<unk>  is the application of a combination of<unk> cal techniques and forensic science, typically in law enforcement.<unk> sts are employed by police and other agencies to help locate evidence at a crime scene using the skills normally used on<unk> cal sites to uncover evidence from the past.<unk> sts are employed to locate, excavate and record buried remains, the variety of such targets is large and each case is unique in its requirements (hence the need to use an experienced professional<unk> st). However whilst the types of target that<unk> sts are asked to investigate are diverse the most common can be generally grouped as follows:
Buried small items or personal effects from a victim of crime, which may be used to corroborate a statement or contain other evidential value. This group includes evidence buried by a perpetrator of a crime in order to hide their involvement (e.g. weapons, money, mobile phones etc);
Potential gravesites,<unk>  attempts to locate and recover any human remains whilst also recording all evidence in association with the remains in order to reconstruct events that took place prior to the burial of the victim or victims. The grave may be sought as part of an investigation of an unsolved crime or may in some rare cases result from information gained from an individual already convicted of the crime in the absence of a grave.
Surface body disposals where a recent victim has been concealed under fallen walls, tree branches, rubish etc. In this case the application of<unk> cal stratigraphic recording to the removal of the layers of material concealing the victim can be of great evidential value. The collaboration of a<unk> st, entomologist and forensic botanist in cases of this sort can allow very detailed reconstructions of the timing of the disposal and have in previous cases been decisive in proving a death was not accidental but an intentional criminal act.
Mass graves, usually as part of an international organisation's investigation (e.g. The UN) where the recovery of remains is focused on both evidential recovery for future indictments (e.g. The War Crimes indictments in the International Criminal Court) and the identification of individuals remains for surviving relatives which may form a crucial role in reconciliation and breaking the cycles of violence that can continue to occur over generations in such conflicts.
Excavating a grave under<unk> cal conditions can provide valuable evidence on the time and circumstances of burial, the manner of death, and the tools and techniques used for interment.
Associated disciplines can aid in the fine detail from such investigations, for example the analysis of pollen, plant remains and ash from within a grave by a forensic botanist may allow the reconstruction of the environment a victim has been in prior to their burial in the grave. Similarly a Forensic Entomologist may help with the analysis of insect remains to determine the time of day or year a victim was buried.
Forensic archaeology
Forensic pathology
Forensic science
Food microbiology
Cigar Register
Virology
Microbiology template
Forensic accounting