Crime Scene Archaeology

Forensic Archaeology is the application of archaeological concepts to the crime scene. Forensic Archaeologists use their expertise in the study of human bones, or osteology, to help them locate and recover ancient or decomposed remains and artifacts of evidence. Forensic Archaeologists can also give some preliminary guidance to investigators regarding identifying characteristics of the buried remains. Some of the characteristics of the remains that a Forensic Archaeologist may be able to discern include:

Age
Sex
Some physical characteristics of the remains

image of Jamestown excavation A Forensic Archaeologist is brought in when buried remains are found; both ancient remains and more recent remains fall under their expertise. When called to a suspected crime scene, the Forensic Archaeologist makes a plan for excavating, or digging, and exposing the remains and artifacts. The archaeologist will first make a grid and sketch of the burial site to be excavated. The grid is important because it allows the archaeologist to not only document precisely where remains or artifacts were found, but also to ensure that the excavation is completed in a thorough manner.

The next step is to excavate the gridded area. While excavating, the Forensic Archaeologist is not only looking for remains, but they are also looking for clothing, artifacts of evidence, tool marks from the tool used to bury the body, and to see if the grave has been disturbed since the original burial. Because excavating an area can destroy important crime scene evidence, careful observation and documentation of the crime scene surface area is conducted prior to digging. When remains or artifacts are recovered from the gridded area, they are carefully labeled and packaged for further analysis.

Forensic Archaeologists are also able to reconstruct crime scenes with more recent remains. They use traditional archaeological methods and skills to find clues to reconstruct the scene. This is useful in discerning the sequence of events at the crime scene and could provide more details about the crime, the victim and the possible suspect(s). Forensic Archaeologists are not always able to reconstruct the scene, nor are they always able to provide enough detail to identify a victim or suspect. The information that an archaeologist is able to provide is combined with other known facts of the case and a more clear picture of the crime emerges. Forensic Archaeologists also work with other forensic experts such as Forensic Entomologists, Forensic Anthropologists and Medical Examiners to pool the known facts and uncover more clues and evidence with the combined findings.

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