The March meeting of the Rutherford County Archaeological Society will feature Dr. Tiffany Saul, a forensic anthropologist who specializes in stable isotope analysis.
Saul will give a presentation entitled “Skeletons, Isotopes, and The Body Farm: Revealing You Are What (and Where) You Eat."
She will provide an overview of her research on isotope analysis of human remains and what we can learn from it. Isotope analysis is used in archaeology and forensic anthropology to predict diet and travel histories from skeletal remains.
She will discuss her experiences conducting research at the world-famous University of Tennessee Anthropology Research Facility, commonly known as “The Body Farm,” and will explain how our skeletons are a record of diet and geography.
"It’s true, after all, that you are what (and where) you eat," RCAS President Laura Bartel said.
Saul is a research assistant professor with the MTSU Forensic Institute for Research and Education. She is an alum of MTSU and completed her doctorate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Her research interests include stable isotope analysis as a tool for human identification, trauma analysis of skeletal remains, and the role of anthropology in human rights investigations.
The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 2 p.m. March 25 at the Heritage Center in Murfresboro.
The Heritage Center is located at 225 W. College St. in Murfreesboro.
