Forty years of ‘Archaeology for children’

The last 40 years have seen an increase in outreach activities, many primarily targeted to children, in archaeology. This outreach has benefited both the discipline of archaeology as well as public education. Several projects have pioneered the development of ‘archaeology for children’ in recent decades and have narrowed the gap between heritage and the public.An overview of these developments is presented in this paper. Particular reference is made to the work undertaken in schools and museums, by associations and archaeological companies, as well as the promotion of archaeology through the media. Examples are drawn especially from the United Kingdom and Spain

Using nutrient foramina to differentiate human from non-human long bone fragments in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology

Long bone shaft fragments can be found isolated in archaeological and forensic contexts, such as in mass fatality incidents. When diagnostic morphological landmarks are not visible, the assessment of a human or non-human origin of a bone fragment can be challenging. Further methods need to be developed. In long bones, the presence of a nutrient foramen on fragments that do not show any diagnostic landmarks can make the assessment of the origin of the bone still possible. In this paper, human long bones were compared to those of the following species: chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), duck (Cairina moschata), sheep (Ovis aries), pig (Sus scrofa domesticus), and deer (fallow deer, Dama dama, and roe deer, Capreolus capreolus). Macroscopic evaluation of location, direction and appearance, and micro-CT scanning in order to measure angle and shape of canal entrance, were applied in this study to differentiate human from non-human nutrient foramina on long bone shafts. Observations regarding the location and direction of nutrient foramina were proven to be different between human and non-human bones; however, these two features might not be exploitable in cases of highly fragmented bones. The foramina appearance was the most reliable for the origin identification, although the shape of the canal entrance and its angle at the cortical bone, obtained from micro-CT scans, were also useful parameters. For a correct identification of a fragment, one parameter may not be enough and it is advisable to employ as many features as possible. This research demonstrates that nutrient foramina have potential as a reliable bone feature for the distinction between human and non-human fragmented and incomplete long bones

Redefining forensic anthropology in the 21st century and its role in mass fatality investigations

http://www.eurjanat.com/web/all-issues.phpDefinitions of forensic anthropology have reflected the evolution of the discipline over the past 20 years. A commonly accepted definition is currently “the application of the science of physical or biological anthropology to the legal process” (e.g. see ABFA, 2018), although this has now expanded to include human rights cases, as part of what some have called ‘Humanitarian Forensic Action’ or ‘Forensic Humanitarianism’ (Guyomarc´h, and Congram, 2015; Cordner and Tidball-Binz, 2017; Moon, 2013; Parra et al. 2020). More recently, historical cases involving the recovery, identification and repatriation of casualties from the First and Second world wars and subsequent conflicts, have also been categorised as forensic anthropology (Loe et al., 2014, Cox et al., 2016, Emanovsky and Belcher, 2012). The expansion of the definition in these contexts recognises the need for the anthropologist to conform to the standards required by forensic genetic laboratories. He or she is required to work closely with DNA scientists and be cognisant of forensic protocols relating to chain of custody, integrity of evidence and how to minimise the risks of cross contamination and misidentifications

The application of dual energy X-ray soil screening in forensic archaeology

The need to forensically search soil for small artefacts at a burial site or traces of evidence in a deposition site is a common task shared by investigators and forensic archaeologists. In forensic casework, the importance of finding small pieces of evidence, such as personal effects or ballistic fragments, cannot be overstated as it can assist in the positive identification of the deceased, give an insight into the manner and cause of death, and identify any perpetrators. The soil search methods known as wet and dry sieving, are cumbersome, time-consuming and have limited success for some soil types. This often leads to the decision not to search, resulting in missed opportunities to identify potential evidence. The primary aim of this study was to investigate if a dual energy X-ray baggage scanner could be used to search for items of potential forensic interest in soil. A trial was conducted using a Smiths Detection ScanTrailer 100100 V-2is mobile X-ray inspection system to establish if it could be used to detect organic, inorganic, and metallic items located within soil. The soil type and natural variables such as water and organic content were adjusted to simulate different environments. The baggage scanner was found to provide a quick and easy way to detect items contained within various soil types, particularly in a sand rich matrix. It is estimated that using this method to search 1 m3 of soil, when broken down into samples that are < 13 cm in depth, would take around one hour to complete, compared with 100 to 150 person-hours by manual sieving. This is believed to be the first use of dual energy X-ray technology for this purpose and shows the potential for further research and use of this method in forensic archaeology

The legislation, search, recovery, identification and repatriation of conflict casualties worldwide: Introducing the WWI and WWII Special Issue

Conflict casualties refer to those individuals who are lost due to military conflict or war. The involvement of forensic archaeologists and anthropologists in the legal search, recovery, documentation, identification, and repatriation/reburial of conflict casualties is well known. Internationally, there are a number of professional organisations who ethically recover and identify these individuals. However, at the same time, some organisations and individuals have raised significant concerns about working in other countries, understanding specific laws and protocols, and how the whole recovery and identification process should be undertaken. Through this special issue, Forensic Science International is interested in promoting these investigative good-practice procedures, illustrated with case studies, and ethical and legal considerations when undertaking and disseminating these humanitarian missions to the wider forensic community. This Special Issue focuses primarily on the First and Second World Wars, yet other conflicts are covered, and includes the views and perspectives from different organisations within specific countries in the format of original papers, commentaries, and case reports. Specifically, these papers include the legislative regulations, information regarding the authorities to be consulted on and who deal with human remains, the organisations and professionals who are involved with the recovery and analysis of human remains, the process of identification, and how this information is disseminated to the public

