Body farm
740070
224572222
2008-07-09T13:54:37Z
Iridescent
937705
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/24.159.164.130|24.159.164.130]] (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{TOCright}}
{{for|the Patricia Cornwell novel|The Body Farm (novel)}}
{{worldwide}}
{{Advert|date=July 2008}}
{{Refimprove|date=July 2008}}
A '''body farm''' is a [[research]] facility where [[human]] [[decomposition]] after death can be scientifically studied in a variety of settings. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the decomposition process, permitting the development of techniques for extracting information (such as the timing and circumstances of death) from human remains. Body farm research is particularly important within [[forensic anthropology]] and related disciplines, and has applications in the fields of law enforcement, [[Coroner|medical examination]] and [[crime scene investigation]]. There are currently three such facilities in the United States with Texas State University being the largest of the three.
==Facilities in the United States==
===University of Tennessee - Knoxville===<!-- This section is linked from [[The Body Farm (novel)]]. See [[WP:MOS#Section management]] -->
The original "Body Farm" is the '''[[University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility]]''' located a few miles from downtown off of Alcoa Highway in [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]], [[Tennessee]], behind the [[University of Tennessee]] Medical Center. [[Anthropology|Anthropologist]] Dr. [[William M. Bass]] became head of the university's anthropology department in 1971, and as official state forensic anthropologist for Tennessee he was frequently consulted in police cases involving decomposed human remains. Since no facilities existed that specifically studied decomposition, in 1981 he opened the department's first body farm. <ref>Bass & Jefferson, chapter 7</ref>
It consists of a 3-[[acre]] (12,140 [[square metre|m²]]) wooded plot, surrounded by a [[razor wire]] [[fence]]. At any one time there will be a number of bodies placed in different settings throughout the facility and left to decompose. The bodies are exposed in a number of ways in order to provide insights into decomposition under varying conditions: for example, some are left out in the open or in the woods, some get buried in shallow [[Grave (burial)|grave]]s or entombed in [[burial vault|vaults]], some have been left in car trunks or submerged in water. Detailed observations and records of the decomposition process are kept, including the sequence and speed of decomposition and the effects of [[insect]] activity, and afterwards the [[skeleton]]ized bones are removed from the plot and added to the Dr. William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection, to be used for research and teaching.<ref>Bass and Jefferson, chapter 9</ref>
Bodies are obtained from various sources. Some have lain unclaimed at the [[medical examiner]]'s office, while over 300 people have voluntarily [[donation|donated]] their bodies to the Body Farm. Between 30 and 50 bodies are donated to the facility every year.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/FACdonation.html
| title = Body donation information
| accessdate = 2008-03-26
| publisher = University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center
}}</ref>
The University of Tennessee Body Farm is also used in the training of law enforcement officers in scene-of-crime skills and techniques.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://leic.tennessee.edu/nfsi/nfa/facilities.html
| title = National Forensic Academy: Facilities
| accessdate = 2008-03-26
| publisher = University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service
}}</ref>
===Western Carolina University===
Another facility in the United States is located at [[Western Carolina University]] in [[Cullowhee, North Carolina]] and is part of the '''Western Carolina Human Identification Laboratory'''. It was opened in 2006 and is run by WCU's Forensic Anthropology program on a small plot on the rural mountain campus. The size of a garage, and able to accommodate six bodies at a time,. <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.wcu.edu/293.asp
| title = Forensic Research Facility
| accessdate = 2008-03-27
| publisher = Western Carolina University
}}</ref> the facility studies decomposition in the western North Carolina mountain habitat and may be used for cadaver dog training. <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://paws.wcu.edu/forensic/wchil.htm
| title = Western Carolina Human Identification Laboratory
| accessdate = 2008-03-27
| publisher = Western Carolina University
}}</ref>
===Texas State University===
A Forensic Anthropology Research Facility has currently been commissioned by the [[Texas State University-San Marcos]] Department of Anthropology and is under the direction of Dr. Michelle Hamilton, a former student of Dr. Bill Bass. The body farm is fully operational and will be part of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (F.A.C.T.S.). The forensic facility has received a financial donation of over $100,000 from a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Texas State University, and has started construction of an adjoining million dollar lab to augment the facility. The development of this facility has been possible throught the efforts of Dr. Jerry Melbye, D-ABFA.
Prior to the selection of the location, there were objections by local residents and the nearby [[San Marcos Municipal Airport]] (owing to concerns about circling vultures) that stalled this plan.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6646177.stm
| title = Vultures pick off human body farm
| accessdate = 2006-05-11
| publisher = BBC
}}</ref> But on February 12, 2008, Texas State University announced that its Freeman Ranch, off County Road 213 northwest of San Marcos, would be the site of the facility.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.txstate.edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2008/02/Forensics021208.html
| title = Texas State Forensic Research Facility to locate at Freeman Ranch
| accessdate = 2008-02-12
| publisher = Texas State University
}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A608463
| title = Listening to the Bones - Texas State opens the world's largest forensic anthropology research facility
| accessdate = 2008-04-04
| publisher = The Austin Chronicle
}}</ref>
==Other facilities==
[[Image:Roma15.jpg|thumb|right|Roma Khan doing preliminary work on decomposition of cattle. She finally hopes to open up a Human Anthropological Facility (popularly known as a body farm), where similar decomposition of humans would be studied.]]
There have been proposals to open body farms in other locations in the U.S. and elsewhere. Few of these have been successful as yet; for example, a facility in [[Las Vegas metropolitan area|Las Vegas]] was proposed in 2003 but was unable to secure funding.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/mar/24/bone-dry-dreams/
| title = Bone-dry dreams of a body farm
| accessdate = 2008-03-27
| publisher = Las Vegas Sun
}}</ref>
Roma Khan of India is taking initial steps toward establishing a body farm in India along the lines of those in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.insaaf.co.in/aims.htm
| title = Aims and Objectives
| accessdate = 2006-12-27
| publisher = Investigative Scientific & Anthropological Analysis Facility
}}</ref>
== Sources ==
* Bass, Bill & Jefferson, Jon. ''Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary 'Body Farm' ''. Time Warner 2003, 300pp. ISBN 0-316-72527-7
* [[Mary Roach|Roach, Mary]]. ''[[Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers]]''. W.W. Norton, 2003. 224pp. ISBN 9780393324822
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
*[[Forensic anthropology]]
*[[Forensic entomology]]
*[[Forensic pathology]]
== External links ==
* [http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/index.htm The Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville]
**[http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/FACdonation.html Body donation information and forms]
* [http://www.deathsacre.com/ Death's Acre by Dr. William Bass and Jon Jefferson]
* [http://paws.wcu.edu/forensic/ The Western Carolina University Forensic Anthropology Program]
* Crime Library [http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/bill_bass/index.html article] on the U.T. body farm
* Salon.com [http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2003/04/17/roach_excerpt/index.html excerpt] from Mary Roach's "Stiff", about the U.T. body farm
{{coord|35|56|24|N|83|56|20|W|display=title|region:US_type:landmark_source:dewiki}}
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Tennessee]]
[[de:Body Farm]]
[[fr:Ferme des corps]]
[[nl:Body Farm]]
[[sv:Likfarm]]