Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Controlled Actualistic Experiments
The most controlled form of actualistic methodology is
experimental research design
,
which actively seeks to replicate the effect under study by reproducing the hypothetical
causal event in a controlled setting (
Binford, 1981; Micozzi, 1991
). The importance of actual-
istic experiments in archaeological and taphonomic reconstruction cannot be overestimated,
as they develop taphonomic profiles that can be used for reference in the identification of
marks observed on skeletal remains in archaeological or medicolegal contexts.
The
uniformitarian principle
is implicit in such empirical studies of osteological material,
in that researchers may assume that although species, environments, and behaviors may
differ, the physical, mechanical, and chemical principles that control the alteration of bones
will remain the same (
Shipman, 1981
; also see DiGangi and Moore [Chapter 2], this volume).
Therefore, given adequate environmental controls, the researcher can assume that experi-
mental agents and effectors will produce results on bone similar to those produced under
natural conditions. Empirical actualistic studies provide a basic framework for the interpre-
tation of taphonomic changes to skeletal remains (
Saul and Saul, 2002
).
Forensic Anthropology Research Facilities for Experimental Research
There are several forensic research facilities where controlled, actualistic anthropological
experiments are carried out regularly, many related to taphonomic research questions. Best
known among these is the Anthropological Research Facility at the University of Tennessee
in Knoxville, initiated by Dr. WilliamM. Bass in 1971, known informally as the “Body Farm.”
4
Here, donated bodies are studied under experimental conditions within a secure outdoor
setting, inaccessible to large scavengers. This facility allows monitoring of environmental
variables such as temperature, moisture, and scavengers, and documentation of taphonomic
changes through direct observation or camera imaging.
In the decades since the inception of this foundational approach, other facilities for the
study of taphonomic processes have been developed at various locations around the country
and abroad. These include the Forensic Osteology Research Station, or FOREST, at Western
Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina; the Outdoor Research Facility and
Anatomical Sciences Laboratory at the Boston University School of Medicine; the Forensic
Anthropology Research Facility at Texas State University, San Marcos; and the Taphonomic
Research in Anthropology
e
Centre for Experimental Study (TRACES) at the University of
Central Lancashire, UK, among others. Human bodies are used at some facilities, requiring
adherence to both state and federal policies about donation, transport, and treatment of
human remains. Nonhuman surrogates, such as pigs or rabbits, are used at other facilities;
these are also subject to legal and procedural oversight. Laws and regulations differ from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and community sensitivity may also influence facility policies.
There are legal issues related to biological hazards, public health, and public safety. Develop-
ment of such facilities requires a great deal of preparation, administrative care, and financial
support.
Research from each of these facilities continues to contribute to the body of knowledge
about the ways in which human and natural actions affect the processes of decomposition.
4
Refer to
Bass and Jefferson (2004)
for more information.
