Graves

Question 1

What is the forensic definition of graves?

Answer 1

The practice of concealing a body in the ground

Question 2

What is the normal definition of a grave?

Answer 2

An excavation for burial of a body broadly: a burial place

Question 3

What are the 3 tyes of burial?

Answer 3

• Primary burial
• Secondary burial
• Multiple burial

Question 4

What is a primary burial?

Answer 4

• Remains in original deposition location w/out context disturbance.
• Skeleton usually fully articulated.

Question 5

What is a secondary burial?

Answer 5

• Remains moved from or disturbed within original deposition location (e.g. human/animal intervention).
• Remains often jumbled/incomplete.

Question 6

What is a multiple burial?

Answer 6

• A single grave containing two or more individuals.
• May be primary or secondary deposits.
• Not necessarily the same as a mass burial.

Question 7

What causes partly covered remains?

Answer 7

Little to no effort in concealment OR remains eroded out.

Question 8

What are the two types of surface deposits?

Answer 8

• Primary
• Secondary

Question 9

What are primary surface deposits?

Answer 9

The original location of remains; characterised by the presence of decompositional soil staining and the highest concentration of remains.

Question 10

What is secondary surface remains?

Answer 10

Displacement & scattering of remains by taphonomic processes.

Question 11

What are indicators of surface and buried remains?

Answer 11

• Disturbed plant roots
• Upcast remaining on the surface
• Different vegetation (trampled and disturbed)
• New plant growth

Question 12

What is the position of the body usually related to?

Answer 12

Shape and size of the grave

Question 13

How should the position of a body be described?

Answer 13

• Best described through the relationship of legs, arms and head to each other and to the trunk of the body.
• Position should not be described in relation to
  grave

Question 14

What is the Forensic Anthropologist’s job?

Answer 14

• Differentiation of non-human vs human remains
• Skeletal inventory
• Search methods for missing elements
• Initial field assessment of biological information

Question 15

What is the Forensic Archaeologists job?

Answer 15

• Ground search methods
• Survey techniques
• Geophysical search methods
• Site formation analysis and description
• Mapping techniques
• Recovery techniques
• Spatial controls
• Use of heavy equipment
• Basic recognition of skeletal anatomy
• Artifact collection, documentation & preservation
• Site recording
• Sample collection
• Collection & preservation of skeletal remains & associated evidence
• Exhumation for cold case reviews
• Contextual dating of bones

Question 16

At the briefing, what should a FArch establish?

Answer 16

• The potential scope for forensic archaeological involvement
• Their responsibilities and the responsibilities of others at the scene w/ regard to H&S around search and/or recovery
• An initial plan for the approach to the search and/or excavation
• The best approach to evidential issues and prevention of crime scene contamination
• Requirements for support services and/or equipment

Question 17

What are the key questions for FArch to answer?

Answer 17

1. How was the grave dug, and with what?
2. How was it backfilled? Follow-up: Are there materials and fills that are foreign to that particular location?
3. Did the perpetrator leave any traces in or around the grave (e.g. footwear or tool marks) ➔ Locard’s Principle of Exchange
4. Has there been any subsequent disturbance?
5. Was the grave left open for some time before, during, or after the body was placed in it?

Question 18

What are the key provisions to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009?

Answer 18

Duty to investigate certain deaths:
❑ Violent or unnatural death
❑ Cause of death unknown
❑ Death in prison/police custody/other state detention
Purposes of investigation:
❑ Identification of the deceased
❑ Cause & circumstances of death
❑ Establishment of inquests
❑ Rules & regulations

Question 19

What may suggest a body has been moved?

Answer 19

1. Check for commingling of bones/body not in anatomical position
2. Check for variations in soil types deposited in/on bone vs grave site.
3. Check for unexplained insects/pollen in grave
4. No VOCs/VFA’s in the grave soil

Question 20

How can drones be helpful in an archelogical investigation?

Answer 20

• Cover a large search area quickly
• Map/photograph the grave/deposit site in high resolution (incl. using photogrammetry)
• Detect surface deposits using hyperspectral/multispectral imaging
• Detect graves using LiDAR (searching for depressions/grave spoil heaps) and multispectral imaging (to quickly detect abrupt/out of place changes in vegetation)