ABSTRACT
Over the course of this book, the astute reader will have noticed several common themes emerge from the practices of the forensic anthropologists writing herein and from the operations of their respective laboratories. ese laboratories are disparate in scope and context, yet are identical in their mission to identify the deceased and illuminate the circumstances of their death, and in so doing, to preserve or restore their human dignity. In each of these laboratories, there is a necessary emphasis on quality control and uniformity of practice. is consistency of operation is governed, in each laboratory, by formal lab-specic standard operating procedures and informal routine protocols, and is achieved through the consistent application of standardized methodologies and thorough documentation of all aspects of the analytical process. Within the practice of each laboratory, there is the recurrent need to handle sensitive and emotionally charged issues-issues which, more oen than not, have profound ethical and moral implications as well-with tact,
Laboratory Description ..................................................................................... 197 Laboratory Space and Personnel ............................................................ 198 Receipt of Remains ................................................................................... 199 Bone Preparation ...................................................................................... 201 Specimen Labeling ................................................................................... 203 Skeletal Inventory ..................................................................................... 204 Data Recording Forms ............................................................................. 205 Radiography .............................................................................................. 205 Photography .............................................................................................. 208 Case Disposition ....................................................................................... 208 Safety Concerns ........................................................................................ 209
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................211 References ............................................................................................................ 212
grace, and aplomb, for the sake of all those concerned, be they the family of a homicide victim, the defendant on trial, the survivors of a mass disaster, or a Native American group seeking the repatriation of their ancestors’ remains. Above all else, forensic anthropologists are providing a service, rendered not only to the medicolegal system, but to the broader community as a whole. All of the work which has been detailed in this volume-each case that is analyzed, each eld recovery that is executed, each segment of expert testimony that is provided, each individual that is identied-results in the gaining of additional knowledge and experience, which is of immeasurable value to the disposition of future cases.
