Mind the Gap: The Evolution of Forensic Archaeology in Military Remains Recovery

Summary

The Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is responsible for the recovery of U.S. servicemembers' remains from past conflicts.  This paper will briefly review the history of military remains recovery by the U.S. government, focusing on the personnel responsible for field recovery as well as the methods typically employed.  We will then explore the evolving role of archaeologists in the accounting community, and how this parallels the modern development of forensic archaeology as a distinct discipline.  At the DPAA, archaeology fills the gap between historic research and the identification of recovered remains, although in the past this role has not been fully recognized.  We argue that an increased focus on archaeological methods, technology, and innovation will be critical to the success of field recovery as DPAA continues its mission in the future.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• "Same Same, but Different": Considerations and Approaches to Archaeology within the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 560