Human Remains

Burial monuments and grave artifacts long have been studied by antiquarians, and now recent advances in medicine and science allow close, accurate investigation of human remains. Andrew Chamberlain's absorbing book explains and evaluates these new techniques and what they can teach us about our ancestors.

Modern methods of forensic anthropology can determine a skeleton's age, sex, stature, and some aspects of its ancestry. New developments in biochemistry and molecular biology make it possible to extract DNA and proteins from archaeological bone—revealing important information about past populations.

Chamberlain writes in a straightforward, accessible style, and his reports on mummification, bodies preserved in peat bogs and glaciers, likely causes of death, and other fascinating discoveries will keep the reader turning pages at a fast clip.