Human Body Decomposition

Human Body Decomposition compiles a chronological account of research into the estimation of the time since death in human bodies found decomposed so that researchers in the field can concentrate thoughts and build on achievements from the past. The fate of the human body after death is a subject that has fascinated enquirers, both in the scientific and legal realms, for millennia. However, objective research into the causes and nature of human decomposition has only taken place in the last two centuries, with quantitative measurement of the process as a means of estimating the time of death only recently being attempted.

The substantial literature concerning this research has been published in numerous scientific journals since the beginning of the nineteenth century. This book expands on the current literature to include the evolving research on estimating time of death, also detailing the process of decomposition to include the early period after death when the body cools to ambient temperature and then begins to putrefy.

• Provides concise details of research over the last 200 years on estimating the time of death in decomposed bodies
• Covers methods of research into human decomposition in the stages of body cooling to ambient temperature and the later stages of autolysis, putrefaction, and skeletonization
• Includes a detailed account of recent research and future concepts
• Concludes with an account of the difficulties that future research into human decomposition will encounter