Douglas H. Ubelaker - Böcker

Challuabamba (chī-wa-bamba)-now a developing suburb of Cuenca, the principal city in the southern highlands of Ecuador-has been known for a century as an ancient site that produced exceptionally fine pottery in great quantities. Suspecting that Challuabamban ceramics might provide a link between earlier, preceramic culture and later, highly developed Formative period art, Terence Grieder led an archaeological investigation of the site between 1995 and 2001. In this book, he and the team of art historians and archaeologists who excavated at Challuabamba present their findings, which establish the community's importance as a center in a network of trade and artistic influence that extended to the Amazon River basin and the Pacific Coast.Art and Archaeology of Challuabamba, Ecuador presents an extensive analysis of ceramics dating to 2100-1100 BC, along with descriptions of stamps and seals, stone and shell artifacts, burials and their offerings, human remains, and zooarchaeology. Grieder and his coauthors demonstrate that the pottery of Challuabamba fills a gap between early and late Formative styles and also has a definite connection with later highland styles in Peru. They draw on all the material remains to reconstruct the first clear picture of Challuabamba's prehistory, including agriculture and health, interregional contacts and exchange, red-banded incised ware and ceramic production, and shamanism and cosmology.Because southern Ecuador has received relatively little archaeological study, Art and Archaeology of Challuabamba, Ecuador offers important baseline data for what promises to be a key sector of the prehistoric Andean region.

The Global Practice of Forensic Science presents histories, issues, patterns, and diversity in the applications of international forensic science.  Written by 64 experienced and internationally recognized forensic scientists, the volume documents the practice of forensic science in 28 countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe.  Each country’s chapter explores factors of political history, academic linkages, the influence of individual cases, facility development, types of cases examined, integration within forensic science, recruitment, training, funding, certification, accreditation, quality control, technology, disaster preparedness, legal issues, research and future directions.  Aimed at all scholars interested in international forensic science, the volume provides detail on the diverse fields within forensic science and their applications around the world.

Widens traditional concepts of forensic science to include humanitarian, social, and cultural aspectsUsing the preservation of the dignity of the deceased as its foundation, Forensic Science and Humanitarian Action: Interacting with the Dead and the Living is a unique examination of the applications of humanitarian forensic science. Spanning two comprehensive volumes, the text is sufficiently detailed for forensic practitioners, yet accessible enough for non-specialists, and discusses both the latest technologies and real-world interactions. Arranged into five sections, this book addresses the ‘management of the dead’ across five major areas in humanitarian forensic science. Volume One presents the first three of these areas: History, Theory, Practice, and Legal Foundation; Basic Forensic Information to Trace Missing Persons; and Stable Isotopes Forensics. Topics covered include: Protection of The Missing and the Dead Under International LawSocial, Cultural and Religious Factors in Humanitarian Forensic SciencePosthumous Dignity and the Importance in Returning Remains of the DeceasedThe New Disappeared – Migration and Forensic ScienceStable Isotope Analysis in Forensic AnthropologyVolume Two covers two further areas of interest: DNA Analysis and the Forensic Identification Process. It concludes with a comprehensive set of case studies focused on identifying the deceased, and finding missing persons from around the globe, including: Forensic Human Identification from an Australian PerspectiveSkeletal Remains and Identification Processing at the FBIMigrant Deaths along the Texas/Mexico BorderHumanitarian Work in Cyprus by The Committee on Missing Persons (CMP)Volcán De Fuego Eruption – Natural Disaster Response from GuatemalaDrawing upon a wide range of contributions from respected academics working in the field, Forensic Science and Humanitarian Action is a unique reference for forensic practitioners, communities of humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, and government and non-governmental officials.

BURNT HUMAN REMAINS An all-encompassing reference and guide designed for professionals involved in the forensic analysis of burnt remains Burnt Human Remains: Recovery, Analysis and Interpretation presents an in-depth multidisciplinary approach to the detection, recovery, analysis, and identification of thermally altered remains. Bridging the gap between research and practice, this invaluable one-stop reference provides detailed coverage of analytical techniques in forensic medicine and pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, and forensic chemistry and forensic biology. Contributions from a panel of expert authors review the newest findings in forensics research and discuss their applicability to forensic case work. Opening with a historical overview of the discipline, the book covers the search and recovery aspects of burnt human remains, medico-legal investigations, determination of the post mortem interval of burnt remains, structural changes of burnt bone and teeth, DNA extraction from burnt remains, and much more. Throughout the text, the authors emphasize the importance of understanding the changes undergone by bodies when subjected to fire for establishing identity, reconstructing the events leading up to incineration, and determining the cause and manner of death. Provides a systemic framework that integrates established forensic methods and state-of-the-art analytical approachesDescribes different forensic analyses from the macroscopical, microscopical, biochemical, and molecular levelFeatures international case studies of challenging individual cases as well as natural or man-made mass fatalities requiring the identification of incinerated remains Demonstrates how changes to the macro- and microstructure of burnt remains can reveal information about incineration conditionsDiscusses organizations and programs focused on developing standards and best practice for the recovery and analysis burnt remainsBurnt Human Remains: Recovery, Analysis and Interpretation is an indispensable resource for all practitioners engaged in the interpretation of burned human tissue, including pathologists, forensic chemists, forensic biologists, forensic anthropologists, forensic odontologists, and archaeologists.

