The Department of Anthropology at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bern examines mummies, skeletons and bone fragments for forensic medicine and cultural history purposes. Research in such cases is primarily concerned with identifying the unknown dead person and establishing the cause of death in a forensic context. From an archaeological perspective, the focus is on addressing academic questions regarding the composition of populations, the prevalence of diseases, nutrition, social stratification and the origins of populations.
The Department of Anthropology relies on the following methods when researching material from different regions and temporal contexts: anthropological/morphological and histological diagnostics, mass spectrometry for stable isotope ratios, ancient DNA analyses and imaging processes.
Latest news on anthropology research in the Canton of Bern
Latest news on anthropology research in the rest of Switzerland and worldwide
