HUMAN NONHUMAN AND HiSTORiC REMAINS
Sometimes, the role of the Forensic Anthropology Forensic Anthropology" href="/forensic/nn.html">forensic anthropologist is as simple as determining whether or not bones are human. This is the first thing that a forensic anthropologist must determine after bones are recovered. Usually bones that are found to be nonhuman are not of medicolegal significance, and the case is closed. When the bones are complete, it is usually straightforward and very easy for
an osteologist to differentiate between human and nonhuman remains. However, there are still instances that are quite tricky, since some nonhuman bones closely resemble human ones. This is especially true of the bones from infants and children, since to the untrained eye they may not even look human (Figure 7.1).
In a forensic context, the simple fact that bones are determined to be human does not necessarily mean that they are of medicolegal significance. An example of such a scenario was presented in Chapter 1. In that example, the remains were shown to have most likely originated from a historic cemetery that was disturbed during a construction project. Another such case occurred in Brooklyn, New York, when a homeowner was doing some construction in his basement. While digging, he encountered human skeletal remains and called the police. Forensic anthropologists from the medical examiner's office also responded to the scene and were able to quickly determine that the bones originated from an ancient Native American burial that predated the construction of the homeowner's brownstone building. There were clues in the bones, teeth, and associated soil to indicate that the remains were from an ancient burial and not from a modern crime scene.
Occasionally, police may unexpectedly encounter human remains while serving a search warrant as part of an investigation. This obviously catches the attention of law enforcement personnel, and representatives from the medical examiner's office are usually summoned to the scene. In the most innocent cases, the bones may simply be anatomical teaching specimens or curiosity items that were legitimately obtained (e.g., via Internet sites or specialty stores). There are also scenarios where remains may have been illegally purchased (such as ancient Native American bones) or acquired through illicit means (for example, looted from a cemetery). There are several cases reported each year in the United States regarding "trophy skulls." In most cases, these are associated with past wars in which the skull of an enemy was
- Figure 7.1 Comparison of three femora (upper leg bones): newborn human (left), adult chicken (middle), and adult cat (right).
kept as a souvenir of the conflict. Quite frequently, these trophy skulls have names, locations, and dates of the battle written on the bone.
There are also instances where human remains are discovered that have been used for ceremonial purposes. In New York
City, there have been several instances where ritualistic displays of human remains, especially crania, have been found. These are often associated with the black magic sect called Palo May-ombe.22 Generally, these bones were looted from graves (which is a crime), but the possibility that they may be part of a homicide must always be considered. For example, in April 2005, two crania were discovered outside of an apartment in the Bronx, New York, and police were called. Numerous candles had been burned on top of the crania and there was charring of several areas (Figure 7.2). Anthropological analysis revealed no evidence to suggest that they were part of a recent homicide. The condition of the crania strongly suggested that they were used for ceremonial purposes and that they may have been looted from a cemetery.
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