Thomas A. Crist, assistant professor and forensic anthropologist at Utica College, will lecture at Hamilton College on Monday, April 14 at 4:10 p.m. in the Science Auditorium. His talk is titled "Skeleton Keys: Unlocking Doors to History and Crime." The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the biology department and Hamilton College Chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.
In an article in the Allentown Morning Call, Crist is described as "an expert at identifying human remains and gleaning clues from them." Crist has been involved in numerous criminal investigations and explained when human remains are found, he can use the bones to identify the person's age, sex and race. The bones can also help determine the cause of death if they contain fractures, cut marks or sign of disease. "We essentially do an autopsy on the skeleton," Crist said.
Crist is an assistant professor in the physical therapy graduate program at Utica College of Syracuse University and teaches gross anatomy. He was previously director of Archeological Service at Kise Straw & Kolodner Inc. Crist has served since 1990 as the forensic anthropologist for the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office. His professional background includes serving as principal investigator for numerous historical cemetery excavations in the U.S. These include African burial ground and excavation beneath Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan; the Tenth Street First African Baptists Church Cemetery Project in Philadelphia; the Wampanoag burial ground at Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; and Historical Cemeteries 86 and 88 in Johnston, R.I.
He recently directed the excavations of Block 3 at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, site of the new, world-class National Constitution Center. Among the discoveries at this site were the earliest burial ground in Philadelphia and the first prehistoric artifacts found in situ within the city's boundaries.
Crist has written more than 85 professional publications and numerous cultural resources technical reports including articles on forensic anthropology, African-American bioarchaeology, paleopathology, historical urban archaeology, and public involvement and educational outreach efforts.
Crist graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's in classics and archaeology, and then received a master's in anthropology and public service archaeology from the University of South Carolina. At Temple University he received a master's and doctorate in biological anthropology. Publications include "Bad to the Bone?: Historical Archaeologist in the Practice of Forensic Science" in Archaeologists as Forensic Investigators edited by M. Connor and D. Scott (2001); and "Smallpox and Other Scourges of the Death" in Dangerous Places: Health, Safety and Archaeology, edited by S.A. Poirier and K.L. Ferder (2001).
