ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly addresses the significant contributions made to the criminal justice system by the academic disciplines of anthropology and entomology. The theory and methods developed by scholars in these two fields have provided consistent and ongoing aid in the identification of the remains of homicide victims and in narrowing the range of time-of-death determinations. The analysis of human remains to reveal our cultural antecedents can also reveal much about the identity or general profiles of unidentified remains. The close study of the universe of insect species can be narrowed to species that consistently accompany the deterioration of the human body and provide investigative timelines of often decisive value to the state and defendant alike. The principles and practice of these two academic subjects are used in the fields of forensic anthropology and forensic entomology on a regular basis in the investigation and trial of criminal cases.
