Forensic Methods
Excavation for the Archaeologist and Investigator
Published on 2. August 2007
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-0-7591-0936-0 (ISBN)
Description
Forensic Methods is a practical guide to death scene investigation and excavation technique, i.e., investigation of outdoor crime scenes that may include human remains. It emphasizes the collection of forensic archaeological data in a manner acceptable not only to the professional archaeologist, but also according to evidence protocols that would be acceptable in U.S. and international jurisdictions. The large number of case examples and illustrations make it particularly useful to either the investigator who wishes to learn archaeological techniques or the archaeologist who wishes to become involved in forensic work. The book is designed for the growing number of classes in the subject, for senior undergraduates, graduate-level students, and practitioners in the field, in courses in Forensic Archaeology or Forensic Anthropology, or Crime Scene Investigation. To facilitate its use as a text, each chapter currently includes a summary, a set of glossary words found in the glossary in the rear of the book, and an annotated list of additional readings. The glossary is useful, as readers include both archaeologists unfamiliar with forensic terminology and law enforcement personnel unfamiliar with archaeological terms.
Reviews / Votes
As an anthropology student - turned contract archaeologist - turned law enforcement officer, crime scene investigator, and instructor, I can appreciate Melissa Connor's Forensic Methods: Excavation for the Archaeologist and Criminal Investigator from a variety of perspectives. Its unique strength is the manner in which it introduces the archaeologist to criminal investigation and the law enforcement officer to archaeology - critical, but often overlooked preludes which impact the processing of buried evidence scenes as well as the reconstruction of the events which created them . Readers ranging from anthropology students to seasoned criminal investigators will find this book a welcome resource toward understanding each other's perspectives of the crime scene environment. -- Mike Hochrein, Forensic ArchaeologistMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
California
United States
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
549 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7591-0936-0 (9780759109360)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Melissa Connor is the director of the Forensic Science Program at Nebraska Wesleyan University where she teaches Forensic Archaeology and advises students in the Investigative Sciences. For 15 years she was an archaeologist for the U.S. National Park Service where she worked on projects at Grand Teton National Park and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. She worked with Physicians for Human Rights in exhumations in Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka. She also worked in Iraq with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Regime Crimes Liaison Office on mass grave exhumations.
Content
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Forensic Science for ArchaeologistsA Brief History of Forensic Archaeology; The Forensic Team; The Investigation; The Crime Scene and Physical Evidence; The Chain of Custody; Arrest and Charge; Pretrial Proceedings; The Trial; Expert Wi 2 An Introduction to Archaeology for Forensic ScientistsArchaeologists as Detectives; Archaeological Paradigms; Archaeological Language; A Death in Dealer Park: Using Archaeological Concepts; Summary 3 Before FieldworkProject Preparation; Personnel; Equipment; Outdoor Safety; Physical Health Concerns; Dealing with Death and Stress; Summary 4 Maps and Site LayoutReference Systems; Site Maps; Site Layout and Excavation Grids; Summary 5 SoilsSoil Formation; Soil Description: Stratigraphy; Soil Profiles and Graves; Body Silhouettes and Soil Chemistry; Summary 6 Surface RemainsTaphonomic Factors Affecting Remains on the Ground Surface; Gneral Procedures for Collecting Surface Remains; Outdoor Burned and Cremated Remains; Summary 7 Locating Buried RemainsThe Grave as an Archaeological Feature; Direct Methods of Grave Location; Remote Sensing; Summary 8 Excavating Buried Human RemainsExhumation Goals; The Grave as Taphonomic Unit; Working the Burial Scene; Graves Where the Bodies Have Been Removed; Latrines, Cisterns, and Wells; Landfills and Dumps; Summary 9 EvidenceClothing; Medical Appliances; Firearms Ammunition Components and Explosive Ordnance; Summary 10 DocumentationField Records; The Final Report; Summary 11 The Professional Forensic ArchaeologistThe Role of the Forensic Archaeologist; The Future of Forensic Archaeology