Talk: Murder, mayhem and misdemeanour: the application of archaeology to the recently deceased.

by Dr Jen Miller, UHI Archaeology

This talk is suitable for adults only because of some of the images.

Because of the nature of the subject this talk will NOT be recorded.

Police forces UK wide have come a long way forensically over the past three decades.  As forensic science has advanced, so has appreciation of the value of forensic archaeology in the investigation of complex cases involving suspicious death. Standard techniques used by archaeologists everywhere in search, excavation and artefact recovery can be extrapolated to modern crime scene analysis when coupled with a sound understanding of chain of evidence and legal principles.  Through a series of high-profile case studies, this presentation aims to demonstrate how a ‘degree in digging holes’, together with a solid understanding of legal requirements can help find a grave or exclude areas of suspicion. It can provide informed comment on how a body was concealed, what tools were used, and interpret sequence of events and timings of death. Crucially, archaeological techniques supports jury understanding of complex events, demonstrating the rigour applied to the investigation and thus helping to support criminal justice.