Chapter 4: Recovery Scene Methods

This chapter deals with the methods of forensic archaeology, which are used to find and recover human remains and evidence relevant to a forensic investigation. First the preliminary issues of planning for recovery of remains are discussed, followed by the methods used to locate surface and buried human remains. This is followed by a description of mapping and collecting methods, as well as techniques for grave excavation. The final section deals with mass fatality events and the modifications to the previously described methods that are needed to deal with the size and scale encompassed in these types of incidents.