# Where exactly is the body farm at the U of Tennessee **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191 "2005-09-18T04:31:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/1 "2005-09-18T04:31:54Z")
I wanted look at the University of Tennesse Anthropological Research Facility with the google maps satellite images but I could not find an exact address. (For those who don’t know, this this the “body farm” or “human decomposition lab” near the University of Tennessee Medical Center where they lay out donated corpses in a field to help determine time of death). All I could find was an address for the Anthropology department which is at Neyland Stadium, but not the address of the facility itself. I’m sure it’s not very public but I’m sure its on the web somewhere. It’s sure to be one of the more interesting satellite photos you could find using google maps, I just can’t find it. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/2 "2005-09-18T04:51:51Z")
From wired magazine I found that it was behind the employee lot. Still having trouble finding an address to look up on google maps though. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/3 "2005-09-18T04:54:17Z")
It’s acutally at the UT medical center. I’m not sure if that’s a separate campus or not. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/4 "2005-09-18T04:54:18Z")
[Here is the hospital](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1924+Alcoa+Highway,+Knoxville,+TN&ll=35.936077,-83.940396&spn=0.023602,0.034002&t=k&hl=en). I’m not sure where the field is though…could be the small rectangular patch on the very east edge of this. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/5 "2005-09-18T04:55:28Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > [Here is the hospital](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1924+Alcoa+Highway,+Knoxville,+TN&ll=35.936077,-83.940396&spn=0.023602,0.034002&t=k&hl=en). I’m not sure where the field is though…could be the small rectangular patch on the very east edge of this. P.S. All you had to do was google “University of Tennessee Medical Center” and input their address…really not that difficult… ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/6 "2005-09-18T13:16:52Z")
I looked at the entire [website](http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/index.htm) and couldn’t find so much as a physical location for the Body Farm, let alone an address. I’d assume the university doesn’t really want that much attention from the public. Robin ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/7 "2005-09-18T14:55:39Z")
> [@](#): > > I could find was an address for the Anthropology department which is at Neyland Stadium, but not the address of the facility itself. As it happens, I went to UT. The body farm is at the hospital more or less. It has no address because there are no facilities there, really. It’s just a field with a number of distinct environments for different tests. And you can’t go in it unless you’re with the Anthropology department. I believe there’s a fence and barbed wire. Funny story about it: the guy who started it used to do his tests at home. In fact, he used to cook human remains (to get the meat off). Apparently, his wife very calmly and quietly told he _would_ be getting her a new kitchen, pots, pans, et all and there would be no argument about. He did, and there wasn’t. 😃 The Anthropology department does have some facilities to work with the bodies. One of my teachers mentioned that sometimes, when tere wasn’t a breeze, the odor got just a bit ripe. This probably does not amuse the audiology and pseech pathology department, which is right next door. Double 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/8 "2005-09-18T14:57:26Z")
Found it. I don’t know how to link to a Google Earth placemark here, so bear with me. Put in the address into Google Earth: 1924 Alcoa Hwy Knoxville, TN 37920 Then look on the East side of the compound for the two big parking lots. There is a north one and a south one. Look between them, a small, fenced area. Thats it. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/9 "2005-09-18T16:42:07Z")
[Here’s the link,](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=35.940151,-83.939559&spn=0.004778,0.011762&t=k&hl=en) based on CynicalGabe’s description. It’s smaller than I thought… ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/10 "2005-09-18T20:50:56Z")
Here is a pic from Google Earth. [Body Farm](http://www.gabemartinez.com/bodyfarm.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/11 "2005-09-18T22:30:04Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Here is a pic from Google Earth. > > [Body Farm](http://www.gabemartinez.com/bodyfarm.html) I used my Windows Magnifier. I do believe the white areas are elongated objects covered in white tarps or sheets. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/12 "2005-09-18T23:45:57Z")
Have you read \*Death’s Acre \* by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson? It’s about the Body Farm by the guy who started it. It’s a very interesting book. I got it for Christmas last year. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/13 "2005-09-18T23:59:59Z")
Thanks for the recommendation, **The Surb**. I’ve just ordered a copy from Amazon. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/14 "2005-09-19T01:01:32Z")
Another book recommendation: **Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers** – by Mary Roach ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/15 "2005-09-19T02:55:16Z")
I’ll throw in my $0.02: [Dead Men Do Tell Tales : The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385479689/qid=1127099140/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9989864-8689732?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/16 "2005-09-19T03:31:34Z")
Not all of the bodies are under sheets or tarps. Some are left in cars. Others are left to the elements. The purpose is to examine them under varying circumstances. You are welcome to donate your body to UTK for scientific research. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/17 "2005-09-19T13:34:19Z")
And once your car is parked heed the recommendation of Toucan Sam and “follow your nose.” ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/18 "2005-09-19T15:09:22Z")
FYI if you’re adding the keyhole tags to Google Earth, it has an informational bullet right over the same location that **CynicalGabe** posted. -Butler (staying upwind of the Uni!) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/19 "2005-09-19T15:33:13Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > FYI if you’re adding the keyhole tags to Google Earth, it has an informational bullet right over the same location that **CynicalGabe** posted. > > -Butler > (staying upwind of the Uni!) :smack: Doh. The same thing I always tell people on the Google Earth BBS - turn on the BBS layer, chances are whatever they’ve found has been found and tagged before. ---
**Author:** ![stalltalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@stalltalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stalltalk)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191/20 "2012-09-03T20:50:53Z")
It’s not as small as it looks. It sits on a 2.5 acre plot of land, most of which is not viewable from Google due to heavy forestry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-exactly-is-the-body-farm-at-the-u-of-tennessee/322191.md?page=2)