Page 55 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 5(2) (2017)
P. 55
ia universitatisof clothing, emblems, arms and ammunition, the dilemma. As it was said before, for archae-
help to locate this finding in a specific time pe- ologists, the findings in the graves are in gener-
for ensics and archaeology: the ethical approach to gr aves excavation and r esearch 55 riod. Indeed, a number of such findings can nar- al more important than the skeleton and greater
row time span dating. Development of forensic importance is given to them. Archaeologists ad-
taphonomy in the sense of burial environment mit that if they were to choose between saving an
analysis, f. e. soil analysis, opens up possibilities artefact or skeleton remains, they would choose
for a more precise dating of findings, a determi- the artefact. Finally, if you ask an archaeologist
nation of the post-burial interval and sometimes if there is a clearly written ethical and bioethi-
also of the post-mortem interval. In general, dif- cal code that must be respected during the re-
ferent biological markers like botanical remains search, he will recognize there is not. Young-
can be used in determination of the period be- er archaeologists learn from the older ones, and
tween the time of deposition in the burial site from the elders, they also adopt unwritten ethi-
and the time of recovery.8 A more specific and cal rules important in their work. They are aware
a very potent tool to establish the burial time in that excavation irreversibly destroys the possi-
extended post-mortem period, but also to reveal bility of another approach to the research, and
possible clandestine graves, is the use of the post- that often no one can refute their interpretation
putrefaction fungi.9 Unfortunately, in the case because the ground has been already excavated,
of an unknown soldier from Josipovac soil sam- destroyed for further research. The same can be
ples were not taken from his grave for analysis. said for forensic archaeology – an exhumation
Such an analysis could give us the information will forever destroy the site or the crime scene;
in which season of the year the body was placed it is thus important to work according to spe-
in the burial pit. cific protocols, methods, techniques and availa-
ble technologies. The forensic excavation follows
As in the case of the unknown soldier, all the rules of the traditional archaeological ex-
there is an intertwining of archaeology and do- cavation, but all steps are elaborated and elevat-
main of police powers when it becomes foren- ed on a higher level with protocols and standard
sic archaeology. In archaeology, it is a moment operating procedures (SOP’s).10 This helps in re-
when anthropological osteological remains from solving every day and also more unusual ethical
World War II or younger period are revealed on dilemmas during the work.
a site. Then the police has to be informed about
the finding, which stays in a domain of foren- Everybody claims that there should not be
sic medicine. Also, if the police specialists find double standards, that skeletal remains from any
human remains and assume they are not recent, historical period should be treated in the same
they often call archaeologists for help to resolve way, with the same respect, as those from the re-
cent wars. But then the awareness of the whole
8 Shari L. Forbes, „Potential Determinants of Postmortem and society should be at a significantly higher level.
Postburial Interval of Buried Remains,“ in Soil Analysis in Foren- It is clear that the dead can no longer be hurt but
sic Taphonomy, eds. Mark Tibbett and David O. Carter (Boca Ra- there are still strong reasons for treating them
ton: CRC Press, 2008), 225-2; Heather C. Miller, Cheng-Lung Lee, with respect, respect for the individual.
Wen-Yu Lin, Henry C. Lee and Timothy M. Palmbach, „Forensic
Botany: Using Plant Evidence to Aid in Forensic Death Investiga- What archaeology tells us about the fu-
tion,“ Croatian Medical Journal 46, no. 4 (2005): 606-612. ture of the skeletal burials? The calculation is
simple. On average, one hundred million peo-
9 David L. Hawksworth and Patricia E.J. Wiltshire, „Forensic myco-
logy: the use of fungi in criminal investigations,“ Forensic Scien- 10 Anderson Auson, Margaret Cox, Ambika Flavel, Ian Hanson, Mi-
ce International 206, no. 1-3 (2011): 1-11; Shari L. Forbes, „Potential chael Hedley, Joanna Laver, Auson Perman, Mark Viner and Ri-
Determinants of Postmortem and Postburial Interval of Buried chard Wright, „Protocols for the investigation of mass graves“ in
Remains,“ in Soil Analysis in Forensic Taphonomy, eds. Mark Tibbett The Scientific Investigation of Mass Graves: Towards Protocols and Stan-
and David O. Carter (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2008), 225-246; Ma- dard Operating Procedures, eds.Margaret Cox, Ambika Flavel, Ian
sahito Hitosugi, Kiyoshi Ishii, Takashi Yaguchi, Yuichi Chigusa, Hanson, Joanna Laver and Roland Wessling (Cambridge: Cambri-
Akira Kurosu, Masahito Kido, Toshiaki Nagai and Shogo Toku- dge University Press, 2008) 39-102.
dome, „Fungi can be a useful forensic tool,“ Legal Medicine 8, no. 4.
