Forensic Anthropology: Investigating Human Rights Violations

Introduction and Definition

Forensic anthropology and archaeology have significantly improved human rights work throughout the world, particularly in contexts where investigations are carried out following armed conflicts where state officials have perpetrated human rights abuses. International instruments set forth by the United Nations (UN) to prevent crimes against humanity, such as the Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, have set the groundwork for the increasing inclusion of forensic anthropology and archaeology in the search for legal, historical, and humanitarian identification purposes. These scientific fields use an important variety of methods for gathering and analyzing data. The physical evidence helps to establish human behavioral patterns that provide important clues about the most probable sequence of events.

Key Issues

Forensic...