Introduction to Archaeology
Forensic Archaeology
The use of the word ‘forensic’, by definition, shifts archaeology firmly into
modern, criminal scenarios, in which archaeological (i.e., buried) evidence
may be presented in the court of law. Integrates the archaeological process
and research cycle with criminalistic and criminological knowledge. A
forensic archaeologist collects forensic evidence that normally relates to
individuals recently deceased or still living, either as victim or as potential
offenders respectively.
They Assess:
Burial sites of forensic interest
Physical evidence recovered at a crime scene
Site formation processes
Analyse, interpret, and reconstruct the human (criminal) behaviour and
natural processes that have formed and modified the investigated crime
scene.
What contexts would require a forensic
archaeologist?
Broadly speaking, forensic archaeology splits along two lines of application:
Archaeological crimes: such as looting, vandalism, and the illegal trade
in antiquities
Forensic cases: involving objects of forensic interest and/or human
remains such as clandestine burials, disaster victim recovery, and
surface remains (which may include search and recovery component).
Clandestine graves
A clandestine grave is defined as an unrecorded burial, often in a remote
location, that has been hand-excavated and normally dug < 1m in depth
below ground level. Due to the circumstances surrounding the event they
are usually rushed in nature, with irregular burial shapes and uneven
depths.
Usually involved in the investigation of clandestine graves by:
Adapting standard archaeological techniques (aerial imagery,
geophysics, field walking, etc) to locates burial sites.
Employing excavation strategies to recover the human remains they
contain.
Burial objects/ artefacts
On occasions other types of buried objects/artefacts may be searched for
and excavated. E.g.,
Drugs
Firearms, other weapons
Money
Suspects/ victims clothing and belongings
, Human Remains
Archaeologists may also be asked:
To resolve issues of date when human remains are discovered
during building operations, or when human disarticulated bones are
encountered as ‘stray’ finds by members of the public.
Take part in formal exhumations undertaken by the police for a
post-mortem to take place.
There have also been instances where archaeologists have been
deployed in mass disaster recovery, or even in fire debris where
stratigraphic investigation is required to ascertain sequences of
events.
Archaeological site vs crime scene
Humans make rational choices when deciding where to conduct a particular
activity and what tools will
be needed. These actions Archaeological
Crime Scene
happen in a chronological Site
sequence.
In archaeology, that
sequence is known as the
depositional history, and it Documentation & Documentation &
provides the ability to Excavation Excavation
reconstruct the events that
took place at a site.
Depositional histories are
represented by the
evidence deposited. Recovery of Recovery of
Using archaeological artifacts artifacts
practice, that evidence can
be identified and
documented in such a way
as to facilitate a Analysis & Analysis &
chronological interpretation Interpretation
reconstruction of events.
The idea of ‘context’ is at
the core of both
archaeology and crime
Expert witness
scene investigation. Dissemination
report
Archaeological
investigations
Archaeologists combine their methodology with that of criminalistics and
attempt to develop a probabilistic framework – to reconstruct the human
activities and natural processes that took place at the crime scene (prior to,
during and after the crime has been committed).
Forensic Archaeology
The use of the word ‘forensic’, by definition, shifts archaeology firmly into
modern, criminal scenarios, in which archaeological (i.e., buried) evidence
may be presented in the court of law. Integrates the archaeological process
and research cycle with criminalistic and criminological knowledge. A
forensic archaeologist collects forensic evidence that normally relates to
individuals recently deceased or still living, either as victim or as potential
offenders respectively.
They Assess:
Burial sites of forensic interest
Physical evidence recovered at a crime scene
Site formation processes
Analyse, interpret, and reconstruct the human (criminal) behaviour and
natural processes that have formed and modified the investigated crime
scene.
What contexts would require a forensic
archaeologist?
Broadly speaking, forensic archaeology splits along two lines of application:
Archaeological crimes: such as looting, vandalism, and the illegal trade
in antiquities
Forensic cases: involving objects of forensic interest and/or human
remains such as clandestine burials, disaster victim recovery, and
surface remains (which may include search and recovery component).
Clandestine graves
A clandestine grave is defined as an unrecorded burial, often in a remote
location, that has been hand-excavated and normally dug < 1m in depth
below ground level. Due to the circumstances surrounding the event they
are usually rushed in nature, with irregular burial shapes and uneven
depths.
Usually involved in the investigation of clandestine graves by:
Adapting standard archaeological techniques (aerial imagery,
geophysics, field walking, etc) to locates burial sites.
Employing excavation strategies to recover the human remains they
contain.
Burial objects/ artefacts
On occasions other types of buried objects/artefacts may be searched for
and excavated. E.g.,
Drugs
Firearms, other weapons
Money
Suspects/ victims clothing and belongings
, Human Remains
Archaeologists may also be asked:
To resolve issues of date when human remains are discovered
during building operations, or when human disarticulated bones are
encountered as ‘stray’ finds by members of the public.
Take part in formal exhumations undertaken by the police for a
post-mortem to take place.
There have also been instances where archaeologists have been
deployed in mass disaster recovery, or even in fire debris where
stratigraphic investigation is required to ascertain sequences of
events.
Archaeological site vs crime scene
Humans make rational choices when deciding where to conduct a particular
activity and what tools will
be needed. These actions Archaeological
Crime Scene
happen in a chronological Site
sequence.
In archaeology, that
sequence is known as the
depositional history, and it Documentation & Documentation &
provides the ability to Excavation Excavation
reconstruct the events that
took place at a site.
Depositional histories are
represented by the
evidence deposited. Recovery of Recovery of
Using archaeological artifacts artifacts
practice, that evidence can
be identified and
documented in such a way
as to facilitate a Analysis & Analysis &
chronological interpretation Interpretation
reconstruction of events.
The idea of ‘context’ is at
the core of both
archaeology and crime
Expert witness
scene investigation. Dissemination
report
Archaeological
investigations
Archaeologists combine their methodology with that of criminalistics and
attempt to develop a probabilistic framework – to reconstruct the human
activities and natural processes that took place at the crime scene (prior to,
during and after the crime has been committed).
