Justin Goldstein

(New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s Forensic Anthropology Unit)

“A Reintroduction to Forensic Anthropology”

Thursday, October 24, 5:10 PM – 7:00 PM

951 Schermerhorn Extension

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Abstract

Forensic anthropology is a specialized field that utilizes the principles of biological anthropology to analyze skeletal remains in medicolegal settings. This typically includes evaluating forensic significance, estimating biological profile parameters (e.g., biological sex, age, population affinity, stature), interpreting skeletal trauma, assessing pathology and taphonomy, and identifying anatomical anomalies. Although this work is commonly viewed as constrained to death scene response and laboratory analysis, the medicolegal context is in fact expansive and requires a critically engaged, holistic approach that is informed by both theory and practice. Rather than focus on analytical techniques, this presentation will provide an overview of the range of roles forensic anthropologists carry out in a medical examiner’s office, emphasizing the importance of a humanitarian approach. This perspective is crucial not only for daily casework and identification initiatives, but also for effective mass fatality response.