A typology of mass grave and mass grave-related sites

Jessee, Erin; Skinner, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.02.031

Cited by 60 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The excavations are usually complicated by environmental factors, such as difficult access to the site, subsequently raised constructions, vegetation, and often only assumed micro-location of the gravesite (15). Financing, manpower issues, the available time, and particularly the lack of experienced and educated teams also have a significant impact on the methodology of excavation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering the 60 years old secret: identification of the World War II mass grave victims from the island of Daksa near Dubrovnik, Croatia

2011

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AimTo describe the organization, field work, forensic anthropological examination, and DNA analysis conducted to identify the victims from a World War II mass grave found on the Dalmatian island of Daksa near Dubrovnik (Croatia) in 2009.MethodsExcavation of the site was performed according to standard archeological procedures. Basic anthropological examination was made to determine the minimum number of victims, sex, age at death, and height. The bones with pathological and traumatic changes were identified. DNA was extracted from powdered bones and relatives’ blood samples. Y-chromosome and autosomal short tandem repeats (STR) were used to establish the relationship of the remains with the putative family members.ResultsThe remains were found to belong to at least 53 distinctive victims. All were male, mostly with gunshot wounds to the head. DNA analysis and cross-matching of the samples with relatives resulted in 14 positive identifications using the Y-chromosomal STRs and 4 positive identifications using the autosomal STRs.ConclusionsThis study showed that even in cases of more than 50-year-old, highly degraded human remains from mass graves, Y-chromosomal and autosomal STRs analysis can contribute to identification of the victims.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering the 60 years old secret: identification of the World War II mass grave victims from the island of Daksa near Dubrovnik, Croatia

2011

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“…Rather, they continue to be presented within the domain of forensics, in journals such as Forensic Science International, the Forensic Bulletin and the Journal of Genocide Research and in papers read at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). Even in these publications, mass grave archaeology is discussed very generally (e.g., Juhl and Olsen 2006) or in particular presentations of technique (e.g., Jessee and Skinner 2005;Skinner 1987). There are no published mass grave ''site reports'' in the manner of the archaeological site reports that are at the heart of archaeological endeavor.…”

Section: Archaeology and Mass Grave Excavationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are, however, no profession-wide standards, codes of ethics, protocols or credentials for mass grave forensics per se (Jessee and Skinner 2005). The AAFS has a code of ethics as do the professional organizations of various members of forensic teams, e.g., the American Medical Association, Society of American Archaeologists, and American Anthropological Association, yet these codes are American, not international codes such as that of the World Medical Association.…”

Section: Archaeology and The Forensic Investigation Of Mass Gravesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeology and the Forensic Investigation of Recent Mass Graves: Ethical Issues for a New Practice of Archaeology

Steele¹

2008

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________________________________________________________________The close of World War II marked the advent of international human rights legislation and the prosecution of individuals for human rights crimes, by both nation states and international tribunals. The prosecution at such trials often presents evidence from forensically excavated mass graves. Forensic archaeology is a new and expanding field and as such has yet to establish a uniform code of ethics, standard operating procedures, and transparency. In addition, there are complex and conflicting agendas of mass grave excavation. Mass grave investigation in Iraq since the 2003 American-led invasion is presented as a case in point.

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“…Jessee recently put forward a definition merging the above definitions (Jessee, 2003;Jessee and Skinner, 2005). She is primarily concerned with the mass grave as a unique archaeological phenomenon for which she has developed a typology, with an experimental research design attached to each type.…”

Section: Modern Mass Graves-definitions and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%