Evaluation of dental non-metric traits in a medieval population from Ibiza (Spain)

Rescue excavations between 2006 and 2008 of the Medieval rural cemetery of Molí de Can Fonoll in Ibiza, Spain, revealed a total of 167 individuals, of which 141 were assessed for dental morphological variants. The analysis aimed primarily at assessing the frequency of dental non-metric traits in this population. 21 dental non-metric traits were selected for observation based on the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System. No considerably high percentages were found in the population and no comparative data was present to infer about biological distances. Thus, the aim was to present the data for future study and to provide a small register for the region. The most significant frequencies of crown morphological variants found to be present within this Mediterranean population were hypoconulid (38.22%), shoveling (21.79%), and tuberculum dentale (19.18%)

Islamic funerary archaeology in Catalonia and the province of Castellón. A state of affairs

El presente trabajo ofrece una síntesis de los conocimientos arqueológicos e históricos sobre el poblamiento andalusí mediante un inventario de hallazgos funerarios en Cataluña, con la provincia de Castellón como referente de comparación. Se presentan nuevos datos relativos a hallazgos aún inéditos de los yacimientos de Plà de Almatà (Balaguer) y la Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). Cataluña formaba parte de la Frontera Superior de al-Andalus, por lo que desarrolló unas características de poblamiento diferentes al resto del šarq al-Andalus, representado por la provincia de Castellón. Para investigar estas características, la arqueología funeraria y la antropología física aportan herramientas de gran utilidad. Aunque los aspectos tafonómicos y las oportunidades de excavación han influenciado el registro funerario disponible, los procesos históricos no deben desvincularse. Para este trabajo, se ha realizado un inventario exhaustivo y un análisis de los datos disponibles de estas regiones con el objetivo de interpretar el registro disponible y ofrecer una síntesis útil para las investigaciones futuras.This paper presents a review of the archaeological and historical knowledge on Andalusian settlement in Catalonia as obtained through the funerary record. A comparison is also made with the province of Castellón. This study also contains new data regarding the cemetery of Plà de Almatà (Balaguer) and cemeteries from Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). Catalonia was part of the Upper Frontier of al-Andalus, and as such its settlement patterns were different to the rest of Šarq al-Andalus, represented by the province of Catellón. Funerary archaeology and physical anthropology provide useful and unique tools to study these features and patterns. Although taphonomic aspects of skeletal preservation and the amount of excavation activity have influenced the available funerary record, historical processes cannot be overlooked. For this current study, an exhaustive review of the literature and available data from these regions has been undertaken with the aim of providing a broader interpretation of the period and recommendations for future research

Establishing a minimum PMI for bone sun bleaching in a UK environment with a controlled desert-simulated comparison

Microenvironments play a significant part in understanding the post-mortem interval in forensic taphonomy. Recently, the value of weathering factors in relation to obtaining a PMI has been investigated further. In this study, observations were made to calculate the length of time it takes for three different bone elements (femur, rib, and scapula) to bleach in a UK summer and winter. This research also investigated whether there were any physicochemical modifications to the bone caused by bleaching. Porcine femora, scapulae, and ribs were placed into open and shaded areas of an outdoor research facility located in Oxfordshire, UK, during summer (July–Sep) and winter months (Dec–Mar). The specimens were monitored at 3-week intervals using photography, and an observational scoring method was developed to quantify the extent of bleaching. As temperatures are typically much lower in the UK compared with warmer climates, a controlled indoor-simulated desert experiment was also undertaken to be used as a control. This allowed sun bleaching and changes to the bone chemistry to be monitored in a controlled, high-UV environment for comparison with the UK outdoor experiments. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to analyze physicochemical modifications to both the mineral and organic components of the bone. The FTIR was used to calculate crystallinity index (CI), mineral to organic ratio, and the relative amount of carbonate concentrations. Weather data was collected and a positive correlation was found between both ultraviolet (UV) levels and accumulated degree days (ADD) when compared with observational bleaching scores. Bleaching (whitening) of the bone samples occurred in both seasons but at different rates, with the bleaching process occurring at a slower rate in winter. During summer, the initial bleaching process was evident at 6 weeks, and by 9 weeks, the bones were an off-white colour. During the winter period, whitening of the bone started at 9 weeks; however, only the scapula and rib samples displayed a similar off-white colour. This colouration was observed at 13 weeks rather than at 9 weeks. The desert simulation samples started bleaching in a similar pattern to the outdoor samples after 1 week but the bones did not fully bleach. The bone chemistry, based on physicochemical properties obtained from the FTIR, showed a significant statistical difference between the simulated desert and winter season when compared against a control sample. For the winter samples, the mineral to organic ratio was significantly higher than that in the control, suggesting a reduction in the proportion of organic. For the samples in the simulated desert environment, the crystallinity index was significantly higher than that in the control samples, suggesting an increase in crystallinity. The results of this experiment support the fact that it is possible to achieve bleaching in a UK environment and that the minimal time frame for this to occur differs in seasons