University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility
The University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, often referred to as the Body Farm, was established in 1972 by Dr. William M. Bass. This facility focuses on the scientific study of human decomposition, providing valuable insights into the various stages and factors affecting postmortem changes. Located on a three-acre site near the Knoxville campus, the Body Farm hosts around 120 bodies at any given time, enabling forensic anthropologists to conduct research that is pivotal for death investigations.
The facility serves multiple purposes, including training for law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, and emergency responders, enhancing their understanding of human remains in various environments. Research conducted here has significantly contributed to the knowledge of decomposition related to environmental factors such as weather, clothing, and insect activity. Additionally, the University houses the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection, the largest modern bone collection in the U.S., which aids forensic scientists in identifying characteristics from skeletal remains. The Body Farm's contributions have also led to the establishment of the National Forensic Academy, which provides specialized training for law enforcement personnel in evidence collection and crime scene management. Overall, the facility plays a crucial role in advancing forensic anthropology and improving death investigation practices in the United States.
On this Page
University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility
DATE: Established in 1972
IDENTIFICATION: Facility at which forensic anthropologists conduct research on the decomposition of human remains and the identification of skeletal or badly decomposed bodies.
SIGNIFICANCE: The Anthropological Research Facility at the University of Tennessee provides human identification services and death investigation training to arson investigators, county medical examiners, and various federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies.
Dr. William M. Bass is credited with establishing the University of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Facility in 1972. Soon after Bass began working at the University of Tennessee in 1971, the state asked him to do some consulting work on several death investigations. Although Bass had been trained as a forensic anthropologist, he had limited experience with cases involving human decomposition. In addition, little research had been conducted to document the stages of human decomposition. As a result, Bass and the faculty of the Anthropology Department at the University of Tennessee created the Anthropological Research Facility, now commonly known as the Body Farm, so that forensic anthropologists could study postmortem decomposition of human remains.
The is located on a three-acre tract of land close to the university’s Knoxville campus; it hosts about 120 bodies at any given time. The Body Farm serves as a primary research facility for doctoral students in forensic sciences and as a training site for investigators, law-enforcement officers, morticians, dental experts, emergency medical personnel, decontamination experts, and anthropologists. Research at the Body Farm has helped forensic anthropologists to document the decomposition of the human body in relation to weather, water, indoor versus outdoor settings, clothing, insects, small mammals, and other variables.
The University of Tennessee also houses the nation’s largest modern bone collection, the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. Data on the skeletal remains in the collection are entered into the University of Tennessee’s Data Bank. This database is the primary tool that forensic anthropologists across the United States use to determine age, sex, stature, ancestry, and other unique characteristics from skeletal remains.
The University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center inspired the formation of the National Forensic Academy (NFA), one of the leading law-enforcement investigation training centers in the United States. The NFA offers an intensive ten-week training program designed to educate law-enforcement agents in identification, collection, and preservation. The primary goal of the NFA is to prepare law-enforcement officers to recognize crucial components of crime scenes and improve the process of evidence recovery and submission.
Bibliography
Bass, Bill, and Jon Jefferson. Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science. New York: William Morrow, 2007.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003.
"Forensic Anthropology Center." Forensic Anthropology Center, 2024, fac.utk.edu/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.https://fac.utk.edu/
"Forensic Anthropology Research Facility." Forensic Anthropology Center, 2024, www.txst.edu/anthropology/facts/labs/farf.html. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024. Hallcox, Jarrett, and Amy Welch. Bodies We’ve Buried: Inside the National Forensic Academy, the World’s Top CSI Training School. New York: Berkley Books, 2006.