William M. Bass is a U.S.
forensic anthropologistForensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition...
, renowned for his research on human
osteologyOsteology is the scientific study of bones. A subdiscipline of anthropology and archeology, osteology is a detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification , the resistance and hardness of bones , etc...
and human decomposition. He has also assisted federal, local, and non-US authorities in the identification of human remains. He taught at the
University of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee , sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville...
in
KnoxvilleFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007...
, and though currently retired from teaching, still plays an active research role at the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility, which he founded. The Facility is more popularly known as the "
Body FarmA body farm is a research facility where human decomposition after death can be scientifically studied in a variety of settings. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the decomposition process, permitting the development of techniques for extracting information from human remains...
", a name used by crime author
Patricia CornwellPatricia Cornwell is a contemporary American crime writer. She is widely known for writing a popular series of novels featuring the heroine Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner.-Early life:...
in a novel of the same name, which drew inspiration from Dr.
William M. Bass is a U.S.
forensic anthropologistForensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition...
, renowned for his research on human
osteologyOsteology is the scientific study of bones. A subdiscipline of anthropology and archeology, osteology is a detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification , the resistance and hardness of bones , etc...
and human decomposition. He has also assisted federal, local, and non-US authorities in the identification of human remains. He taught at the
University of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee , sometimes called the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville...
in
KnoxvilleFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007...
, and though currently retired from teaching, still plays an active research role at the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility, which he founded. The Facility is more popularly known as the "
Body FarmA body farm is a research facility where human decomposition after death can be scientifically studied in a variety of settings. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the decomposition process, permitting the development of techniques for extracting information from human remains...
", a name used by crime author
Patricia CornwellPatricia Cornwell is a contemporary American crime writer. She is widely known for writing a popular series of novels featuring the heroine Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner.-Early life:...
in a novel of the same name, which drew inspiration from Dr. Bass and his work. Bass has also described the body farm as "Death's Acre"
and Beyond The Body Farm – the title of the bestselling books on his life and career, co-written with journalist Jon Jefferson. Bass and Jefferson have also written four fictional works, "Carved in Bone", "Flesh and Bone", "The Devil's Bones" and "Bones of Betrayal" under the pen name "Jefferson Bass."
Biography
Dr. Bass attended the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
for his undergraduate degree, and received his master's from the
University of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public, co-educational, university, and is also the state's land-grant university, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. He completed his
Ph.D.Ph.D. or PHD may stand for:* Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group* Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip* PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian organization...
in
AnthropologyAnthropology is the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time....
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1961. His research career began as an archaeologist, excavating
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
grave sites in the Midwest United States during the 1950s. He mentions in
Death's Acre, somewhat humorously, that this activity earned him the informal title "Indian grave-robber number one" from the local Native American leaders.
External links