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Four-Field Forensic Archaeology

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Forensic Archaeology

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Abstract

Despite only about 40 years having passed since the first academic publications advocating the use of archaeological techniques and methodologies toward forensic investigation, forensic archaeology has evolved and taken many forms. Conventional archaeology – and physical anthropology, which, especially in the forensic context, is almost invariably linked – is presented, studied, and practiced differently in various countries and contexts. This, in association with the fact that archaeologists have been employed in much greater numbers in an international context (e.g., with the UN in the former Yugoslavia), has resulted in ambiguous practice and definition. This chapter will examine four different activities that are often referred to as “forensic archaeology” and will discuss examples of how, where, and by whom they have been practiced. The chapter will examine common elements among the activities as well as important distinctions. The four activities presented, though not mutually exclusive, are (I) domestic forensic archaeology, (II) international forensic archaeology, (III) repatriation-focused archaeology, and (IV) mass fatality archaeology.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This distinction is exemplified by American (in the continental sense) and British definitions of forensic archaeology. For an analysis of these two approaches, see Cabo and Dirkmaat (2015).

  2. 2.

    Rosenblatt (2012) provides a thoughtful analysis on the origin of distinctions between criminal-legal (aka “forensic”) exhumations and those coined “humanitarian/human rights.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Derek Congram

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  1. Derek Congram
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Correspondence to Derek Congram .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University – Camden, Camden, NJ, USA

    Kimberlee Sue Moran

  2. Norwood, MA, USA

    Claire L. Gold

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Congram, D. (2019). Four-Field Forensic Archaeology. In: Moran, K.S., Gold, C.L. (eds) Forensic Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03291-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03291-3_2

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