A Case Study of Legal and Practical Pitfalls of Forensic Archaeology Recovery of Human Remains from a New Orleans Pauper Cemetery

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Forensic Archaeology: Research & Practice" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Many coroners’ offices in the State of Louisiana have a contract for interring unclaimed or unidentified individuals, keeping their coolers clear for new bodies. Therefore, the public relies on interment to document the location of the body in the event that family members require disinterment in the future. When these contracts are with private companies, questions of ownership and access to the records may arise. Just such a situation has occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, raising such issues as: Who has the right to access the interment information? In the event of a disinterment, what parties are responsible for assisting in the location and recovery of the remains? When there are incomplete or inaccurate records, or multiple interments in a single space, what precautions must be observed with regard to other interments? Do the dead have rights that must be respected? In this case study, an experience with a New Orleans pauper’s cemetery and the successful excavation and disinterment of a specific individual is employed to address these questions and more.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Forensic Archaeology: Research & Practice   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23174