Unraveling the Mystery: Forensics at Work at USU Museum of Anthropology

A crime has taken place at the Utah State University Museum of Anthropology and it is up to museum guests to solve it using forensics. The Museum of Anthropology will teach visitors about forensics at work, Saturday, April 7. Richard Walton, a professor at USU Eastern, and Patricia Lambert, a USU anthropology professor, will speak at noon. 
 

Walton will discuss the role of forensic anthropology in cold cases and Lambert will focus on the role bones in forensic anthropology. The presentation will be held in Room 115 in Old Main.  Inside the museum will be a crime scene where visitors can solve the case of “Who Killed the Last Neanderthal,” available throughout the day.

“I don’t think most people realize many of the important roles forensics can play,” said Jessica Swift, Saturdays program coordinator. “Forensics are important in solving crime cases but are also used to identify mummies and bodies that have been destroyed beyond recognition, like at 9/11. There is much more to the forensics field than what TV shows portray.”

USU students and members of the public are invited to the museum any time during open hours: M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Funding for Saturday events is provided by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. More information about the IMLS is available online (www.imls.gov).

The USU Museum of Anthropology is on the USU campus in the south turret of the historic Old Main building, Room 252. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot, south of the building. For more information on this event, call museum staff at (435) 797-7545 or visit the museum Web site.

Contact: USU Museum of Anthropology (435) 797-7545, anthro.museum@usu.edu