w3 forensic archeology Flashcards
what is forensic archaeology?
help locate evidence at a crime scene
to locate, excavate and record buried remains e.g.
buried small items
potential gravesites
surface body disposals
mass graves
civil cased involving buried evidence ( locating former fence lines)
reasons to exhume?
evidential
humanitarian (spanish war victims, recoribering bodies for memorial)
crime scenes (domestic crime scenes)
great war battle sites (recovering bodies from the great war)
what different contexts are there
simple grave
mass grave
dispersal site ( spread out , e.g. motorways)
fire/explosion
what requirements are there for body recovery?
- archaeological field skills
- requires archaeological excavation skills
- knowledge of 3d and 2 d recording methods
- adhere to the chain of evidence
- knowledge of judicial and forensic requirements
who will be involved
local law enforcement
project law enforcement
forensic archaeologist
forensic anthropologist
forensic geophysicist
special search consultant
cadaver dog handlers
individual search and rescue
located exchange principle
not possible to come into contact with an environment without changing it in some small way
what is trace evidence
generic term for small microscopic material
e.g. hairs, fibres, blood, latent prints, pollen, plant matter, drugs/toxins
archeological fundamentals
where? - spatial location , horizontal location , vertical location
when? - how old is it, dating , context
what? - what is it , what is the behaviour
can you record time sequences with horizontal sequence?
no , you cannot tell which one fell first
burial questions
how was the grave dug?
was the grave dug in a hurry?
did the grave contain evidence of cause or manner of death
was there a transfer of material from the offender to fill
was there foreign material in the infill
cause of death vs manner of death
cause = how they died e.g. covid , heart attack , gunshot
manner = suicide , murder , manslaughter
cadaver dogs
trained to notify when smell buried decomposition traces
to specifically detect human tissue
the ground must be proved and vented
