Potential of analysis and interpretation of mortuary deposition in archaeology: forensic perspectives

Abstract

The study of terminology and classifications used by archaeologists to describe and, where possible, interpret the human burial behavior as a result of the extinct populations facing the phenomenon of death enables the construction of procedures of a recent discipline: forensic archeology. Contributions of taphonomy of legal medicine (tanatology) of the criminal law field, and other means used in forensic science are important for sizing and so a search that includes archaeological invasive interventions. Thus, provided that the traditional archaeological methods and techniques are systematically adapted to the forensic work, the observation of controlled traces left by the process of body decomposition in sites with presence of human remains is desirable.