What is Forensic Archaeology?

The Forensic Archaeology program provides undergraduates with a basic introduction to the practice of archaeology within a legal context.  In addition to the topic Forensic Archaeology (ARCH 2006) students have access to a range of related topics in Criminology, Biological Anthropology, Archaeological Science, Biology, Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Archaeological Geophysics, Geographic Information Systems, Aboriginal Studies, and Cultural Heritage Management.

A Short Course in Human Osteology provides an introduction to the location, recovery, and analysis of human remains. This course will be useful to professionals in Archaeology, Aboriginal Studies, Criminology, Forensic Sciences, the Armed Forces, and related areas. In addition, the Short Course is offered within the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Management Graduate Programs at Flinders as a 6 unit elective topic, ARCH 8308.

Forensic Archaeology developed in the United States and United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s in response to expertise required by law enforcement agencies in relation to the location, recovery and analysis of buried materials associated with crime scenes (Morse et al. 1976, 1983; Hunter 1994; Hunter et al. 1996; Connor and Scott 2001; Cox 2001; Hunter and Cox 2005).  The majority of cases involving forensic archaeologists have focused on the analysis of buried human remains and associated material items.  However, forensic archaeologists have also been employed to locate and recover buried currency associated with robberies and kidnappings.  More recent applications of forensic archaeology have involved investigations of war crimes and genocide cases (Wright 1995; Carman 1997; Pearson 2000) and mass-casualty disaster scenes associated with terrorism (Gould 2002, 2003).  In 2001 the Inforce Foundation launched the International Forensic Centre of Excellence for the Investigation of Genocide which is located in the Centre for Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University (Inforce, 2001).

Forensic Archaeology programs have been developed at a number of universities in North America and the United Kingdom.  Due to the location of Archaeology as a sub-discipline of Anthropology in North America, programs there are more closely related to Forensic Anthropology.  North American programs can be found at the following universities: University of Arizona, Brown University, Colorado State University, University of Florida, University of Louisville, University of Manitoba, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, University of New Mexico, University of Tennessee, and University of Toronto.  A popular Forensic Archaeology Short Course is offered by Mercyhurst College.  Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island State Crime Lab have recently developed a Forensic Partnership Seminar Series which includes applications in Forensic Archaeology.  Programs in the U.K. have focused on postgraduate training and include those at the University of Birmingham, Bournemouth University, the University of Bradford, the Institute of Archaeology (University College London), and Southampton University.

In contrast, in Australia there are only a limited number of Forensic Archaeology programs available at universities.  In addition to Flinders University, undergraduate topics are available at the Australian National University, James Cook University, and the University of Queensland. Murdoch University addresses Forensic Archaeology within their Forensic Chemistry program.

To date the principal forensic archaeological applications in Australia have involved analysis of buried human skeletal remains and overseas war crimes and genocide cases (Wright 1995; Pate 2003; Blau 2004; Oakley 2005).  However, there is a potential to expand the scope of Forensic Archaeology in Australia to include legal applications involving Aboriginal communities.  For example, expert archaeological evidence relating to Native Title cases and repatriation of unprovenanced Aboriginal skeletal remains (Pate et al. 2002; Ousley et al. 2005) can be included in the realm of Forensic Archaeology.

For additional information regarding Forensic Archaeology at Flinders University please contact A/Professor Donald Pate via email at donald.pate@flinders.edu.au.