GIVING VOICE

TO THE DEAD:
AN OVERVIEW OF
FORENSIC
ARCHAEOLOGY
Jeanne C. Ramos
Archaeology 204
FORENSIC ARCHAEOLOGY
 The application of archaeological recovery
techniques in death scenes involving a buried
body or skeletal remains (Morse’s et al,
1983)

 Forensic or "crime scene" archaeology is the

application of archaeological theories and
recordation and recovery methods to the
processing of criminal scenes (Crist, 2001)
5 MANNERS OF DEATH
(HAGLUND, 2001)
 Natural

 Homicide

 Suicide

 Accident

 Undetermined
REASONS FOR THE LACK OF
ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN THE CRIME SCENE
 lack of distinction between forensic
archaeologists and forensic anthropologists
 Skills are seen as overlapping or competing
with evidence recovery skills of crime scene
police specialists
 Low incidence of buried and skeletal remains
in death investigations
 Lack of information of archaeologists
regarding crime scene protocol and etiquette
GUATEMALA
 “ All of us worked at unearthing that grave-the
relatives, the firemen, even children. Little by
little, we found bones and pieces of clothing. Some
of the bodies were identified simply on the basis of
the belts they were wearing. But the bones were all
mixed together, so the forensic doctor couldn't
match the bones anatomically. I still have my
doubts about the identifications because it was all
so rudimentary. It was terrible, the children were
crying, and relatives were pointing and saying,
"That's him, that's him!" Eventually, the forensic
doctor began stacking the bones and bits of clothing
in a pile beside the grave and saying. "Okay, this is
so and so." Then the relatives put the remains in
separate plastic bags and took them away. “
- (Nineth Montenegro de Garcia (pers. comm..), the president
of the Mutual Support Group, in Stover and Ryan, 2001)
WHY THE NEED FOR FORENSIC
ARCHAEOLOGISTS
 Excavation techniques and documentation of
context
 Familiarity with stratigraphy and soil
science, and faunal analysis
 Knowledge in taphonomy
 Approach to organization, planning,
documentation, and logistics has much to
recommend the archaeologist to the forensic
investigations, especially those involving
large-scale international investigations
 Review of historic records, aerial photographs
and topographical map
 Production of plan views and site maps
 Remote sensing procedures (magnetometers,
electrical resistivity and ground penetrating
radar
 Use of probes, coring tools
 Documentation and mapping of special
contexts within the site and burial feature
 Soil screening, artifact recovery
 Production of a detailed report
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR

Source:
Conyers, 2006
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR

Source: Conyers, 2006

DNA ANALYSIS
DNA ANALYSIS
 Femur, tibiae, mandibles, and first metatarsals
are excellent sample source
 Cranial remains are by far the worst source of
samples
 The larger the sample, the better the
probability (2.5g-7g)
 Contaminant DNA is not very stable and usually
short-lived
 Handling without gloves in the days or weeks
weeks immediately prior to sampling for aDNA
does represent a real risk and should be avoided
DNA ANALYSIS
 Tropical environments are less amenable to
DNA analysis
 Initial cleaning of bones should be limited to
dry brushing
 Hair, finger nails, and fatty tissue residue
should be placed in aluminum foil as soon as
they are recovered

Source:
Leney, 2006
A CASE EXAMPLE FROM RWANDA: KIBUYE
CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE HOME ST. JEAN,
RWANDA
PRELIMINARY SURVEY
 2 trenches were hand excavated at right
angles to each other across the grave
 Trenching was halted when human remains
were found, they were documented as to
location, covered in plastic, and the trenches
refilled
 Surface remains were documented and
wrapped in plastic
PHASE 1
 3 archaeologists began by walking transects
parallel to the contours around the entire
area site, flagging all human remains and
potential evidence found on the surface
 Topographic map was completed (Fig.1)
 Everything was documented and
systematically photographed
FIGURE 1. The Kibuye Catholic Church and the home St. Jean consist of a complex
of buildings on a peninsula extending into Lake Kivu. Human remains were buried
in a minimum of five graves on the peninsula, as well as scattered on the surface.
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
 All field notes will be court-admissible documents so there
should be absolutely no comments outside those directly
related to the excavation. Any notes taken should be very
clear. They should omit any language that contains
implications beyond the archaeologists' expertise
 Photograph and artifact logs are also evidence, admissible in
court. Numbering should be a very straightforward system
and any missing numbers need to be clearly explained in the
field documentation
 All physical items-artifacts, rolls of film, etc should be
carefully tracked
 If skeletal remains or artifacts are taken from the site, they
need to be kept in a secure area. When material is turned
over to the investigators, it should be done formally and
documented with a receipt
“ A clandestine grave is not so much hidden as
it is officially nonexistent. There is therefore
no possibility for the families and their
communities to ritualize death, as it is done
in any society. The mere existence of these
mass graves . . . terrorizes and oppresses the
communities which have to live with them.
The official exhumation of the victims is the
first step toward peace for these
communities. It is then that the survivors and
victims of this mechanism of terror finally
become activists for their rights. “

-Stefan Schmitt, 1998

Founder, Guatemala forensic
archaeology