New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Alexa Hagerty, "Still Life with Bones: Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains" (Crown, 2023)
Jan 6, 2026
In this engaging discussion, anthropologist Alexa Hagerty shares insights from her book about the haunting realities of forensic anthropology in contexts of genocide. She unwraps how bones can reveal identities and stories, intertwining the lives lost with forensic analyses of trauma. Hagerty also emphasizes the importance of community-driven investigations and critiques traditional narratives of closure in the face of grief. Through her experiences in Argentina and Guatemala, she illustrates how exhumation acts as both a ritual and a path toward healing for families affected by violence.
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Forensic Exhumation Is Labor-Intensive Evidence Work
- Forensics is painstaking, multi-step labor from site detection to DNA testing that also produces legal evidence.
- Teams meticulously document, preserve context, and collect family DNA to enable identifications and prosecutions.
Bones Tell Personal Life Stories
- Forensic anthropologists read life in bones: healed fractures, chipped teeth, and occupational markers like weaver toes.
- These small traces link skeletal remains to personal histories and aid identification.
How Argentine Forensics Began
- Argentine forensic exhumation as a human-rights field began after the dictatorship with Clyde Snow's intervention in 1984.
- Young Argentine students became the founding team, combining scientific methods and political commitment.
