The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This symposium will focus on how the scientific methods used by archaeological scientists can contribute to forensic science investigations. Archaeological and biological anthropology methods have been applied in forensic investigations, especially for the recovery and analysis of human remains. This symposium will highlight how archaeological science can contribute meaningfully to validation and error rate studies of scientific methods applied in forensic investigations to meet evidentiary standards.

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  • Documents (6)

Documents
  • Application of Dietary Isotopes to Questions of Medicolegal Significance (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Damon Tarrant. Laura Yazedjian. Michael Richards.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Isotopic analysis of human remains has been used in archaeological and forensic contexts to examine diets, mobility, and the geographical origin of individuals (Bartelink and Chesson 2019). We applied dietary isotope analysis, a method more commonly applied in archaeological science research, to 30 unidentified human...

  • Broader Impact of Archaeological Science Methods in Forensic Science Investigations (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Melanie Beasley.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences report on “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States” emphasized the importance of change needed in forensic science disciplines to ensure reliability, enforceable standards, and to promote best practices. Over the years many archaeologists and bioarchaeologists have...

  • Mapping Human Migrations, Past and Present: Developing Environmental Isotope and Trace Element Maps of Mexico and Central America (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Heather Thakar. Gina Buckley. Jason De Leon.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Thousands of clandestine migrants die every year while traversing the hostile terrain of the United States/Mexico border. Most of these individuals go unidentified, leaving families in a desperate search for answers regarding their loved one’s whereabouts. Rural counties along the South Texas Borderlands lack resources for...

  • Multimethod Forensic Sedimentology to Address Heritage Crime (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Emma Britton. John Welch. Brandi MacDonald. Fred Nials. April Oga.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. As memories of World War II waned and the sixties swang, anthropologists developed a healthy distrust of State interests in our field. Relegated to the kids’ table, anthropologists disengaged from the State for many decades. Among the consequences of our broad professional disdain for officialdom is an inattention to...

  • Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) Isoscapes for Mobility and Migration: The Way Forward (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Judith Sealy. Petrus le Roux. Maximilian Spies. Kerryn Gray.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Applications of 87Sr/86Sr in studies of palaeomobility and migration have developed in an interdisciplinary space at the intersection between archaeology, geochemistry and ecology. The approaches taken have depended on the home discipline of the lead researchers. Differences in approach and criteria in the many, very...

  • Theoretical Frameworks for Isotope Data Collection and Interpretation (2024)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Lesley Chesson. Gregory Berg.

    This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. This presentation describes the theoretical frameworks for isotope data collection and interpretation that will help archaeological scientists ensure their contributions to forensic investigations are scientifically sound and legally defensible. Archaeological science is now commonly used in forensic settings to reconstruct...