Description: Translation of: Quand la science explore l'histoire.
Brief description: Philippe Charlier is head of the section of medical and forensic anthropology at the University of Versailles at St. Quentin. He is a specialist in rituals related to diseases and death. He is the author of Zombies: An Anthropological Investigation of the Living Dead.
Review Quotes: "Charlier, a French forensic medical examiner and specialist in ancient human remains, brings together summaries of his case studies--which include bones and bodies taken from prehistoric caves, charnel houses, royal tombs, and communal burials--to demonstrate what such remains can tell researchers. . . .Delves into historical mysteries: for instance, bottles of wine said to contain the ashes of Joan of Arc instead turn out to hold remnants of burned Egyptian mummies. The book is full of similarly fascinating bits of trivia."--Publishers Weekly "A series of scientific vignettes showing how forensic science can update our understanding of history."--New Historian "Illuminates the world of the living."--Inside Higher Ed