Best sources/book(s) for research on human decomposition...
March 5, 2018 1:35 AM Subscribe
Hi all, I am working on a writing project and need to know more about the different stages of human decomposition. I appreciate this varies depending on where the body is - but I am interested in woodland/forest type sites and the insects that aid the process.
If this topic could be covered by reading about decomposing animals (i.e. it is the same for all mammals for example) that's also fine - I just need to know more about the stages. Essentially I am clueless about this and wish to be less so, therefore advice is welcome. Thanks all.
If this topic could be covered by reading about decomposing animals (i.e. it is the same for all mammals for example) that's also fine - I just need to know more about the stages. Essentially I am clueless about this and wish to be less so, therefore advice is welcome. Thanks all.
Being Dead by Jim Crace is a fictional treatment of this process, albeit on a beach instead of a woodland site. The book is maybe a bit flawed, but the what-happens-to-dead-bodies strand is probably the strongest.
posted by rd45 at 2:30 AM on March 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rd45 at 2:30 AM on March 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Death's Acre has a lot of Body Farm information presented in a very accessible manner.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 2:34 AM on March 5, 2018
posted by I claim sanctuary at 2:34 AM on March 5, 2018
I really enjoyed A Fly for the Prosecution by Lee Goff, which I believe details the stages of decomposition pretty well, but also has a delightful "forensic entomology" angle. Granted, he works out of Hawai'i, so his insect study is a little different than the continental US, but he acknowledges that and goes into it. This book was also surprisingly readable (and fun) for being so science-oriented.
posted by helloimjennsco at 7:01 AM on March 5, 2018
posted by helloimjennsco at 7:01 AM on March 5, 2018
Bones by Douglas Ubelaker is more of a textbook style book and not entirely about decomp but would be useful. Also Beyond the Body Farm (by the same people as Death's Acre) and there's a bit of useful information in From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty. Realistically people who work in these fields often like to talk about them so you could also consider, once you're done your initial research, reaching out to people if you have very specific questions for your project.
posted by jessamyn at 8:33 AM on March 5, 2018
posted by jessamyn at 8:33 AM on March 5, 2018
Bernd Heinrich's Life Everlasting primarily focuses on what happens to (non-human) corpses in the woods in Maine.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:01 AM on March 6, 2018
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:01 AM on March 6, 2018
Response by poster: These are all massively helpful, I plan to check all of them out. Thank you so much everyone!
posted by TheGarden at 11:52 AM on March 6, 2018
posted by TheGarden at 11:52 AM on March 6, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by forza at 2:16 AM on March 5, 2018 [6 favorites]