Forensic Anthropology

Ubelaker, Douglas H.

doi:10.1002/9781119151647.ch2

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…The ongoing expansion of bioarchaeological and paleopathological studies will continue to shed further light on the diversity of embodied experiences, identities, and health outcomes of enslaved peoples of African descent in the colonial world (Ubelaker and Colantonio 2019). However, what existing studies begin to reveal is that, despite some differences across geographic, cultural, and historical contexts, the fundamental pattern indicating the disproportionate impacts of conditions of captivity and colonial life on the health outcomes of enslaved youth persists.…”

Section: Children In African Diaspora Bioarchaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article responds to these concerns by presenting new bioarchaeological information about childhood in conditions of transatlantic slavery. Building on recent scholarship in Afro-Latin American archaeology (e.g., Ferreira 2015;Mantilla Oliveros 2016;Sampeck and Ferreira 2020;Vanvalkenburgh et al 2016), Latin American historical bioarchaeology (e.g., Delgado 2019;Luna et al 2014;Ubelaker and Colantonio 2019), and bioarchaeological studies of enslavement (Barrett 2014;Barrett and Blakey 2011), this study aims to contribute new perspectives from the context of plantation slavery in Spanish colonial Peru. As a case study, it examines the findings of recent bioarchaeological and historical research at Hacienda La Quebrada, a former sugar plantation located in the central coastal valley of Cañete, Peru.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Childhood in Captivity: Bioarchaeological Evidence from a Late Colonial Sugar Plantation in Central Peru

Maass¹

2022

Latin Am. antiq.

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Children and childhood have emerged as important topics for understanding the history of African slavery in the Americas. In historical archaeology, analyses of subadult skeletal remains have provided valuable information about the biological and social conditions of captivity, yet children are infrequently the primary subjects of study in African diaspora bioarchaeology. Recent bioarchaeological research at Hacienda La Quebrada, a late colonial sugar plantation in central Peru, brings new data to bear on these subjects. Excavations at the cemetery for the plantation's enslaved African and Afro-descendant population recovered 158 subadults ranging from newborns to 20 years old, who represented 64% of the burial sample. Paleodemographic data and skeletal indicators of stress indicate that enslaved children were disproportionately affected by the conditions of life at Hacienda La Quebrada, particularly because of insufficient diets and susceptibility to infection and disease. Although these results are specific to the context of plantation slavery in Peru's coastal sugar economy, they contribute new information about the history of African slavery in Peru and about the study of childhood in conditions of captivity and colonialism in the Spanish Americas more broadly.

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Section: Children In African Diaspora Bioarchaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood in Captivity: Bioarchaeological Evidence from a Late Colonial Sugar Plantation in Central Peru

Maass¹

2022

Latin Am. antiq.

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“…They can target the problems which arise from the fact that macroscopic methods are mainly developed on geographically limited modern populations, yet they are applied to individuals living in different historic or prehistoric eras, and/or originating from different geographical areas. The accuracy of these methods applied on individuals from different populations (different period and/or location) is questionable as factors such as lifestyle, nutrition, growth and/or activity patterns, genetic admixture and disease can affect the sexual dimorphism between groups [23][24][25][26][27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Morphological Sex Assessment and Genetic Sex Determination on Adult and Sub-Adult 17th–19th Century Skeletal Remains

Leskovar,

Mlinšek,

Počivavšek

et al. 2023

Genes

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The first step in the analysis of human skeletal remains is the establishment of the biological profile of an individual. This includes sex assessment, which depends highly on the age of the individual and on the completeness and preservation state of the remains. Macroscopic methods only provide the assessment of sex, while for sex determination, molecular methods need to be included. However, poor preservation of the remains can make molecular methods impossible and only assessment can be performed. Presented research compares DNA-determined and morphologically assessed sex of adult and non-adult individuals buried in a modern-age cemetery (17th to late 19th century) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of commonly used macroscopic methods for sex assessment on a Slovenian post-medieval population. Results demonstrate that for adults, macroscopic methods employed are highly reliable and pelvic morphology, even the sciatic notch alone, is more reliable than skull. In non-adults, macroscopic methods are not as reliable as in adults, which agrees with previous research. This study shows how morphological and molecular methods can go hand in hand when building a biological profile of an individual. On their own, each methodology presented some individuals with undetermined sex, while together, sex of all the individuals was provided. Results confirm suitability of sex assessment based on skull and especially pelvic morphology in Slovenian post-medieval adults, while in the non-adult population molecular methods are advised.

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“…The professional responsibilities of forensic anthropologists frequently include working with unidentified human remains. Indeed, the history and development of forensic anthropology, particularly in the US, has been intricately linked to government sponsored identification efforts [ 1 ], such as those now spearheaded by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) [ 2 ]. In some cases, unidentified remains are identified relatively quickly by filtering missing persons lists using standard biological profile results or by utilising advances in DNA processing [ 3 ], comparative medical or dental radiography [ 4 ], and other traditional analyses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humanitarian Action in Academic Institutions: A Case Study in the Ethical Stewardship of Unidentified Forensic Cases

Goldstein

Moe

Wiedenmeyer

et al. 2022

Forensic Sciences Research

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Forensic anthropologists are often responsible for the management of long-term unidentified individuals. Others have contextualised these decedents—many of whom likely belonged to socially, politically, and/or economically marginalised groups in life—as part of a larger identification crisis in the US. However, there has been little discussion surrounding how this humanitarian crisis has manifested in academic institutions, where anthropologists often provide medicolegal consultation and act as long-term stewards of the unidentified. The Identification & Repatriation Initiative was created at the Forensic Anthropology Centre at Texas State University (FACTS) to recognise and investigate unidentified human remains in long-term storage. Our paper outlines common challenges that were encountered during our initial reassessment of unidentified cases at FACTS, emphasising the detrimental impacts of inconsistent procedures, loss of context, and case fatigue. It is likely that other academic institutions face similar challenges, and by highlighting these issues we hope to help initiate a larger conversation concerning ethical stewardship of human remains in these settings. By incorporating humanitarian perspectives into forensic casework, anthropologists in academia can better advocate for the long-term unidentified. Key points Forensic anthropologists at academic institutions are qualified to act as consultants on forensic casework when requested by jurisdictional authorities and are often responsible for the long-term management of unidentified human remains. The long-term unidentified represent a vulnerable population and academic institutions are not exempt from calls for humanitarian approaches to identification. The Identification and Repatriation Initiative was created at the Forensic Anthropology Centre at Texas State University to acknowledge and investigate unidentified human remains in long-term storage. This paper considers possible ways for humanitarian action to be incorporated into academic settings and suggests anthropologists can better advocate for the unidentified through procedural standardisation, institutional and interagency collaboration and ethical stewardship.

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Forensic Anthropology

Cited by 4 publications

References 123 publications

Childhood in Captivity: Bioarchaeological Evidence from a Late Colonial Sugar Plantation in Central Peru

Childhood in Captivity: Bioarchaeological Evidence from a Late Colonial Sugar Plantation in Central Peru

Comparison of Morphological Sex Assessment and Genetic Sex Determination on Adult and Sub-Adult 17th–19th Century Skeletal Remains

Humanitarian Action in Academic Institutions: A Case Study in the Ethical Stewardship of Unidentified Forensic Cases

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