The role of the forensic archeologist and anthropologist in recovery of human remains from fatal fires

Fatal fires pose complex challenges for responders due to the requirement to investigate all aspects of the fire using methods that maximize evidence recovery and integrity, including optimal and respectful recovery of the deceased. In this article, the authors consider the value of the inclusion of both forensic archeologists and forensic anthropologists in circumstances of fatal fire, identifying some of the challenges posed by these environments and what each can contribute

Life stress : a bio-cultural investigation into the later Anglo-Saxon population of the Black Gate Cemetery.

The Black Gate cemetery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne was established within the abandoned remains of a Roman fort (Pons Aelius) in the 8th century and was an active burial ground until the 12th century AD. The cemetery has yielded 663 articulated skeletons, making it one of the largest skeletal assemblages recovered from later Anglo-Saxon England. Aside from the cemetery there is no physical evidence for settlement in the area from the abandonment of Pons Aelius in 410 AD. until the first phase of construction of a Norman castle in 1080 AD. Documentary evidence indicates the presence of a monastery within the immediate locality of the cemetery; however, archaeological evidence for a monastic settlement at the site has yet to be identified. Consequently, the origin of the contributory population is uncertain. To determine the nature and origin of the Black Gate cemetery population a bio-cultural investigation was undertaken. Investigation into the relationship between health and the different demographic and social components of the assemblage, determined from burial form and variation, enabled a picture of the overall social and environmental impact on levels of physiological stress to be assessed. Indicators of stress were compared with thirteen sites of known context to determine if the health profile observed amongst the Black Gate population shared characteristics with urban, rural or monastic assemblages. A detailed picture of the health and funerary behaviour of the Black Gate cemetery was attained. However, the origin of this population remains inconclusive. This research emphasises the multi-factorial nature of physiological stress and that age, diet, cultural practices and status had a greater impact upon the skeleton than settlement type in the later Anglo-Saxon period

The Anglo-Saxon migration and the formation of the early English gene pool.

The history of the British Isles and Ireland is characterized by multiple periods of major cultural change, including the influential transformation after the end of Roman rule, which precipitated shifts in language, settlement patterns and material culture1. The extent to which migration from continental Europe mediated these transitions is a matter of long-standing debate2-4. Here we study genome-wide ancient DNA from 460 medieval northwestern Europeans-including 278 individuals from England-alongside archaeological data, to infer contemporary population dynamics. We identify a substantial increase of continental northern European ancestry in early medieval England, which is closely related to the early medieval and present-day inhabitants of Germany and Denmark, implying large-scale substantial migration across the North Sea into Britain during the Early Middle Ages. As a result, the individuals who we analysed from eastern England derived up to 76% of their ancestry from the continental North Sea zone, albeit with substantial regional variation and heterogeneity within sites. We show that women with immigrant ancestry were more often furnished with grave goods than women with local ancestry, whereas men with weapons were as likely not to be of immigrant ancestry. A comparison with present-day Britain indicates that subsequent demographic events reduced the fraction of continental northern European ancestry while introducing further ancestry components into the English gene pool, including substantial southwestern European ancestry most closely related to that seen in Iron Age France5,6

Author Correction: The Anglo-Saxon migration and the formation of the early English gene pool.

See original record

The Anglo-Saxon migration and the formation of the early English gene pool

The history of the British Isles and Ireland is characterized by multiple periods of major cultural change, including the influential transformation after the end of Roman rule, which precipitated shifts in language, settlement patterns and material culture1. The extent to which migration from continental Europe mediated these transitions is a matter of long-standing debate2,3,4. Here we study genome-wide ancient DNA from 460 medieval northwestern Europeans—including 278 individuals from England—alongside archaeological data, to infer contemporary population dynamics. We identify a substantial increase of continental northern European ancestry in early medieval England, which is closely related to the early medieval and present-day inhabitants of Germany and Denmark, implying large-scale substantial migration across the North Sea into Britain during the Early Middle Ages. As a result, the individuals who we analysed from eastern England derived up to 76% of their ancestry from the continental North Sea zone, albeit with substantial regional variation and heterogeneity within sites. We show that women with immigrant ancestry were more often furnished with grave goods than women with local ancestry, whereas men with weapons were as likely not to be of immigrant ancestry. A comparison with present-day Britain indicates that subsequent demographic events reduced the fraction of continental northern European ancestry while introducing further ancestry components into the English gene pool, including substantial southwestern European ancestry most closely related to that seen in Iron Age France5,6