Section B - Graves, where to find them, who's involved, and what does the law say Flashcards
what is the forensic definition for a grave?
“the practice of concealing a body
in the ground.” (Sprague, 2005)
➔ forensic definition
what is a primary burial?
▪ Primary burial: remains in original deposition
location w/out context disturbance. Skeleton
usually fully articulated.
what is a secondary burial?
▪ Secondary burial: Remains moved from or
disturbed within original deposition location (e.g.
human/animal intervention). Remains often
jumbled/incomplete.
what is a multiple burial?
▪ Multiple burial: a single grave containing two
or more individuals. May be primary or
secondary deposits. Not necessarily the same
as a mass burial.
what is partly covered/uncovered surface deposits?
▪ Partly covered/uncovered: Little to no
effort in concealment OR remains eroded
out.
what are primary surface deposits?
- Primary: original location of
remains; characterised by presence
of decompositional soil staining and
highest concentration of remains.
what are secondary surface deposits?
- Secondary: displacement &
scattering of remains by taphonomic
processes.
what are “scatter expected” surface deposits?
▪ Scatter expected: Increased likelihood of
post-mortem disturbance due to exposure
(weather/scavengers/tidal action/people).
what are the positions within the grave?
Extended Legs 180° to trunk.
Semi-flexed Legs 90°«180° to trunk.
Flexed Legs <90° to trunk.
what are the roles of forensic anthropologists?
differentiation of nonhuman vs human remains.
skeletal inventory.
search methods for missing elements initial field assessment of biological information.
what are the roles of forensic archaeologist (FArch)
exhumation for cold case reviews.
contextual dating of bones.
ground search methods (environmental changes associated with burials).
survey techniques.
geophysical search methods (e.g. GPR, electromagnetic survey, metal detector).
site formation analysis and description.
mapping techniques.
archaeological recovery techniques including spatial control (establishing datum points, GPS, establishing grids).
use of heavy equipment.
basic recognition of skeletal anatomy.
artifact collection, documentation and preservation.
site recording (casting of features, digital and still photography, and documentation).
sample collection (e.g. soil, botanical, and entomological).
collection and preservation of skeletal remains and associated evidence.
what is the human tissue act 2004?
An act to make provision with respect to activities involving human tissue; to make provision about the transfer of human remains from certain museum collections; and for connected purposes.
what is the duty to investigate certain deaths?
violent or unnatural death including potential criminal liability.
cause of death unknown.
death in prison/police custody.
what are the purposes of an investigation?
identification of the deceased.
cause and circumstances of death (through post mortem examination).
