Page 54 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 5(2) (2017)
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dia universitatis her editati, letnik 5 (2017), številk a 2 54sance platforms. From the air, it is possible to ex-age. Upon the completion of the excavation, the
plore anomalies in the ground, such as the dis- grave pit is refilled and the place is left safe. All
hereditatiturbed land of mass grave trenches. So, insteadequipment has to be cleaned under supervision,
of described helium balloons with a platform and cleaning should be documented as a stand-
in the case of the unknown soldier from Josi- ard, to ensure that cross-site contamination can-
povac, it is possible to use drones. On the site, not occur.
soil geochemistry could be analyzed by the use
of a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer Differences in archaeology and forensic ar-
(XRF). It detects traces of human and animal chaeology may be considerable, but basic meth-
activities (like faeces) in the ground measuring ods of the field research do not differ. In foren-
the elemental composition of the soil or an arte- sic archaeology, especially when it embraces the
fact/evidence. On the site, it is possible to deter- study of mass graves, the term ‘exhumation’ is
mine the extent of an activity or an object using used, not just like a medico-legal term. The term
radar pulses to image the ground, with a ground ‘exhumation’ accentuates special attention and
penetrating radar (GPR) and other geophysical emphasis given to human remains, because of
techniques. Tools for the shallow geophysics on their identification and later, returning to the
the site measure ground resistivity and thus can families.7 This does not mean that attention is
reveal buried structures just like the electrical re- not given to the context, in the sense of contex-
sistant survey.6 Other alternative techniques are tual evidence that may be relevant to the case.
time-lapse resistivity and remote sensing. The During the field work on individual or mass
last one includes several very popular technol- graves on archaeological sites, the term ‘excava-
ogies, like aerial photographs, ultraviolet (UV) tion’ is used. The archaeological fieldwork has
and infrared (IR) photography, satellite and hy- more humanistic approach and gives equal at-
perspectral imagery, light detection and ranging tention to the human remains and the context.
(LiDAR). LiDAR in a fraction of time gives de- The interpretation of the results will be thus
tailed 3D maps of the site surface and can easily somewhat different than in forensics. Now, the
locate clandestine and mass graves. distinction between forensic excavation and fo-
rensic exhumation is clear as the difference in
Documentation, as it was explained in the volume results. As archaeologists are dealing
case, is of great importance during this work. Fo- with vast time spans, it is important to detect
rensic forms are even more detailed: about pres- chronology of a site, how old the findings are.
ervation degree, taphonomic processes (a body Together with research of a necropolis, it is very
or a part of a body, clothes), other evidence on important to reconstruct possible settlements
human remains (tattoos, ligatures, a blindfold, of that precise period, and also its environmen-
position). This is called in situ evidence. The ex- tal history. Finally, one of the major questions is
cavated earth has to be sifted, as in the case of how people were functioning in that particular
material from the burial pit of the unknown sol- time, what can be told about their life. The dat-
dier from Josipovac. After the excavation of the ing of recent mass or individual graves also par-
skeleton in the case, the profile and the floor of tially belongs to the field of archaeology. Since
the grave was checked for possible trace evidence the best-known method for determining abso-
– in forensics these are often strands of hair, fi- lute age in archaeology – radiocarbon dating 14C
bres, paint or fingerprints. The end of the exca- – will not give adequate results for recent find-
vation means that all the evidence are recorded, ings, the classical archaeological methods of rel-
photographed, and put in an appropriate stor- ative dating are used. Objects described in the
case of an unknown soldier, such as fragments
6 Lewis Somers, „Resistivity Survey,“ in Remote Sensing in Archaeology,
ed. Jay K. Johnson (Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 7 Melissa Connor and Douglas D. Scott, “Paradigms and Perpetra-
2006), 109-131; Anthony Clark, Seeing Beneath the Soil: Prospection tors,” Historical Archaeology 35, no.1. (2001): 1-6.
Methods in Archaeology (London: B.T. Batsford; 1990).
plore anomalies in the ground, such as the dis- grave pit is refilled and the place is left safe. All
hereditatiturbed land of mass grave trenches. So, insteadequipment has to be cleaned under supervision,
of described helium balloons with a platform and cleaning should be documented as a stand-
in the case of the unknown soldier from Josi- ard, to ensure that cross-site contamination can-
povac, it is possible to use drones. On the site, not occur.
soil geochemistry could be analyzed by the use
of a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer Differences in archaeology and forensic ar-
(XRF). It detects traces of human and animal chaeology may be considerable, but basic meth-
activities (like faeces) in the ground measuring ods of the field research do not differ. In foren-
the elemental composition of the soil or an arte- sic archaeology, especially when it embraces the
fact/evidence. On the site, it is possible to deter- study of mass graves, the term ‘exhumation’ is
mine the extent of an activity or an object using used, not just like a medico-legal term. The term
radar pulses to image the ground, with a ground ‘exhumation’ accentuates special attention and
penetrating radar (GPR) and other geophysical emphasis given to human remains, because of
techniques. Tools for the shallow geophysics on their identification and later, returning to the
the site measure ground resistivity and thus can families.7 This does not mean that attention is
reveal buried structures just like the electrical re- not given to the context, in the sense of contex-
sistant survey.6 Other alternative techniques are tual evidence that may be relevant to the case.
time-lapse resistivity and remote sensing. The During the field work on individual or mass
last one includes several very popular technol- graves on archaeological sites, the term ‘excava-
ogies, like aerial photographs, ultraviolet (UV) tion’ is used. The archaeological fieldwork has
and infrared (IR) photography, satellite and hy- more humanistic approach and gives equal at-
perspectral imagery, light detection and ranging tention to the human remains and the context.
(LiDAR). LiDAR in a fraction of time gives de- The interpretation of the results will be thus
tailed 3D maps of the site surface and can easily somewhat different than in forensics. Now, the
locate clandestine and mass graves. distinction between forensic excavation and fo-
rensic exhumation is clear as the difference in
Documentation, as it was explained in the volume results. As archaeologists are dealing
case, is of great importance during this work. Fo- with vast time spans, it is important to detect
rensic forms are even more detailed: about pres- chronology of a site, how old the findings are.
ervation degree, taphonomic processes (a body Together with research of a necropolis, it is very
or a part of a body, clothes), other evidence on important to reconstruct possible settlements
human remains (tattoos, ligatures, a blindfold, of that precise period, and also its environmen-
position). This is called in situ evidence. The ex- tal history. Finally, one of the major questions is
cavated earth has to be sifted, as in the case of how people were functioning in that particular
material from the burial pit of the unknown sol- time, what can be told about their life. The dat-
dier from Josipovac. After the excavation of the ing of recent mass or individual graves also par-
skeleton in the case, the profile and the floor of tially belongs to the field of archaeology. Since
the grave was checked for possible trace evidence the best-known method for determining abso-
– in forensics these are often strands of hair, fi- lute age in archaeology – radiocarbon dating 14C
bres, paint or fingerprints. The end of the exca- – will not give adequate results for recent find-
vation means that all the evidence are recorded, ings, the classical archaeological methods of rel-
photographed, and put in an appropriate stor- ative dating are used. Objects described in the
case of an unknown soldier, such as fragments
6 Lewis Somers, „Resistivity Survey,“ in Remote Sensing in Archaeology,
ed. Jay K. Johnson (Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 7 Melissa Connor and Douglas D. Scott, “Paradigms and Perpetra-
2006), 109-131; Anthony Clark, Seeing Beneath the Soil: Prospection tors,” Historical Archaeology 35, no.1. (2001): 1-6.
Methods in Archaeology (London: B.T. Batsford; 1990).
