Prediction of Human Remains Distribution within WWII Bombardment Aircraft Crash Sites
Author(s): Owen L O'Leary
Year: 2017
Summary
Examination of eight WWII bombardment aircraft loss incidents previously resolved by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has allowed for the creation of a model that predicts where human remains can be expected to be recovered from within a crash scene based upon each crew member’s duty station. This paper details where each individual was found in relation to the aircraft wreckage at the crash sites, including those criteria for a case to be included in the model and how hypotheses were developed. These hypotheses were then tested against an additional, previously unexamined loss incident. Results detailing how far remains can be expected to be found from the individual’s corresponding duty station wreckage and maximum spread within a crash site are provided. Additionally, it is determined that the physics of the crash primarily dictates where individuals will be found, not the actions of the crew or post-depositional processes.
Cite this Record
Prediction of Human Remains Distribution within WWII Bombardment Aircraft Crash Sites. Owen L O'Leary. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435112)
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Keywords
General
Aircraft Archaeology
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battlefield archaeology
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conflict archaeology
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
20th Century, WWII
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 558