Taphonomic Context of Sharp-Force Trauma in Suspected Cases of Human Mutilation and Dismemberment

Characteristics and time-dependence of cut marks and blunt force fractures on costal cartilages: an experimental study

“…In particular, it was clearly demonstrated that in-depth analyses of the characteristic features of cut marks on bone can be capable of linking injuries to specific wounding weapons, thereby providing an important contribution to the reconstruction of the events [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Starting from the results obtained on bone, some studies have also focused on sharp force injuries on soft tissues, blood vessels, organs, and cartilage [17,18,21,22].…”

“…The work of Symes focused on assessing the diagnostic potential of the analysis of saw marks in bones [8]. Further research enabled Symes et al [9,10] to investigate class characteristics and thus identify the specific tools related to sharp force trauma. Furthermore, this same issue was investigated by Watson [11] with buck knives and the results highlighted that a characteristic striation pattern might be assessable.…”

Patterned Thermal Destruction in a Forensic Setting

“…Research geared towards the detection and distinction of antemortem, perimortem and postmortem trauma associated with blunt, sharp or ballistic force in heat-altered bone. This includes articles such as those by de Gruchy and Rodgers (2002), Herrmann and Bennett (1999), Pope and Smith (2004) and Symes et al (2002), Gonçalves et al (2011).…”

“…The concepts of perimortem and postmortem, however, are not so easily delineated by the medical and anthropological communities. In the case of sharp force trauma examination, an anthropologist's assessment of a dismemberment case is performed essentially within the theoretical perimortem context, because the skeletal material will retain nearly all the same properties as it showed in life (Symes et al, 2002). However, the dismemberment of a body before death clearly would be an unusual circumstance and medical personnel would likely assume the cut marks were created postmortem.…”

Consequences of conquest? The analysis and interpretation of subadult trauma at Puruchuco-Huaquerones, Peru

“…However, pinpointing the exact weapon that may have caused these lethal perimortem injuries in the 57AS03 Early Postcontact burial sample is difficult (Boylston, 2000), since many of them lack unique features consistent with specific weapons (e.g. Humphrey and Hutchinson, 2001;Novak, 2000;Symes et al, 2002). Since we cannot specify a particular European weapon, we cannot say with certainty whether or not these injuries were inflicted at the hands of the Spanish or their indigenous allies, or at the hands of other indigenous communities on the central coast of Peru.…”