Anthropology student gains hands-on forensic experience at famed body farm

In the summer of 2011, anthropology student Ami Attee participated in a forensic training program at the University of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Facility (ARF) in Knoxville.

Working with the renowned Bass Collection, Attee honed her forensic anthropology skills, learning advanced techniques for determining biological profiles, including age, sex and ancestry.

She also assessed trauma and pathological evidence in human remains.

Attee studied taphonomic processes—the physical and environmental changes a body undergoes after death. Her training included recovering decomposing human remains from the ARF, commonly known as the Body Farm, collecting entomological evidence, observing postmortem changes and conducting experiments on the effects of fire on bone tissue.

The hands-on experience provided Attee with critical forensic skills applicable to both research and real-world investigations.