University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility

University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility
Established1972 (52 years ago) (1972)
Parent institution
Forensic Anthropology Center
AffiliationUniversity of Tennessee
DirectorDr. Dawnie Wolfe Steadman, DABFA[1]
Location
Knoxville
,
Tennessee
,
United States
Websitefac.utk.edu

The University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, better known as the Body Farm and sometimes seen as the Forensic Anthropology Facility,[2] was conceived in 1971 and established in 1972 by anthropologist William M. Bass as the first facility for the study of decomposition of human remains.[3] It is located a few miles from downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and is part of the Forensic Anthropology Center, which was established by Dr. Bass in 1987.[4]

It consists of a 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) wooded plot, surrounded by a razor wire fence. Bodies are placed in different settings throughout the facility and left to decompose. The bodies are exposed in a number of ways in order to provide insights into decomposition under varying conditions. The facility has expanded from just 20 exposed bodies in 2003 to around 150 in 2007.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Department of Anthropology: Dawnie Wolfe Steadman, Professor; Director, Forensic Anthropology Center". University of Tennessee. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  2. ^ Baum, Michele Dula; Tolley, Toria (October 31, 2000). "Pastoral putrefaction down on the Body Farm". CNN. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
  3. ^ Sproles, Cassandra (September 15, 2017). "The Making of the Body Farm". The Torchbearer. 54 (1). Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  4. ^ "Forensic Anthropology Center". University of Tennessee.
  5. ^ Knapp, Louise (September 22, 2003). "Death Stinks, but It's Revealing". Wired.com. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  6. ^ Dotinga, Randy (December 12, 2007). "Professor Needs More Land for Bodies on Corpse Farm". Wired.com. Retrieved March 27, 2008.