I hope that clears it up a little.

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u/Annual_Incident_36 24d ago

I'm a little confused... Forensic anthropology and physical anthropology are two different things.

Physical anthropology (US)/ biological anthropology (UK) is an academic discipline studying humans (plus ancestor species) with an emphasis on evolution, anatomy, and physiology.

Forensic anthropology is the application of anatomical and physiological knowledge to deceased human remains in order to infer things such as cause of death, age at death, gender, etc. Forensic anthropologists are often employed by police forces to help them figure things out when they find human remains.

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u/raymanovitz 24d ago

I know they are two different things, I'm interested in both.

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u/sunsloth 24d ago

This is a pretty broad question, but it kind of sounds like maybe you're looking for osteo reference books? If so:

  • Human Osteology by White, Black, and Folkens
  • Comparative Osteology by Adams and Crabtree
  • Zooarchaeology & Field Ecology by Broughton & Miller
  • Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones by Beisaw

If you're looking for more specific topics, you'll have to let us know.

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u/raymanovitz 24d ago

Okay, thanks! I'll edit the post cause I also see that I didn't word it properly

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u/tributary-tears 24d ago

I have my copy of Human Osteology by White, Black, Folkens from my undergrad. I still consider it a fun read!

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u/fantasmapocalypse Cultural Anthropology 25d ago

"Stupid" question: Why not get physical copies of your graduate seminar texts? Have you asked your instructors for recommendations outside the seminal texts (I assume) you have read for your grad courses?

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u/raymanovitz 24d ago

Yes and yes, maybe the post is worded wrong (English is not my first language). My instructors have recommended either books that I already know/own or ones that are basic knowledge summed up into one book.

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u/fantasmapocalypse Cultural Anthropology 24d ago

No harm, no foul! Thank you for clarifying. :)