Crimes in the Past.

• Author: Shvedchikova, Tatiana.
• TeilnehmendeR: Moghaddam, Negahnaz.; Barone, Pier Matteo.
• Place / Publishing House: Oxford : : Archaeopress,, 2021.; ©2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (263 pages)

This book discusses examples of crime scenes in the archaeological past, their detection and interpretation with the help of modern science; readers will find cases of historic and prehistoric 'crimes scenes' known from various contexts: (pre)historic (mass) graves, lethal violent acts related to warfare, ritual killings, or possible murder cases.

Table of Contents

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents Page -- Introduction -- Authors -- Wrapping the dead over the centuries -- Introduction -- What is a crime? -- Wrapped crime scene -- Figure 1.1. The GPR results in Gabii. (a) and (b) shows the clear rectangular red anomaly in the GPR map at 0.5m depth from both satellite and ground views (yellow circle). (c) Illustrates the corresponding radargram with the typical anomaly due to someth -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- How forensic geology can be a valuable support to investigate past crimes -- Introduction -- Crimes in the past involving forensic geology -- Case study: discovery of an 8th-century burial, probably desecrated, near the necropolis of Santa Severa, Italy -- Figure 2.1. Location of the archaeological area of the Castle of Santa Severa, Italy -- Soil analysis -- Figure 2.2. Archaeological excavations inside the House of Nostromo (a) -- one of the burials inside the House of Nostromo (b). -- Figure 2.3. Tuff sarcophagus with monolithic lid in the necropolis of Santa Severa. -- Figure 2.4. Skeleton present in the sarcophagus in a prone and decomposed position. -- Analytical results -- Discussion and conclusion -- Bibliography -- Figure 2.5. Particle size distribution of the samples S (inside the sarcophagus) and F (outside the sarcophagus). Although the two samples present a bimodal particle size distribution, the sample F presents a greater quantity of clay fraction. -- Complementary investigations can help the forensic pathologist -- Introduction -- Presentations of some tools useful in forensic anthropology and archaeology -- PMCT -- Figure 3.1. Tools Presentation. General view of the epifluorescence macroscope. Image acquisition is performed using a macroscope fitted with a camera driven by specific software. Bones are simply placed under the objective and illuminated with fluorescen.

Epifluorescence microscopy -- Scanning electron microscope (SEM) -- Presentation of three cases -- First case -- Figure 3.2. First case report. Macroscopic view of the skull bones lesions (a). Left image: two trajectories materialised from the left frontal bone to the right temporal bone and the right maxillary sinus. Middle image: matching of the left frontal bone -- Second case -- Third case -- The utility of these tools for archaeologists -- Figure 3.3. Second case report. Picture of a large wound of the fourth finger of the left hand. Inset: picture of a bone wound of the first phalange after its autopsic extraction (a) -- complementary explorations performed on the fourth finger of the left h -- Figure 3.4. Third case report. External macroscopic views: anterior view of the South American mummy. Right image: a 10 mm circumferential skin disc was removed in left occipital region (a) -- PMCT of the head, showing numerous calcified millimetric lesions -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 'An arrow in your spine' -- Introduction -- Finding forensic evidence for intentional killing in archaeological cases -- Analyses of obvious killing scenarios -- Projectile injuries as clear indicator for interpersonal violence and killing -- Figure 4.1. Cemetery Natuhaevskoe 5, burial No. 11 (male, 35-39 years old), arrowhead in the second lumbar vertebra. -- Figure 4.2. Orel city fortress. General view of burial No. 20 (male, juvenilis) (a) -- arrowhead in the upper part of left iliac bone in situ, frontal view (b) (photo by O. Radjush). -- Figure 4.3. Orel city fortress. Arrowhead in the upper part of left iliac bone of young male from burial No.20. -- Figure 4.4. Sanitary mass grave near Kolotsky monastery (Borodino battlefield, 1812). Lead bullet stacked in the region of tuberculum minus of the left humerus of an adult man.

