Today’s Class

• Applied Anthropology

– Forensic Anthropology & Human Rights

• Final exam (May 2):

– Readings

• Kottak: 21-24

• P&B: 37, 52, 55

– Film: First Contact

– Lectures

• Review sessions:

– Josh (5-6pm, Wed., April 30, Battelle T-30)

– Joshua (2-4 pm, Wed., April 30, Battelle Cubes)

Applied Anthropology

• Use of anthropological data, theory, and methods to help identify and solve contemporary problems

– Example: Forensic Anthropology

• Application of human skeletal analysis to medicolegal questions

Forensic Anthropology & Human Rights

• Forensic anthropological techniques

– Biological profile

– Trauma analysis

– Locate & recover human remains

• Physical evidence to corroborate verbal testimony

• 1984 -- AAAS conference

– Clyde Snow & Eric Stover

– Argentina

• Recent Expansion

– “Local” forensic teams

– United Nations (ICTR; ICTY)

Srebrenica, BiH

• Fell to Serbs after siege from July 6-11, 1995

• 23,000 women and children removed to Tuzla and Kladanj

• Adult men made to stand trial for war crimes; thousands executed

• July 11—about 15,000 men escaped and fled Srebrenica

Srebrenica Excavations -- 1996

• Cerska

– Over 150 bodies recovered (males; GSWs)

• Nova Kasaba

– 33 bodies recovered (many blindfolded & bound)

• Lazete & Pilica Farm

– 200 bodies recovered (multiple GSWs)

• All bodies transported to Tuzla for autopsy

Vukovar, Croatia

• Vukovar (pop. 85,000) sieged for three months; culminated in Serb takeover (November 1991)

• About 5000 people killed

• Virtually 100% of buildings sustained heavy damage

• Vukovar hospital taken over—300 men removed from the hospital

Vukovar (Ovcara) Mass Grave

• Discovery of mass grave in Ovcara in 1992

• 200 bodies recovered during 1996

• Scene processed for evidence including bullets, casings, etc.

• Bodies transported to Zagreb, Croatia for autopsy

• 91 of 200 individuals positively identified

Identification Project

• Bodies examined with two main goals:

– Identification of individuals

– Assessment of trauma and cause of death

• Antemortem database:

– Family and friends of missing asked a series of 275 questions

– Medical and dental records

– DNA (mtDNA & nDNA) analysis

Sex Determination

Age Determination

Timing of Trauma

• Antemortem: before death

• Perimortem: at the time of death

• Postmortem: after death

Antemortem Trauma

Blunt force trauma

Sharp Force Trauma

Postmortem trauma

Prosecution

• International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

– Created 1993

– The Hague, Netherlands

• Types of Offences

– Murder, Willful Killing, Torture, Cruel Treatment, Inhumane Acts

• Violations of Geneva Conventions, Violations of Customs of War, Crimes Against Humanity

Today’s Class

• Applied Anthropology

– Forensic Anthropology & Human Rights

• Final exam (May 2):

– Readings

• Kottak: 21-24

• P&B: 37, 52, 55

– Film: First Contact

– Lectures

• Review sessions:

– Josh (5-6pm, Wed., April 30, Battelle T-30)

– Joshua (2-4 pm, Wed., April 30, Battelle Cubes)

Applied Anthropology

• Use of anthropological data, theory, and methods to help identify and solve contemporary problems

– Example: Forensic Anthropology

• Application of human skeletal analysis to medicolegal questions

Forensic Anthropology & Human Rights

• Forensic anthropological techniques

– Biological profile

– Trauma analysis

– Locate & recover human remains

• Physical evidence to corroborate verbal testimony

• 1984 -- AAAS conference

– Clyde Snow & Eric Stover

– Argentina

• Recent Expansion

– “Local” forensic teams

– United Nations (ICTR; ICTY)

Srebrenica, BiH

• Fell to Serbs after siege from July 6-11, 1995

• 23,000 women and children removed to Tuzla and Kladanj

• Adult men made to stand trial for war crimes; thousands executed

• July 11—about 15,000 men escaped and fled Srebrenica

Srebrenica Excavations -- 1996

• Cerska

– Over 150 bodies recovered (males; GSWs)

• Nova Kasaba

– 33 bodies recovered (many blindfolded & bound)

• Lazete & Pilica Farm

– 200 bodies recovered (multiple GSWs)

• All bodies transported to Tuzla for autopsy

Vukovar, Croatia

• Vukovar (pop. 85,000) sieged for three months; culminated in Serb takeover (November 1991)

• About 5000 people killed

• Virtually 100% of buildings sustained heavy damage

• Vukovar hospital taken over—300 men removed from the hospital

Vukovar (Ovcara) Mass Grave

• Discovery of mass grave in Ovcara in 1992

• 200 bodies recovered during 1996

• Scene processed for evidence including bullets, casings, etc.

• Bodies transported to Zagreb, Croatia for autopsy

• 91 of 200 individuals positively identified

Identification Project

• Bodies examined with two main goals:

– Identification of individuals

– Assessment of trauma and cause of death

• Antemortem database:

– Family and friends of missing asked a series of 275 questions

– Medical and dental records

– DNA (mtDNA & nDNA) analysis

Sex Determination

Timing of Trauma

• Antemortem: before death

• Perimortem: at the time of death

• Postmortem: after death

Antemortem Trauma

Blunt force trauma

Sharp Force Trauma

Postmortem trauma

Prosecution

• International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

– Created 1993

– The Hague, Netherlands

• Types of Offences

– Murder, Willful Killing, Torture, Cruel Treatment, Inhumane Acts

• Violations of Geneva Conventions, Violations of Customs of War, Crimes Against Humanity

Vukovar (Ovcara) Case

• Ovcara case:

– Mile Mrkšic

– Veselin Šljivancnin