Anatomy
Faculty
Collaboration
Over nearly three months abroad, JABSOM’s Dr. Robert Mann traveled thousands of miles, working in Thailand, Scotland, and Italy, examining human remains spanning centuries and continents. From historic cemeteries in Bangkok to the remains of a notorious 19th-century serial killer in Edinburgh, and finally to the ash-preserved victims of Pompeii, Dr. Mann examined more than a hundred skeletons during his time away.
“I was afforded the opportunity to do things never done before. From examining the skeleton of serial killer William Burke, to remains from Pompeii, and to helping law enforcement in Thailand, this was a tremendous honor.”
Unearthing History in Thailand
Much of Dr. Mann’s time was spent in Bangkok, where he examined skeletal remains excavated from a cemetery dating back to the early 1800s. The work offered insights into how people lived more than 200 years ago.
“These skeletons are extremely fragile,” Mann explained. “They’ve been underground for two centuries. The bones are dry, brittle, and often fragmented into hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces. It’s like putting together a three-dimensional puzzle.”
In addition to conducting original and sometimes ground-breaking research, Dr. Mann led workshops and taught students and professionals at hospitals and medical schools. He also continued long-standing collaborations in Thailand, where he has worked and trained forensic anthropologists, forensic osteologists, pathologists, and anatomists for decades.
“They know my background,” he said. “I don’t just focus on one thing. Trauma, disease, cause of death, anomalies, I look at everything.”
Among the cases he continues to work on are the remains of victims tied to one of Thailand’s most infamous serial killers.
“When I examine a skeleton,” Mann said, “it’s like sitting across the table from someone who’s telling you their life story. That story is written in bone. We're both talking to each other. The bones are talking to me, and I'm listening to what they're saying. Sometimes I talk back to them, you know, and I'm saying, ‘I can see you broke a bone. You broke your right humerus. How did you do that?”
Examining William Burke in Scotland
In Edinburgh, Dr. Mann was given a rare opportunity to conduct a full osteobiography of William Burke, one-half of the infamous Burke and Hare serial killing duo.
“No one had ever done this before,” Mann said. “This was the first time anyone was asked to examine Burke’s skeleton in this way.”
Working with the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Anatomy, Dr. Mann analyzed Burke’s remains to confirm identity, estimate age, stature, ancestry, and document signs of disease or trauma. The results have been compiled into a detailed report and will be shared by the university in the coming months.
“What we’re trying to understand is not just who he was biologically,” Mann said, “but whether the skeleton tells us anything unexpected.”
Seeing Pompeii Through a Forensic Lens
Dr. Mann’s final stop in Europe took him to Italy, where he examined skeletal remains of victims of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Pompeii has been studied for centuries, but Mann brings a different perspective.
“I approach these remains as a forensic anthropologist,” he said. “I’m asking the same questions I would in a modern police or medical examiner investigation. How did this person die, what injuries were present, and what was happening in the moments leading up to death?”
Even after examining only a small number of individuals so far, the experience has been eye-opening.
“I’m standing in a room in ancient Pompeii exactly as it was 2,000 years ago. This is the closest thing to actually going back in time that I can think of,” Mann said. “Every skeleton tells a unique story. It’s not just history, it’s a human life frozen in time.”
Pompeii had been on his bucket list since childhood. “To finally be there, and to contribute in this way, is extraordinary.”
Across all three locations, Dr. Mann’s work reflects JABSOM’s global reach and devotion to advancing medical and scientific knowledge. With decades of experience and more than 15,000 skeletons examined worldwide, Mann continues to push the field forward.
“There are features of the human skeleton that we’re still not paying enough attention to,” he said. “And those details, our “hidden anatomy,” so to speak, can tell us so much more than we realize.”
Click here to read Part 1: Cemeteries, Skeletons and Serial Killers: Travels with a Forensic Anthropologist