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1.Discovery—After
reports of suspicious activity, excavation reveals the top
of a human skull. Note the blue and green flags that mark
the outline of the suspected grave.
|
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2.Excavation
Commences—The skeleton is slowly revealed. Excavation
is undertaken slowly and methodically to ensure the recovery
of clues. |
 |
3.Close-up
of Skeleton—Skeleton appears complete, with a gray
t-shirt, black shorts and a pair of white socks. This individual
is clearly from recent times and thus the concern of the
police and not Archaeologists or Historians. |
 |
4.Screening
for Clues—Soil excavated from the grave is screened
through a fine mesh to discovery important clues. Even the
smallest scrap can make a case. |
 |
5.Recovery—Peter
Ferdinando, M.A. begins the process of recovering the body
for transportation to the lab. |
 |
6.Transport—Material
is bagged for its own protection and tagged with relevant
information prior to transportation to the lab. |
Coming Soon: Part 2—The Lab
How
do Forensic Anthropologists determine age, height, sex, race/ethnicity,
and help to identify the deceased?
Please note, skeletal materials pictured are replicas and
this ‘crime scene’ was a mock-up to teach interested
members of the public. In the future The Palm Beach Museum of
Natural History may offer Adult Education classes in Forensic
Anthropology. Please check back for further information.
