Forensic Anthropology

Program Description

Forensic anthropology is the use of anthropological techniques to assist law enforcement, with the focus on the study of the human skeleton. Generally, physical anthropologists concentrate on the recovery and identification of human remains, most often where the victim’s remains are in advanced stages of decomposition. There are two main foci: osteology (the study of bones) and taphonomy (the study of how organic matter decays). An osteological analysis of a skeleton assesses the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and unique features of an individual from the skeleton. The study of taphonomy helps to determine a post-mortem interval and what happened to a body from the time of death to the time of discovery. The minor is suited to those majoring in criminal justice or biology with an interest in death investigation.

Contact Information

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Lowell Heiny Hall 413
970.248.1696

ANTH 196 Topics1-3 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.

ANTH 202 Introduction to Anthropology-GTSS33 Credits

Human nature and behavior from the broad perspective of contemporary anthropology. Four primary subfields of anthropology, biology, cultural, linguistics, and archaeology discussed to integrate various aspects of the human condition.

Essential Learning Categories: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum

Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

ANTH 220 Principles of Archaeology-GTSS33 Credits

Investigation of modern archaeology as an interdisciplinary anthropological science. Explores the objectives, methodologies, and ethics of reconstructing prehistoric life. Examples are drawn from around the world.

Essential Learning Categories: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum

Terms Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.

ANTH 222 World Prehistory-GTSS33 Credits

Exploration of human cultural evolution as documented through global archaeology. Topics to be discussed include foraging and early agriculture, the rise of complex states, and the origin of civilization in both the eastern and western hemispheres.

Essential Learning Categories: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 225 North American Archaeology3 Credits

Survey of Pre-Columbian North America, highlighting the cultural evolution of indigenous societies in all North American culture areas. The state-level societies of Mesoamerica are also discussed. Development of archaeological theory and its application to the study of prehistoric sites in North America.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 231 Survey of Biological Anthropology-GTSS33 Credits

Exploration of culture through the lens of evolutionary biology. Students will study culture as a changing entity that helps our biological species adapt to multiple physical and social environments. Includes discussion of non-human primates and the application of biological anthropology to forensic science.

Corequisites: ANTH 231L.

Essential Learning Categories: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 231L Survey of Biological Anthropology Laboratory-GTSS31 Credit

Exploration of culture through the lens of evolutionary biology. Students will study culture as a changing entity that helps our biological species adapt to multiple physical and social environments. Includes discussion of non-human primates and the application of biological anthropology to forensic science. Lab component for ANTH 231.

Corequisites: ANTH 231.

Essential Learning Categories: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Colorado Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 270 Death and Forensic Science2 Credits

Exploration of forensic science, emphasizing medico-legal death investigation. Includes an overview of the sciences in death investigation (pathology, anthropology, entomology, toxicology) and the forensic sciences common in a crime laboratory (pattern evidence, chemistry, biology). Emphasizes professional standards and ethics.

Prerequisites: ENGL 111 and MATH 110.

Corequisites: ANTH 270L.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 270L Death and Forensic Science Laboratory1 Credit

Exploration of forensic science, emphasizing medico-legal death investigation. Includes an overview of the sciences in death investigation (pathology, anthropology, entomology, toxicology) and the forensic sciences common in a crime laboratory (pattern evidence, chemistry, biology). Emphasizes professional standards and ethics.

Prerequisites: ENGL 111 and MATH 110.

Corequisites: ANTH 270.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 296 Topics1-3 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.

ANTH 321 Paleoindian Archaeology3 Credits

Multidisciplinary analysis of the controversies surrounding the colonization of the western hemisphere and the Pleistocene and early Holocene archaeology of North America.

Prerequisites: ANTH 220 or ANTH 225.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 326 Colorado Archaeology: A Geographical Perspective3 Credits

Survey of Colorado prehistory using a geographic perspective, including adjacent portions of the Great Plains, Intermountain West, and Great Basin. The focus is on regional sequences in their environment settings and major research questions from the Paleoindian to Protohistoric and Historic Euroamerican periods.

Prerequisites: ANTH 202 or ANTH 220.

Equivalent Course(s): GEOG 326

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 331 Forensic Anthropology2 Credits

Introduction to forensic anthropology. Development of skills associated with analyzing skeletal remains, including estimating the sex, age, ancestry, and stature of the unknown individual from the skeleton. This course gives the student an overview of techniques to complete an osteological profile.

