From a Small Plot in Knoxville to a Worldwide Footprint An Overview of Human Decomposition Facilities

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Published: Jan 3, 2025
Keywords:
forensic anthropology taphonomy body farm decomposition research facilities skeletal collections body donation S

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Melissa Connor
Social and Behavioral Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO, USA
William Raymond Belcher
Anthropology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
Gretchen R. Dabbs
School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL, USA
Anthony Falsetti
Prince George’s County Police Department, Forensic Science Division, Palmer Park, MD, USA
Shari L. Forbes
Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
Timothy P. Gocha
Forensic Anthropology Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
Jane Harris
Center for Forensic Anthropology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
Sheree Hughes
Department of Forensic Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA
Ginesse Listi
Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Sophia Mavroudas
Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
Austin Polonitza
Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa, FL, USA
Sophia I. Reck
Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Dawnie Steadman
Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
Jodie Ward
Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Daniel J. Wescott
Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
An-Di Yim
Prince George’s County Police Department, Forensic Science Division, Palmer Park, MD, USA; Forensic Science Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
Katie Zedjlik
Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

Abstract

The first outdoor human decomposition research facility was established by Dr. William Bass in 1980 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Initial research at the Anthropology Research Facility (ARF) examined some of the large-scale environmental factors that contribute to decomposition and time since death estimates. As taphonomic research grew into a holistic and interdisciplinary field, the importance of macro-and microenvironmental factors became clear, and additional facilities opened in different areas of the globe. Research conducted at outdoor decomposition facilities now investigates complex relationships between the decomposing body and its environment in diverse landscapes across the world. These facilities play an important role in forensic science by providing real-world laboratory environments, research material, opportunities for research, and documented modern skeletal collections. In addition, they provide opportunities for training both professionals and students in many fields that require human remains, including human remains recovery, death investigation, and cadaver dog training. In the United States today, the resulting ethically donated human skeletal collections have increasing importance in understanding the changes in modern human bodies. This article examines the growth and function of what have been colloquially referred to as “body farms” over the past four decades.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 7 No. 4 (2024): The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Forensic Anthropology Section: Fifty Years of Awareness, Change, and Progress in Forensic Anthropology
Section
Research Articles