When I explain my field of study to friends and family members, the conversation almost always involves mention and questions about the renowned “body farms,” where research concerning the process of decomposition takes place. Until today, the only knowledge I was able to offer about these body farms stemmed from word of mouth and reading about some of the research being conducted there. Today, as a break from skeletal analyses in the lab, my fellow UIndy students and I were able to visit FARF, the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility at Texas State University. And it was even cooler than I thought it would be.
Some of our team members may have been a little excited about the cows on the way to the facility…
Our visit to FARF began with a light-hearted warning about fire ant mounds. Having visited Texas earlier in January, I thought I was familiar enough with the presence of fire ants to be able to avoid them easily (having been stung by one during said previous visit), but boy was I wrong. When the UIndy team was working in the field in Falfurrias, we would come across small ant holes, with fire ants pouring out of them, but they were fairly few and far between. At FARF, the fire ants created large mounds and almost every other step was carefully placed to avoid being swarmed. Needless to say, our eyes were glued to the ground being sure to avoid stepping on any of the mounds. Of course,
Yes, that is a spider.
we were then warned about the large spider webs spanning the trees, so while our eyes were searching the ground for fire ant mounds, we were also conscious of what might be hanging between the trees.
Despite the insect and arachnid activity at the facility, FARF was very impressive. While walking through and observing the numerous research and educational projects being conducted there, I couldn’t help but think of new research questions that could be investigated there. The decomposition process is so highly variable and there are so many factors that may affect it that the possibilities for research are endless.
FARF is also where Texas State University allows their donated bodies to naturally decompose, while protecting them from carnivore scavenging. I greatly appreciated the amount of respect and sensitivity given to the wishes of those donating their bodies to the facility, and the amount of donations that FARF typically receives in a single year was impressive and inspiring, providing more opportunities for research in the field of forensic anthropology.
The end of the tour took a slightly more serious tone for me. Our final stop was the fenced enclosure in which the remains of the migrants who have perished crossing the border are allowed to decompose until they can be processed and analyzed. This final stop was made even more significant by the fact that the remains currently being held there were those that our UIndy team had recovered during the field season earlier in January. It was very humbling to see the next step in the process that will hopefully lead to the identification of these individuals whose families are still wondering what happened to them. Not only is FARF a very impressive research facility with many important projects being conducted there, but it is also part of the process that has brought the UIndy team to Texas year after year – to help identify those who have perished as a result of the crisis at the border.
This morning, the team awoke for a warm breakfast made by Dr. Latham. We had breakfast tacos and potatoes, and they were wonderful! We knew today would be a long day at the Osteology Research and Processing Lab (ORPL) so we needed full stomachs to fuel us for the day. ORPL is located on 26 acres of the Freeman Ranch and opened in 2008. ORPL is part of a larger multi-purpose facility that is used for teaching and training purposes, as well as for conferences and outreach services. Specifically, ORPL is utilized for forensic anthropological casework as well as the processing of skeletons donated to the Texas State Donated Skeletal collection. ORPL is where the skeletal analysis portion of this trip takes place before we depart for Rio Grande City on Sunday.
Texas State Osteological Research and Processing Laboratory
When we arrived at ORPL, we got a brief tour of the facilities by Dr. Tim Gocha. We got to see their processing room, multipurpose classroom, osteology laboratory, and the room where donated and OpID skeletons are stored. Their processing room was AMAZING! At UIndy, we use different tools and technologies. So while we use two burners and small cooking pots, ORPL has a vat that an entire skeleton can fit into! It was very interesting to see these new technologies and different pieces of equipment that the students at Texas State have access to.
Leann taking photos
The first thing we did after our tour was figure out the best way to take photos in the space we had. Photography is an integral part of the documentation process, so ensuring photo quality was one of our first priorities. At UIndy, we have a photography station, with plenty of lights and various lenses to achieve the desired photographical results. At ORPL, we did not have control over the lights whatsoever. In addition, the lights were luminescent which can affect the coloration of the photo unless you account for these light sources in your settings. However, to account for luminescent lights, I had to change the settings too much which made the shutter speed too slow and all of the photos blurry. After much fidgeting and about four different table positions, we were able to find the optimal photo settings for the room and skeletal analyses could begin.
The team beginning skeletal inventory
Skeletal analysis started out pretty slow, as we had multiple tasks occurring at once and we had not yet found our “groove.” To begin, Erica, Jessica, Haley and I laid out the skeleton in anatomical position. Next, Erica and I conducted dental analysis and scored cranial suture closure, while Dr. Latham, Jessica, and Haley worked on inventory, discrete and taphonomy observations. While Haley and Erica were measuring the skeleton, I began taking photographs of the various skeletal elements. We worked in these different groups simultaneously, ensuring efficiency so as to analyze as many sets of remains as possible and start the identification process for these individuals.
Erica conducting dental analysis
By the end of the day, the team began to get into a groove and we nearly completed two full skeletons. Today was a day of adaptations and flexibility as we learned to navigate the unfamiliar lab space we were working in. We now have a better idea of what to expect and the challenges we will face, so I believe the remaining days at ORPL will run much smoother. Overall, today was a great day filled with new challenges and learning experiences as this was Jessica, Haley, Erica, and I’s first experience with the skeletal analysis portion of this humanitarian mission in South Texas. I am excited to continue working on skeletal analyses and learning the different ways the casework is conducted at different institutions. I can’t wait to see what new challenges tomorrow brings!
Our group before we departed from Indy!Such a clear day to fly to Texas!
We arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport this morning at 6am for our 8:05am flight to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. It was a much anticipated flight as I had been so eager and excited to travel to Texas for the first time. The first leg of our journey was as smooth as is humanly possible, as we had no issues checking all seven of our bags, and no issues boarding all seven of us. And as Leann so precisely put it, our landing was “literally as smooth as butter.” When we arrived at the DFW airport, we indulged in a delicious breakfast at Pappasito’s Cantina! Everybody really enjoyed the jalapeño cheddar sausage! After a short layover, at the DFW airport, we departed for the San Antonio International Airport, where we picked up our (brand spankin’ new) rental van. It only had 15 miles on it!
Our group at The Alamo.
From the rental car company, we traveled to The Alamo to do some site seeing, and then we visited the River Walk. It was my first time visiting both sites. It was so interesting to learn about The Alamo and to see it! It is truly a beautiful piece of history, aside from the sadness the event ensued on Texas in the form of many deaths. I really enjoyed seeing cacti and palm trees at The Alamo site! I have never seen either in real life and I was completely enthralled by their beauty!
At the River Walk.We had to stop and take a picture in front of the cacti.
After walking the River Walk, which was gorgeous, we travelled to our hotel to get settled
Our group at Buc-ee’s!
in for the night. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at Buc-ee’s, the biggest gas station I have ever seen in my entire life! The place was massive! It had everything you could ever want in a gas station, from every type of candy imaginable to decorations for your home. We each got two kolaches, which were absolutely delicious! And after seeing the amazing world of Buc-ee’s, we had to get a picture with Buc-ee himself!
After we were through exploring Buc-ee’s, we checked into our hotel and got settled in before visiting HEB. What a cool store that is! I have only heard about HEB but I have never been. It was a really cool store that lived up to all of my expectations. It truly is a store that sells everything! I could not get over the cheese selection they had! After HEB, we went to Sonic to get a quick bite to eat for dinner before settling in for the night to plan for our day tomorrow.
Today was such a fun day of exploring and site seeing! It was a day of many firsts for me, and I am very much looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of our time here in Texas.