Prerequisites: ANTH 270/ANTH 270L or ANTH 231/ANTH 231L or BIOL 209/BIOL 209L.

Corequisites: ANTH 331L.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 331L Forensic Anthropology Laboratory1 Credit

Introduction to forensic anthropology. Development of skills associated with analyzing skeletal remains, including estimating the sex, age, ancestry, and stature of the unknown individual from the skeleton. This course gives the student an overview of techniques to complete an osteological profile.

Prerequisites: ANTH 270/ANTH 270L or ANTH 231/ANTH 231L or BIOL 209/BIOL 209L.

Corequisites: ANTH 331.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 341 Indigenous Cultures of North America3 Credits

Examination of the diversity of past and present Native American peoples and cultures through ethnography. Presents the outcomes of culture change due to colonialism and modern efforts towards cultural revitalization.

Prerequisites: ANTH 202.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 395 Independent Study1-3 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 6 credit hours.

ANTH 396 Topics1-3 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.

ANTH 420 Field Methods in Archaeology3 Credits

Overview of contemporary methods of archaeological survey, site recordation, and excavation techniques. Artifact collection, interpretation, and analysis presented as is record keeping, artifact conservation, and curation. Topics include maps and mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), field and specimen photography, and recovery and analysis of supplemental materials (macrobotanical, pollen, chronometric, etc.).

Prerequisites: ANTH 202 or ANTH 220.

Corequisites: ANTH 420L.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 420L Field Methods in Archaeology Laboratory2 Credits

Overview of contemporary methods of archaeological survey, site recordation, and excavation techniques. Artifact collection, interpretation, and analysis presented as is record keeping, artifact conservation, and curation. Topics include maps and mapping, geographic information systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), field and specimen photography, and recovery and analysis of supplemental materials (macrobotanical, pollen, chronometric, etc.). Lab component required for ANTH 420.

Prerequisites: ANTH 202 or ANTH 220.

Corequisites: ANTH 420.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

Fees: Yes.

ANTH 421 Cultural Resource Management3 Credits

Introduction to the principles and practice of public archaeology. Topics include cultural resource legislation, project management, the National Register of Historic Places, and the federal and state offices in charge of managing archaeological heritage.

Prerequisites: ANTH 220 and ANTH 225.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 422 Southwest Archaeology3 Credits

Prehistory and cultural background of the southwestern United States. Archaeological sites of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico highlighted. Introduction to cultures inhabiting these areas for the last 5,000 years with emphasis on the Ancestral Puebloans, Hohokam, Mogollon, Fremont, Uto-Aztecan, and Athabaskan groups.

Prerequisites: ANTH 220 or ANTH 225.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 423 Field Research in Archaeology6 Credits

Exploration of modern archaeological practice. Over six weeks, students will take part in archaeological field research including excavation, survey, mapping, and occasionally rock art recording. Includes field trips to significant western Colorado sites.

Prerequisites: ANTH 420 and ANTH 420L.

Terms Typically Offered: Summer.

Fees: Yes.

ANTH 424 Archaeological Laboratory Methods4 Credits

Introduction to techniques of laboratory cataloging, artifact analysis, and technical report writing. Photography, special sample preparation, and other topics will also be discussed.

Prerequisites: ANTH 420 and ANTH 420L.

Terms Typically Offered: Spring.

ANTH 478 Professional Issues in Forensic Science3 Credits

Exploration of professional issues specific to forensic science practitioners. Topics include problems seen with forensic practitioners and in forensic science facilities, the Organizations of Scientific Area Committees (OSACs), admissibility of forensic evidence, courtroom testimony, and report writing. Job and graduate school applications are discussed. Ethical dilemmas, their resolution, and standards of ethics codified by professional forensic organizations are presented.

Prerequisites: CRMJ 280/CRMJ 280L or ANTH 270/ANTH 270L.

Terms Typically Offered: Fall.

ANTH 495 Independent Study1-4 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 6 credit hours.

ANTH 496 Topics1-4 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.

ANTH 499 Internship1-6 Credits

Course may be taken multiple times up to maximum of 15 credit hours.

FOAN 475 Human Remains Detection and Recovery for Medico-Legal Investigations3 Credits

Archaeological techniques applied to detection and recovery of recent human remains. Includes practical experience of approximately 6 hours on an announced date.

Prerequisites: BIOL 410, or experience in law enforcement or a coroner's office and permission of instructor.