The first book to specifically focus on the theoretical foundations of humanitarian forensic scienceAnthropology of Violent Death: Theoretical Foundations for Forensic Humanitarian Action consolidates the concepts and theories that are central to securing the posthumous dignity of the deceased, respecting their memories, and addressing the needs of the surviving populations affected. Focusing on the social and cultural significance of the deceased, this much-needed volume develops a theoretical framework that extends the role of humanitarian workers and specifically the actions of forensic scientists beyond an exclusively legal and technical approach.Anthropology of Violent Death is designed to inspire and alerts the scientific community, authorities, and the justice systems to think and take actions to avoid the moral injury in society and cultures due to grave disrespect against humanity, its memories and reconciliation. Humanitarian forensic science faces the role of mediator between the deceased and those who are still alive to guarantee the respect and dignity of humanity. Contributions from renowned experts address post-mortem dignity, cultural perceptions of violent death and various mortuary sites, the forms and critical effects of the so-called forensic turn and humanitarian action, the treatment of violent death in post-conflict societies, respect for the dead under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Islamic law, the ethical management of the death of migrants, and much more. In an increasingly violent world, this volume, develops a theoretical component for death management in scenarios where humanitarian action is requiredFacilities better understanding between the social sciences, the forensic sciences, and justice systems in situations involving violent deathDiscusses the latest theories from leading scholars and practitioners to enhance the activities of forensic scientists and authorities who have the difficult responsibility of making decisionsIt provides a better understanding of the humanitarian and cultural dilemmas in the face of violent death episodes, and the unresolved needs of the dignity of the deceased during armed conflicts, disasters, migration crises, including everyday homicidesAnthropology of Violent Death: Theoretical Foundations for Forensic Humanitarian Action is an indispensable resource for forensic scientists, humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, and government and non-governmental officials.

FORENSIC SCIENCE Forensic Science: Current Issues, Future Directions presents a comprehensive, international discussion of key issues within the forensic sciences. Written by accomplished and respected specialists in distinct areas of the forensic sciences, this volume examines central issues within each discipline, provides perspective on current debate and explores current and proposed research initiatives. The forensic sciences represent dynamic and evolving fields, presenting new challenges to a rapidly expanding cohort of international practitioners. This book acquaints readers with the complex issues involved and how they are being addressed. The academic treatment by experts in the fields ensures comprehensive and thorough understanding of these issues and paves the way for future research and progress. Draws on the knowledge and expertise of the prestigious American Academy of Forensic SciencesWritten by key experts in the diverse disciplines of forensic scienceAn international approachEach chapter carefully integrated throughout with key themes and issues covered in detailIncludes discussion of future directions of forensic science as a discipline

Recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in the application of archaeological knowledge and methodology to medico-legal issues. Forensic Archaeology has rapidly emerged as a vital speciality. This new four-volume collection from Routledge, assembled and introduced by a transatlantic editorial team, brings together foundational and cutting-edge major works to enable users to make sense of a vast—and rapidly growing—corpus of scholarship.The gathered materials have been carefully selected to highlight the key issues and debates in the development and contemporary practice of Forensic Archaeology. It is certain to be welcomed as a vital one-stop research tool.

With contributions from 70 experienced practitioners from around the world, this second edition of the authoritative Handbook of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology provides a solid foundation in both the practical and ethical components of forensic work. The book weaves together the discipline’s historical development; current field methods for analyzing crime, natural disasters, and human atrocities; an array of laboratory techniques; key case studies involving legal, professional, and ethical issues; and ideas about the future of forensic work--all from a global perspective. This fully revised second edition expands the geographic representation of the first edition by including chapters from practitioners in South Africa and Colombia, and adds exciting new chapters on the International Commission on Missing Persons and on forensic work being done to identify victims of the Battle of Fromelles during World War I. The Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology provides an updated perspective of the disciplines of forensic archaeology and anthropology.