Traces of violence on human remains as an indicator of murder -- Figure 4.5. Salvage excavations on the territory of Borodino battlefield Museum complex 2010 (excavation area 'Moika'), male, 25-29 years old. In the region of apex ossis sacralis (a) -- traces of injury in the region of spina iliaca anterior superior of r -- Figure 4.6. Salvage excavations on the territory of Borodino battlefield Museum complex 2010 (excavation area 'Moika'), male, 25-29 years old. Entrance of the gunshot wound in the frontal bone (a) -- gunshot wound exit hole in the occipital bone with a cle -- Figure 4.7. Veseloye church, crypt, individual No. 12 (male, adultis I). Slash traumas, frontal view (a) -- lateral view (b) -- occipital view (c). -- Figure 4.8. Dzhetyasar archaeological culture, Altynasar 4, kurgan 323, burial 2, individual 1 (male, 25-29-year-old). Lesions at the distal epiphysis of right femur, (a) -- proximal epiphysis of left femoral bone (b). -- Secondary traces as evidence -- Conclusion -- Figure 4.9. Sanitary mass grave near Kolotsky monastery (Borodino battlefield, 1812). Traces of surgical amputation of the femoral bone. -- Bibliography -- Evidence of injuries and killings in the post-catacomb world (22,000-18,000 cal. BC) -- Introduction -- Figure 5.1. The block of post-catacomb cultural entities: the Babino cultural circle and the Lola cultural circle. Sites with foreign arrowheads and skull injuries. Beslan A/703 (1) -- Kunakovsky-2 3/3 (2) -- Peschany V 4/3 (3) -- Kalinovka ¼ (4) -- Liventsovskay -- Figure 5.2. Quiver sets in burials of the post-catacomb period. Dnieper-Don Babino culture (a-d) -- Lola culture (e). Beyeva mogila 3 (a) -- Nikolaevka 1/8 (b) -- Repny I 7/10 (c) -- Knyazevo 1/5 (d) -- Chernoyarskaya 3/10 (e). -- The first group with arrowheads.

Figure 5.3. Traces of injuries and killings by arrows in the burials of the Babino cultural circle. Kotluban' VI 1/4 (a) -- Yasyrev I 8/9 (b) -- Popov Yar 6/3 (c) -- Kalinovka 1/4 (d) -- Nagavsky II 4/1 (e) -- Vysokoye 1/1 (f) -- Malaya Martynovka 1/3 (g). -- The Babino cultural circle -- Figure 5.4. Traces of injuries and killings with arrows and strike weapons in the burials of the post-catacomb period. The Lola cultural circle (a-c) -- the Babino cultural circle (d-e). Beslan A/703 (a). Kunakovsky-2 3/3 (b) -- Peschany V 4/3 (c) -- Petrunino -- Lola cultural circle -- Second group -- Figure 5.5. Skeletal scheme with arrowheads localisation (as evidence of injuries and killings) and skull injuries. Arrowheads of chariot cultures in the skeletons of humans of the Babino cultural circle (a) -- arrowheads (unidentified and Ginchy culture) i -- Bibliography -- Comparative analysis of multiple burials from the Late Copper Age, Hungary -- Introduction -- Figure 6.1. Location of Balatonszentgyörgy-Kenderföldek, Hungary. -- The archaeological context -- Methods -- Recovery methods -- Figure 6.2. In situ photo of the pit 1095. -- Osteological analysis -- Figure 6.3. Multiple plots of radiocarbon dates from Balatonszengyörgy-Kenderföldek, Abony-Turjányos-dűlő 36, and Balatonkeresztúr. -- Pottery analysis -- Results -- Chronology -- Figure 6.4. Ratio of different skeletal elements. -- Table 6.1. Age distribution (with MNI/MLNI values) in the analysed sample of pit 1095. -- Figure 6.5. The layer I-II-III of the pit showing specific features in the posture of the partially articulated skeletal elements. -- Deceased -- Gestures -- Figure 6.6. The right femur moved along the medial side of the tibia (yellow arrows), while the left one rotated out from the acetabulum and turned to the left. The skulls were not filled with soils.

Figure 6.7. The upper skeleton of the individual 'F' from the fourth layer could be matched with the leg bones of the skeleton 'C' in the third layer. -- Figure 6.8. The bottom layers of the pit: layer IV - showing the most disarticulated and commingled area of bones with four infant skulls along with vessel fragments. Layer V - A partial skeleton of a young pig was deposited, with fragmented vessels posit -- Table 6.2. The ratio of skeletal elements at the three sites. -- Figure 6.9. Layer V had fragmented vessels positioned on their bottom (a) -- the most typical vessel types from this layer (b). -- Structure -- Figure 6.10. The vessel fragment from the bottom layer. One side of it was intact while the other showed soil deposition. -- Figure 6.11. The pit 640 containing child remains in a disturbed position (a) -- the hard soil deposit on the distal epiphysis of the right femur (b) -- the soil composite kept together the bones of the feet (c) -- in situ fish scales preserved in the calcic se -- Figure 6.12. The ratio of skeletal elements at the three sites and the ratio of skeletal elements in non-adult and adults in all sites. -- Site -- Skeletal elements -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- Bibliography -- Digital trauma analysis and the mechanism of weapon related injuries -- Introduction -- Background -- Digital trauma analysis -- Figure 7.1. Map of the Tollense Valley sites (D. Schäffler, based on data provided by LIV MV© GeoBasis-DE/M-V). -- Methods -- Methodological process -- Case study I -- Figure 7.2. Case study I - 3D digital microscopic analysis of the lesion on a left humerus from the Tollensetal Valley, Weltzin 20. 3D-image of the lesion (50x magnification) with color heightmap (a) -- kerf running from proximal-lateral to medial-distal wi.

Figure 7.3. Case study I - 3D profile analysis of the kerf. Cross section medial (a).