(2006): 240-242.
help to locate this finding in a specific time pe- ologists, the findings in the graves are in gener-
for ensics and archaeology: the ethical approach to gr aves excavation and r esearch 55 riod. Indeed, a number of such findings can nar- al more important than the skeleton and greater
row time span dating. Development of forensic importance is given to them. Archaeologists ad-
taphonomy in the sense of burial environment mit that if they were to choose between saving an
analysis, f. e. soil analysis, opens up possibilities artefact or skeleton remains, they would choose
for a more precise dating of findings, a determi- the artefact. Finally, if you ask an archaeologist
nation of the post-burial interval and sometimes if there is a clearly written ethical and bioethi-
also of the post-mortem interval. In general, dif- cal code that must be respected during the re-
ferent biological markers like botanical remains search, he will recognize there is not. Young-
can be used in determination of the period be- er archaeologists learn from the older ones, and
tween the time of deposition in the burial site from the elders, they also adopt unwritten ethi-
and the time of recovery.8 A more specific and cal rules important in their work. They are aware
a very potent tool to establish the burial time in that excavation irreversibly destroys the possi-
extended post-mortem period, but also to reveal bility of another approach to the research, and
possible clandestine graves, is the use of the post- that often no one can refute their interpretation
putrefaction fungi.9 Unfortunately, in the case because the ground has been already excavated,
of an unknown soldier from Josipovac soil sam- destroyed for further research. The same can be
ples were not taken from his grave for analysis. said for forensic archaeology – an exhumation
Such an analysis could give us the information will forever destroy the site or the crime scene;
in which season of the year the body was placed it is thus important to work according to spe-
in the burial pit. cific protocols, methods, techniques and availa-
ble technologies. The forensic excavation follows
As in the case of the unknown soldier, all the rules of the traditional archaeological ex-
there is an intertwining of archaeology and do- cavation, but all steps are elaborated and elevat-
main of police powers when it becomes foren- ed on a higher level with protocols and standard
sic archaeology. In archaeology, it is a moment operating procedures (SOP’s).10 This helps in re-
when anthropological osteological remains from solving every day and also more unusual ethical
World War II or younger period are revealed on dilemmas during the work.
a site. Then the police has to be informed about
the finding, which stays in a domain of foren- Everybody claims that there should not be
sic medicine. Also, if the police specialists find double standards, that skeletal remains from any
human remains and assume they are not recent, historical period should be treated in the same
they often call archaeologists for help to resolve way, with the same respect, as those from the re-
cent wars. But then the awareness of the whole
8 Shari L. Forbes, „Potential Determinants of Postmortem and society should be at a significantly higher level.
Postburial Interval of Buried Remains,“ in Soil Analysis in Foren- It is clear that the dead can no longer be hurt but
sic Taphonomy, eds. Mark Tibbett and David O. Carter (Boca Ra- there are still strong reasons for treating them
ton: CRC Press, 2008), 225-2; Heather C. Miller, Cheng-Lung Lee, with respect, respect for the individual.
Wen-Yu Lin, Henry C. Lee and Timothy M. Palmbach, „Forensic
Botany: Using Plant Evidence to Aid in Forensic Death Investiga- What archaeology tells us about the fu-
tion,“ Croatian Medical Journal 46, no. 4 (2005): 606-612. ture of the skeletal burials? The calculation is
simple. On average, one hundred million peo-
9 David L. Hawksworth and Patricia E.J. Wiltshire, „Forensic myco-
logy: the use of fungi in criminal investigations,“ Forensic Scien- 10 Anderson Auson, Margaret Cox, Ambika Flavel, Ian Hanson, Mi-
ce International 206, no. 1-3 (2011): 1-11; Shari L. Forbes, „Potential chael Hedley, Joanna Laver, Auson Perman, Mark Viner and Ri-
Determinants of Postmortem and Postburial Interval of Buried chard Wright, „Protocols for the investigation of mass graves“ in
Remains,“ in Soil Analysis in Forensic Taphonomy, eds. Mark Tibbett The Scientific Investigation of Mass Graves: Towards Protocols and Stan-
and David O. Carter (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2008), 225-246; Ma- dard Operating Procedures, eds.Margaret Cox, Ambika Flavel, Ian
sahito Hitosugi, Kiyoshi Ishii, Takashi Yaguchi, Yuichi Chigusa, Hanson, Joanna Laver and Roland Wessling (Cambridge: Cambri-
Akira Kurosu, Masahito Kido, Toshiaki Nagai and Shogo Toku- dge University Press, 2008) 39-102.
dome, „Fungi can be a useful forensic tool,“ Legal Medicine 8, no. 4.
(2006): 240-242.
