FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY & BURIAL PRACTICES

JUNE 2019

Forensic Anthropology •  “A sub-field of physical anthropology that involves applying skeletal analysis and

techniques in archaeology to solving criminal cases” Smithsonian

•  “The branch of physical anthropology, which, for forensic purposes, deals with the identification of more or less skeletonized remains known to be, or suspected of being, human” Steward, 1979

•  “The scientific discipline that focuses on the life, the death, and the postlife history of a

specific individual, as reflected primarily in their skeletal remains and the physical and forensic context in which they are emplaced.” Dirkmmat et al, 2008

•  “..the discipline that traditionally deals with the examination of human remains for legal

purposes and it derives from the fields of anatomy, physical anthropology, and forensic medicine” Kranioti and Paine, 2011

•  “The examination of human skeletal remains for law enforcement agencies to help with the recovery of human remains, determine the identity of unidentified human remains, interpret trauma, and estimate time since death” Forensic Anthropology Centre, University of Tennessee

 

What are human remains? •  Bodies, and parts thereof, of once living people

– this includes recently deceased, deceased in living memory, and deceased for thousands of years

•  Osteological material, ashes, soft tissue

(including organs and skin), hair, blood – basically anything that is considered human tissue

•  Bodies, and parts thereof, modified and/or

physically bound with non-human materials

Myth vs. Reality

Myth Reality

Cooperative crime scenes Evidence isn’t always ideal Single expert/investigator Team, each individual with

specialist areas Able to establish biological profile at a glance

Often requires at least a days analysis

Able to analyze damaged remains immediately

Frequently remains need to be processed before analysis

Forensic Anthropology vs. Archaeology •  Different subfields of anthropology.

•  Aim and Scope: forensic anthropology operates within a legal context to identify individuals; archaeology operates within a research/cultural context to understand and gain knowledge of human cultures and civilizations.

•  Approach: analyse skeletal remains using knowledge of human biology and osteology.

•  Recovery methods: - determine a recovery strategy that enables the maximum amount of data to be recorded and recovered. - establish and document context in which all evidence is found. This includes recording all spatial and contextual associations (need to be able to reconstruct scene) - recover evidence that may be relevant in identifying remains

•  Recording: finds vs. evidence

Record, Recover, Analyse, Report

Recording Finds and Evidence

Flickr

1849 Murder of Dr. George Parkman

History of Forensic Anthropology

•  Formative Period: 1800 – 1938

> Murder of George Parker, 1849 > Leugert Murder, 1897 > George Dorsey gave evidence at trial, 1897 > First curator of physical anthropology at Smithsonian, 1903 > American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1918 > First meeting of American Association of Physical Anthropology, 1930 > Ruxton Murder, 1935 > Hamann-Todd Collection 1912-1938

•  Consolidation Period: 1939 – 1971

> Guide to the Identification of Human Skeletal Material, W.M. Krogman (1939) > WWII (1940s), Korean War (1950s), Vietnam War > The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine, W.M. Krogman (1962)

History of Forensic Anthropology

•  Modern Period: 1972 – 1999

> American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) established Physical Anthropology section, 1972 > American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA), 1977 > W.K. Bass University of Tennessee established ‘Body Farm’, 1981 > Forensic Anthropology Data Bank started as a result of National Institute of Justice Grant, 1986

•  2000 – present

> Forensic Anthropology Society of Europe, subsection of International Academy of Legal Medicine, 2003 > Society of Forensic Anthropologists (SOFA), 2003 > FBI and DOD CIL(Department of defense central identification laboratory) founded SWGANTH, 2008 > British Association for Forensic Anthropology, 2011

Role of Forensic Anthropologist •  Identifying Context (bone vs. non-bone; contemporary vs. non-contemporary; animal

vs. human)

•  Establishing the Post-mortem interval

•  Biological profile: age at death, sex, stature •  Trauma and palaeopathology •  Manner of death •  Cause of death

•  Provide evidence during court cases

Identification

Adams, Bradley J. and Pam J. Crabtree, Comparative osteology: a laboratory and field guide of common North American animals (Amsterdam ; Boston, 2012)

Adams, Bradley J. and Pam J. Crabtree, Comparative osteology: a laboratory and field guide of common North American animals (Amsterdam ; Boston, 2012)

Adams, Bradley J. and Pam J. Crabtree, Comparative osteology: a laboratory and field guide of common North American animals (Amsterdam ; Boston, 2012)

Contemporary vs. non-contemporary •  State of preservation (Colour, Texture, Hydration, Weight, Condition, Fragility, Presence

of soft tissue)

•  Evidence of body modification •  Associated personal belongings •  Burial/disposal environment/context

Recovery Scene Methods •  Systematic Search

•  Evaluation of area

•  Recording and recovery

•  Field walking/site survey

•  Cadaver dogs

•  Visual assessment

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/home/

A: footprint at base of grave B: stratified soil

C: the burial D: scavenger gnaw marks

E: blow fly eggs F: grave cut G: grave fill

B: stratified soil F: grave cut

E: blow fly eggs A: footprint at base of grave

C: the burial G: grave fill

D: scavenger gnaw marks

Correct order

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/home/

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/home/

BURIAL PRACTICES

Court tombs Portal tombs Passage tombs Wedge tombs

Pit Cist

Ring-ditches Mounds

Inhumation

Slab-lined cist Ear-muffs Cross slabs Coffined Cemeteries

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Cremation Inhumation Mixed

Prehistoric (Neolithic) Bronze Age Iron Age Medieval

Burial Practices in Ireland