As announced at the recent campus forum, Northern Michigan University administrators are scheduled to present the proposed site for an outdoor forensic anthropology research station to the Marquette City Commission tonight (Oct. 31). The research site is on a 2.3-acre wooded bluff off US 41. It is located on state land between the Marquette Branch Prison and Department of Natural Resources, in the vicinity of the Marquette Area Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The research station would complement a new NMU academic program in forensic anthropology, the science of analyzing human remains to determine an individual’s identity and the timing and manner of death. There are only seven such facilities worldwide and this would be the first in a cold climate. Plans include screening the site from public view and securing it with fencing, lighting and video surveillance.

Relatively little information exists on the effects of freezing and thawing on human decomposition. NMU students and faculty will conduct this pioneering research in varying conditions and scenarios, creating the baseline data so critical to the quickly advancing field of forensic anthropology. The research is seen as essential to law enforcement in helping to solve crimes and identify human remains.  The facility also has the potential to enhance the regional economy by offering specialized training and research opportunities for law enforcement, government agencies, military personnel and visiting scientists.

In addition to the outdoor facility, NMU’s program will include an on-campus laboratory and curated osteological collection. The skeletal remains will be kept in a setting that is climate-controlled and secure.