Forensic ArchaeologyForensic archaeology is a field of forensic science which involves application of archaeological methods in investigation of a crime scene in order to identify evidence and reconstruct crime scene, usually a murder. Forensic archaeologist are employed... is a forensic science field that applies archaeological techniques to search, identify and excavate evidential materials from the crime scene. They are employed to excavate and recover buried human remains (mainly, but not always), personal items, weapons and eliminate non-related objects, ensuring that remains are recovered in a proper, controlled, and forensically accepted manner.
In addition to this, forensic archaeologists also help reconstruct the crime scene and determine the age of the crime scene. They are also involved in processing scenes of mass fatality or incidents of terrorism (i.e., homicide, mass graves and war crimes, and other violations of human rights).
Fields of Forensic Archaeology
The main fields of forensic archaeology include:
- Locate Graves and gravesites: Law enforcement agencies often employ forensic archeologists to locate and excavate graves and gravesites. The police often employ forensic archaeologists to help locate and excavate graves and gravesites and identify evidence related to crime and reconstruct the course of events before the victim’s burial. Differences in the soil can help forensic archaeologists locate these sites. During the burial of a body, a small mound of soil will form from the filling of the grave. The loose soil and increasing nutrients from the decomposing body encourage plant growth more than surrounding areas. Typically, gravesites will have looser, darker, more organic soil than areas around them. They most often investigate unsolved crimes, disappearances, and information about uncovered graves and gravesites.
- Objects related to crime. These can include personal objects of a victim of crime and objects buried by the perpetrator to hide their involvement in a crime. They may involve weapons, tools, various personal objects. They also assist in eliminating non-crime-related objects.
- Forensic archeology tells about how evidence degrades or how the scene is decomposed. Some locations and recoveries require special skills, yet there is always a need to ensure that the maximum amount of information is extracted.
- Surface disposal of human remains. Forensic archaeologists help gather evidence in cases of surface disposal of human remains. These include covering the body with tree benches, rubbish, construction materials. Forensic archaeologists remove layer by layer to identify evidence and exclude objects that are not connected with a crime or the victim. With the help of analyzing the layers, the decomposition level and presence of maggots can give a clear idea about death and the time of disposal. With the help of analyzing the layers time of death can be estimated.
- Forensic archaeologists often work with other forensic scientists such as forensic botanists and entomologists when investigating surface body disposals.
- Mass graves and mass fatality: In such instances, while the investigation is centered on the recovery of human remains for identification, archeologists play an essential role in recording the traces and gathering incriminating evidence for war crimes such as a bomb blasts, terror attacks. Forensic archaeologists examine the scene so that artifacts can be recorded and appropriately recovered.
- Reconstruct the crime Scene: Besides collecting evidence, archeology helps to re-create crime scenes by the interaction of people and place and keeping geological factors in mind so that the age of the crime scene can be calculated.
- Buried evidence relevant for civil cases. Forensic archeologists are sometimes employed to help locate evidence relevant to civil cases such as buried fence lines.
