Forensic Anthropology

The Centre provides expert services to UK and international law enforcement agencies. Forensic anthropology is the analysis of human remains for the medico-legal purposes of establishing identity. being able to assign a name to the deceased is critical to the successful outcome of all legal investigations. Srvices offered include:

• sex, age-at-death and ancestry determination
• stature determination
• analysis of skeletal trauma and osteopathology

Staff have experience with skeletal and fleshed remains including partially decomposed, commingled, fragmented and incomplete remains. We can advise on remains in-situ, in our own or other's facilities, or based on CT scans.

Staff have experience with repatriation, mass disasters and war crimes.

On-line "Are they human?"

This is the most common question when skeletal remains are found: are they human or not? The Centre offers a free virtual anthropology consultancy service (VACS) for the UK police to answer this question. This provides a swift experienced response - if negative this may have a significant positive financial impact for the force involved; if positive the appropriate procedures can be implemented without delay. More details

Forensic Archaeology

The Centre provides expert archaeological services to UK law enforcement agencies.

Forensic archaeologists help locate evidence at a crime scene using the skills normally used on archaeological sites to uncover evidence from the past.

Forensic archaeologists are employed to locate, excavate and record buried remains, including:

• buried small items or personal effects from a victim of crime
• potential gravesites
• surface body disposals where a recent victim has been concealed under fallen walls, tree branches, rubbish etc
• mass graves
• burnt and disrupted remains
• determination of forensic or historical context

Facial Identification

Facial recognition may be useful for identification of the dead, but assistance may be required to depict the faces of the recently deceased, partially decomposed or skeletal remains. The Centre offers expert facial depiction services to UK and international law enforcement agencies including:

• post-mortem image analysis
• skull assembly & analysis
• 2D and 3D manual facial reconstruction
• 3D computerised facial reconstruction

In addition, where there is a suspected victim a craniofacial superimposition may be carried out to confirm or exclude identification. Staff have experience with mass disasters, juvenile remains, and fragmented and incomplete skulls.

Facial recognition may be useful for identifying living faces, but assistance may be required to analyse and identify individuals, especially from poor quality images.

The Centre offers expert analysis of faces from still images and CCTV footage for use in criminal investigation. Staff have over ten years expert experience in UK and international courts.

Biometric Identification

The Centre offers expert biometric services to UK and international law enforcement agencies including:

• vein pattern analysis
• hand analysis
• ear morphology analysis
• facial biometrics

Centre expert evidence has been instrumental in criminal convictions in the UK.

Forensic Art

Facial recall may be useful for identification, but assistance may be required to depict the faces from the eye witness' memory.

The Centre offers expert forensic art services to UK and international lae enforcement agencies including:

• facial composite production
• eye witness interviews

Staff follow APCO guidelines for facial composite production and are fully trained in all aspects of forensic art.