ANTHROP 3FA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Taphonomy, Radiography, Soft Tissue
26 Apr 2019
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Human remains arrive at the lab: not always (usually not) clean and pristine, soil, adhering soft tissue, taphonomic changes, fragmentary. Lab activities: once they arrive in the lab, human remains are, processed. Dna & other forensic consultants: curated. Processing methods: evaluate the condition of the remains, choose a method that causes the least damage, preserves the most evidence, document everything about the body before you start, photos, notes, radiography, before you start , sample any soft tissue. Better source of dna than bone: save things that might be important. Three main ways to process the skeleton: maceration, carrion insects, chemical processes, note: very fleshy remains should first be separated mechanically, excess soft tissue removed carefully, wood/plastic tools when possible, report any marks/damage made during this process. Method 1: maceration: softening tissues by soaking in water, cold water. Helps breakdown tissues: different times, temps, detergents, decreasing soaps, ammonia, change water & manually remove loose tissues periodically.
