Taphonomy Facilities as Teaching Aids

Cross, P.; Williams, Anna

doi:10.1002/9781118689196.ch4

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The creation of a HTF in the UK would mean that scientists could study many of the events and processes that fall under the term 'taphonomy': including search and location of human remains; identification of decomposed remains; persistence of DNA, fingerprints and trace evidence in association with decomposing human remains; interactions between cadavers and soil, water and ecology. HTFs are also of immense value to practitioner training and education (Williams et al, 2017). Furthermore, osteometric data and scans can be collected from donors (with informed consent), after decomposition studies have concluded, which would increase the relevance, accuracy and reliability of reference data in UK forensic anthropology research, which at present mostly relies on archaeological population studies (Mays, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such training encourages collaboration between scientists and police to ensure research undertaken focusses on reallife problems (Forbes, 2017). The pedagogical value of such facilities is immense (Blau, 2017;Cross and Williams, 2017). Such facilities offer students valuable opportunities to gain hands-on experience of the sights and smells associated with the decomposing human remains.…”

Section: Practitioner and Student Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why does the UK need a Human Taphonomy Facility?

Williams

Rogers

Cassella

2019

Forensic Science International

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Human Taphonomy Facilities (HTFs) are outdoor laboratories where scientific research is carried out on donated human cadavers in order to understand how human decomposition progresses in a variety of conditions. There are currently eight such facilities in the USA, one in Australia and one on mainland Europe. Forensic scientists in the UK have started to ask the question 'Does the UK need a Human Taphonomy Facility?'. A review of the literature produced by the existing HTFs, as well as published opinion and commentaries about these facilities and the feasibility of one in the UK has been undertaken. The existing arguments for and against the establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK have been examined. Given recent media interest in the possibility of the establishment of a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK, and the surrounding controversy, it is important to evaluate the potential benefit or harm of the creation of such a facility to Society and the scientific community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%