Crime scene scientists can almost break the silence of the dead with special techniques that determine the age, ancestry, and gender of skeletons from the recent or ancient past. Listen to Dr. Stephen Nawrocki, consultant to the Dept. of Natural Resources and crime investigators; discuss his experiences in the field of forensic anthropology.
Location: Indiana Medical History Museum Amphitheater
Speaker: Stephen R. Nawrocki, Ph.D.
Audio Excerpts (RealMedia):
Crime scene scientists can almost break the silence of the dead with special techniques that determine the age, ancestry, and gender of skeletons from the recent or ancient past. Listen to Dr. Stephen Nawrocki, consultant to the Dept. of Natural Resources and crime investigators; discuss his experiences in the field of forensic anthropology:
How does a forensic anthropologitst identify remains? Answer
Before a packed house in the 100+ year old lecture hall at the Indiana Medical History Museum, Dr. Stephen Nawrocki gave a fascinating slide presentation on his work in forensic anthropology. As the only Board Certified Forensic Anthropologist in the State of Indiana, Dr. Nawrocki has participated in a number of intriguing cases where the science of forensic anthropology enabled bones to "break their silence" and tell the world who they were, when they died, and even the circumstances of death.
Originally this lecture was subtitled "Helping Victims Speak," but forensic anthropology is not just about criminal investigations. For example, identification techniques are allowing families to finally bury the long-missing remains of loved ones who died in the Vietnam War. When asked about the oldest bones he had worked with, Dr. Nawrocki talked about the delicate recovery of the 6000-7000-year-old skeletal remains of a woman buried along a now-eroding river bank.
A bit of Indiana History
This lecture was sponsored by the Indiana Medial History Museum, which is located in the Old Pathology Building of the old Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. Built in 1896, the Old Pathology Building was a state of the art facility for research and physician education. The building continued to be used until the late 1960's and is now preserved as the Indiana Medical History Museum and is open to the public. It is the only remaining 19th century pathology laboratory building in the US, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
For additional information on the Indiana Medical History Museum, contact:
Crime scene scientists can almost break the silence of the dead with special techniques that determine the age, ancestry, and gender of skeletons from the recent or ancient past. Listen to Dr. Stephen Nawrocki, consultant to the Dept. of Natural Resources and crime investigators; discuss his experiences in the field of forensic anthropology. 
