When Science Sheds Light on History: Forensic Science and Anthropology

Charlier, Phillipe (with David Alliot)

ISBN 10: 0813056543 / ISBN 13: 9780813056548

Published by University Press of Florida, 2017

About this Item

Gainesville. 2017. September 2017. University Press of Florida. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Wrappers. 9780813056548. 6 x 9. Translated by Isabelle Ruben. September 2017. paperback. keywords: Forensic Science Anthropology. DESCRIPTION - Well-written and hard to put down. For anyone with an interest in forensic science, this book is a must read. - Nigel McCrery, author of Silent Witnesses: The Often Gruesome but Always Fascinating History of Forensic Science. This compilation is a fascinating read for the nonspecialist, and will further serve as an inspirational set of recommended readings for the next generation of forensic scientists. - Tim D. White, coauthor of The Human Bone Manual. Did Richard the Lionheart really die from just a crossbow wound, or was there foul play? Who are the two infant children buried in Tutankhamen's tomb? Could a skull found in a tax collector's attic be the long-lost head of Henri IV? In When Science Sheds Light on History, Philippe Charlier, the notorious Indiana Jones of the graveyards, travels the globe with his forensics team to unravel these and other historic mysteries. To get answers, Charlier looks for clues in medical records, death masks, fingerprints, and bloodstains. He even enlists the help of perfume experts to smell and identify embalming materials. He reconstructs the face of Robespierre and analyzes charred bones attributed to Joan of Arc. He identifies toxic levels of gold in the hair of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II, and mercury poisoning in the body of Agnès Sorel, the most beautiful woman in fifteenth-century France. Charlier also pieces together the stories of people whose names and lives have long been forgotten. He investigates Stone Age graves, medieval necropolises, and museum collections. Playing the role of both crime scene investigator and forensic anthropologist, Charlier diagnoses a mummy with malaria, an ancient Greek child with Down syndrome, and a stately Roman with encephalitis. He studies accounts of divine cures from Antiquity. He determines the origins of preserved heads of the Jivaro and Maori people to help museums return them to their clans. Exploring how our ancestors lived and how they died, the forty cases in this book tackle some of history's most enduring questions and illustrate the power of science to reveal the secrets of the past. inventory #42079.

Seller Inventory # z42079

Bibliographic Details

• Title: When Science Sheds Light on History: Forensic Science and Anthropology
• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813056543
• ISBN 13: 9780813056548
• Binding: paperback
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good in Wrappers
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

About this title

Synopsis

Did Richard the Lionheart really die from a simple crossbow wound, or was there foul play? Who are the two infants buried in Tutankhamun's tomb? Could a skull found in a tax collector's attic be the long-lost head of Henri IV? In When Science Sheds Light on History, Philippe Charlier, the "Indiana Jones of the graveyards," travels the globe to unravel these and other unsolved mysteries of human history.

To get answers, Charlier looks for clues in medical records, fingerprints, and bloodstains. He reconstructs the face of Robespierre from masks molded from his body after death and analyzes charred bones to see if they really are Joan of Arc's. He discovers lethal levels of gold in the hair and bones of King Henry II's mistress Diane de Poitiers, who used gold salts to "preserve her eternal youth."

Charlier also pieces together the stories of people whose names and lives have long been forgotten. He investigates Stone Age graves, medieval necropolises, and museum collections. Playing the role of both crime-scene investigator and forensic anthropologist, Charlier diagnoses a mummy with malaria, an ancient Greek child with Down syndrome, and a stately Roman with encephalitis. He also delves into ancient miracles and anomalies: a mute boy able to speak after making sacrifices to the gods, a woman pregnant for five years, and a serpent that cured a broken toe with its tongue.

Exploring how our ancestors lived and how they died, the forty cases in this book seek to answer some of history's most enduring questions and illustrate the power of science to reveal the secrets of the past.

About the Authors

Philippe Charlier is head of the section of medical and forensic anthropology at the University of Versailles at St. Quentin. He is a specialist in rituals related to diseases and death. He is the author of Zombies: An Anthropological Investigation of the Living Dead.

David Alliot is the author of various books, including Le Paris de Celine.