ABSTRACT
Upon arrival at a scene, one of the important tasks of the investigators, in conjunction with the forensic archaeologist, is to establish whether or not the scene is of forensic signi cance. e context of the scene will dictate who becomes involved in the recovery and examination of the remains. ere are many potential contexts in which human remains may be found, and the preservation and documentation of these contexts can signi cantly aid in determining in which category the remains belong. Contextual information such as location, body position, associated artifacts, and taphonomic modi cations to the remains will assist in determining whether the scene and remains are of recent and forensic signi cance. It should be noted, however, that forensic archaeologists might be involved in recovering burials that have been disturbed due to a variety of processes (e.g., gravesite erosion or backhoe use during construction) that can destroy contextual evidence and make it dicult to determine forensic signi cance. No matter what the initial setting may present, the scene should be treated as being medicolegally signi cant until determined otherwise. In some instances forensic signi cance may not be determined until a forensic anthropologist or medical examiner fully examines the remains. General categories used by forensic archaeologists and forensic anthropologists for non-forensic skeletal remains include archaeological prehistoric, archaeological historic, war trophies, and teaching material, which includes commercially prepared specimens and autopsied material. Before considering the scene context, the various types of deposition and body position must be discussed.
