Villains Victims and Forensic Evidence

Seminario di Antropologia forense a cura di Stefano Benazzi

  • Data: dal 02 novembre 2016 alle 14:00 al 04 novembre 2016 alle 16:00

  • Luogo: Sala Conferenze del Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, via degli Ariani 1, Ravenna

kranioti_1
Fig 1. Skeletonised body found in the woods. Forensic anthropology expertise is needed to conduct a full analysis and assist positive identification

Seminario della Dr Elena Kranioti (University of Edinburgh)

Programma del seminario:

mercoledì 2 novembre, ore 14.00-16.00

Introduction in Forensic Anthropology
Forensic anthropology involves using a variety of methods and theories about human biology to answer medical and legal questions. Forensic anthropologists collaborate closely with police officers, lawyers, doctors, medical examiners, and other specialists to analyse heavily decomposed and often skeletonised remains and assist in positive identification and clarification of the circumstances surrounding the person’s death. This lecture provides an introduction to the practice of forensic anthropology and gives an overview of the questions that forensic anthropologist are asked to answer and the significance of their contributions in different contexts.

giovedì 3 novembre, ore 14.00-16.00

Forensic analysis of skeletal trauma
Skeletal trauma is often encountered in violent deaths and it can be the single proof or this violence in the absence of soft tissue. This lecture will give an overview of the different types of trauma (sharp-force, blunt-force, ballistic, blast injuries, heat-induced trauma, post-mortem trauma due to taphonomy and anima scavenging), their special characteristics, their mechanism and their diagnostic significance in the medicolegal and archaeological context. Examples of rare archaeological cases and modern fatalities will be discussed.

venerdì 4 novembre, ore 14.00-16.00

Application of Forensic methods and Virtual tools in Archaeology and Forensic Medicine: examples of forensic cases.
Virtual anthropology (VA) is becoming a fundamental tool for anthropological analysis. VA is non-invasive and allows researchers to proceed in a thorough analysis of a set of remains (archaeological or modern) without compromising the integrity of the physical evidence. 3D digital models of the physical object allow for virtual manipulation, simulation, and bone sectioning, etc., in a virtual space, therefore preserving the original object from invasive procedures. Furthermore, the development of sophisticated software and hardware contributes significantly to the quality of the analysis and the documentation evidence that become “immortal” and remains in archive independently of the fate of the physical remains (burial, repatriation, decay). This lecture will provide an overview of the technological advances in virtual anthropology and examples of applications in archaeological and forensic cases.