Body Farms: How Scientists Study Human Decomposition

A body farm sounds like something from a crime novel. It is real, and it is a serious research site. Scientists use it to learn how the human body breaks down after death, so that investigators can better judge when and how someone died.

What is a body farm?

A body farm is an outdoor research facility where human bodies are left to decompose in natural conditions. Scientists prefer the name “human decomposition facility.” The popular nickname came from a bestselling crime novel in the 1990s, and it stuck. The people who work there study how weather, soil, insects, and other factors change what happens to a body.

Who started the first one?

Dr. William Bass, a forensic anthropologist, started the first one at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. A journal overview of these sites dates it to 1980, though some sources give 1981. Early research looked at large-scale environmental factors that affect decomposition and the estimate of time since death. Over time, researchers realized that tiny differences in a body’s surroundings matter a great deal, and more facilities opened in different places.

Where do the bodies come from?

Every body comes from a person who chose to donate. The director of the University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center told A&E that the body donation program is the heart of the whole center, and that without donors the research could not happen. The university receives about 100 new donor bodies a year, and about 5,000 people have signed up ahead of time as “pre-donors.” Staff record details such as height and weight, and then move the body to the outdoor site. When decomposition is done, the skeleton is cleaned and added to a donated skeletal collection for future study.

What do scientists learn?

They learn how the body changes, step by step, in different places and conditions. A journal overview says these sites give researchers real-world laboratories, research material, and documented modern skeletal collections. They also train people who work with human remains, including death investigators and handlers of search dogs that find remains. Findings help forensic experts estimate time since death, which is covered in Rigor Mortis, Livor Mortis, and Algor Mortis.

How many body farms are there?

About seven in the United States, according to WRAL. Western Carolina University opened the second in the country in 2007, and the largest is at Texas State University, spread over 26 acres. Tennessee’s site is far smaller, about 2 acres. Numbers change over time as new facilities open, and some countries now have their own.

Why do some people find body farms disturbing?

Some people find the idea upsetting, and WRAL reports that when they first appeared, many saw them as offensive or even blasphemous. Staff at these facilities say they treat the donors with great respect. For many donors, the point is to leave something useful behind. The decision is always voluntary.

Can I donate my body to one?

You may be able to. Each facility runs its own program and usually asks you to sign up in advance, and not every person qualifies. If you are considering it, read Body Donation Explained and contact the facility directly. Share your decision with your family now, because they will be the ones asked to carry it out.