Taphonomy of human burials on beacon Island: archaeological observations informing forensic interpretations

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ABSTRACT

This paper demonstrates how the complex interaction of a number of intrinsic and extrinsic taphonomic factors have differentially affected the relative preservation of the skeletal remains recovered from Beacon Island. These include: local geology and hydrology; flora and fauna; human interactions; and burial type (e.g. body position and number). The latter function to demonstrate that contemporary burials dating to 1629 can present markedly divergent taphonomic ‘alterations’, even those buried within close proximity to one-another. It is evident that alterations can arise in a very short-time frame (months to a few years) and their recognition in a modern context is thus of forensic relevance. These are accordingly illustrated and described relative to their potential to inform forensic interpretations in a modern case-work context.

KEYWORDS:

• Forensic taphonomy
• bioarchaeology
• differential preservation
• Batavia mutiny
• forensic anthropology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).