Human Body Decomposition

by Jarvis Hayman, Marc Oxenham

Overview

The fate of the human body after death is a subject that has fascinated enquirers, both in the scientific and legal realms for millennia. However, objective research into the causes and nature of human decomposition has only taken place in the last two centuries, and quantitative measurement of the process as a means of estimating the time of death has only recently been attempted. The substantial literature concerning this research has been published in numerous scientific journals since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Human Body Decomposition expands on the current literature to include the evolving research on estimating the time of death. This volume details the process of decomposition to include early period after death when the body cools to ambient temperature, and when the body begins to putrefy. This process is significant because the estimation of the time of death becomes increasingly more difficult when the body begins to putrefy.Human Body Decomposition compiles a chronological account of research into the estimation of the time since death in human bodies found decomposed in order that researchers in the subject field can concentrate their thoughts and build on what has been achieved in the past.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780128036914
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	04/07/2016
Pages:	162
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jarvis Hayman is a retired surgeon who studied archaeology, completing a Master’s degree at the Australian National University in Canberra with a thesis on the archaeology of the Scottish Highland Clearances. He then combined his medical and archaeological knowledge to complete a PhD on the estimation of the time since death in decomposed human bodies in Australian conditions. His research areas of interest are: historical archaeology and forensic archaeology/anthropology. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and the co-author of Human Body Decomposition.

Marc Oxenham is a Professor in Bioarchaeology at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. His expertise in human skeletal biology has been recognized nationally through invitations to consult on a range of forensic cases for the Australian Federal Police, Australian Government Solicitor, The Australian Defense Forces (in particular Unrecovered War Casualties-Army) as well as the New South Wales Police Force. His main research has concentrated on exploring aspects of human palaeopathology and behavior by way of analyses of human skeletal and dental material. He has held teaching and research positions at Colorado College, USA, and the ANU. He was president of the Australasian Society of Human Biology (2012-14), an Australian Future Fellow (2013-17), elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2011 and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2016.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Supravital Reactions in the Estimation of the Time Since Death (TSD)Chapter 2: Algor Mortis and Temperature-Based Methods of Estimating the Time Since DeathChapter 3: Biochemical Methods of Estimating the Time since DeathChapter 4: Research in the Later Stages of DecompositionChapter 5: Recent Research and Current Trends

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

The only text to chronologically provide 200 years of research into the human decomposition process.

Editorial Reviews

"...represents a detailed review of the extensive body of research relating to TSD estimation of human decomposition. In just over 150 pages, the authors have managed to cover the copious methods proposed from the early hours of post-mortem through to the skeletal stage and beyond...a useful reference to a range of audiences including students, academics, pathologists, police and anyone involved in death investigations." —Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

From the Publisher