standards for treatment of human remains abroad

[sniper]

well, why should recording all features stratigraphically in a burial ground be any different to any other type of site? Burial grounds just have the added dis/advantage (depending on who you are) of having a lot of bodies in them as well, but simply because this is their main feature, doesn't mean that all other deposits should be ignored.

troll and hosty - agree with you. We should come up with a way of using that list. Would be interested to know just how many commercial units and university departments are aware of the new guidelines, especially if they don't have any bone peeps among their number.

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++

[BAJR Host]

consider it a priority to follow up.... I will do a quick check this week.

Another day another WSI?

[Tim]

Glad to see Sniper wants to write a paper on Human remains/forensic excavation: I agree. Too many Human remains people know nothing about arch method, stratigraphy,taphonomy, site formation processes, post depositional diagenesis etc. Archies tend not to know enough about anatomy and medicine. There the twain meet.
Will start a debate when I have enough time on archaeological and Human remains peoples assumptions, logical leaps and flights of fancy.

Little Tim

[BAJR Host]

Have a look at this... (also posted on other board)

The following message was sent to Contractors and Universities across the UK .. it told people about the major guidance documents now available... and a read reciept was requested.

Not many can say they did not know about these documents now.

The following message has been submitted to over 100 contractors and 117 educational institutions involved in archaeology. The purpose is to ensure that the widest audience has been reached for the documents pertaining to the treatment of human remains. I am aware that most of you will already have copies of the main guidance, but to ensure full coverage BAJR has sent everyone the same email.

The following 4 documents are now available on-line and regard the treatment, excavation, storage and recording of Human Remains.

to ensure that these guidelines have been fully disseminated, I have attached the links to these documents below.

If you are already using these guidelines please ignore, if you were not aware of them, please download for reference.

It would be interesting to know if you have had the opportunity to carry out work to these guidelines.

1) A Basic Overview for the Recovery of Human Remains from Sites Under Development
http://www.bajr.org/Documents/HumanRemainsGuide.pdf

2) New guidelines for the treatment of human remains excavated from Christian burial grounds in England
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/catha...idance.pdf

3) IFA Guidelines to the Standards for Recording Human Remains
http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/ic...emains.pdf

4) A Field Guide to the Excavation of Inhumated Human Remains
http://www.bajr.org/Documents/FieldGuide...emains.pdf
David Connolly
BAJR

Another day another WSI?

[sniper]

quote:Originally posted by Tim

Glad to see Sniper wants to write a paper on Human remains/forensic excavation: I agree. Too many Human remains people know nothing about arch method, stratigraphy,taphonomy, site formation processes, post depositional diagenesis etc. Archies tend not to know enough about anatomy and medicine. There the twain meet.

I guess I am very lucky in having been a digger for quite a while before becoming an osteo (and I still do dig when I can), so I am able to see things from both sides, and understand the site processes. I can see where there has been truncation of a burial (for example) rather than thinking that bones have gone missing for no reason, but then, conversely, I know when to start asking questions about where bones have gone if there is no rational reason for them to have disappeared.

Maybe, as well as improving the treatment of human remains by archaeologists, we should be encouraging better understanding of archaeological method by osteologists. Is there such a document? Should we write one? Hosty? anyone else? let me know what you all think.

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++

[BAJR Host]

There could be room for a ducument for specialists that have not 'dug' so they can understand teh processes that their requirements are dealt with in the reality of teh site...

ie.... why do skellys have no fingers...

where did that C14 sample come from....etc

if you and others are offereing....

I am looking forward to puting out a stunning 65 page BAttlefield Guide by Tim Sutherland and Malin Holst.. in about 10 days.... there is realquality and real needs for BAJR guide documents

Another day another WSI?

[sea-surgeon]

BAJR, could someone go over the BAJR guide to excavating human remains and change the captions in the photos to a font colour like white instead of purple or red. On a black background these are difficult, if not impossible to read. Cheers.

[BAJR Host]

ah.... see what you mean...... will try and get that sorted tonight.

cheers

Another day another WSI?

[BAJR Host]

Has been sorted

thanks for feedback....

Another day another WSI?

[sniper]

am happy to try and put together a document for specialists explaining site procedure, but as to hosty's point about why skeletons have no fingers, that is usually down to inexperience and lack of anatomical knowledge by excavators who think that the metacarpals (bones that form palm of hand) are the fingers. I have recently been looking at disarticulated human bone from a site, and lots of the bone from grave fills has been fingers and toes which will probably belong to the skeleton in that grave. I can't remember off hand if any of the guidelines point out the need to watch out for small bones that may have wandered, but it certainly needs to be considered.

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++