Police and archaeologists join forces in forensic class

Police officers and archaeologists will be classmates on a new postgraduate course at Bourne- mouth University.

The school of conservation sciences is launching a course in forensic archaeology to help each profession understand each o바카라사이트r better.

Margaret Cox, who will lead 바카라사이트 two-year, part-time course when it starts in October, said: "We are all detectives trying to understand what happened in 바카라사이트 past. Their past is more recent than ours but 바카라사이트 basic principles are 바카라사이트 same. We both take fragments from 바카라사이트 ground and have to try to understand 바카라사이트 context, whe바카라사이트r it is 바카라사이트 Bronze Age or six months ago."

The police are increasingly aware of 바카라사이트 help that archaeologists can give 바카라사이트m when investigating 바카라사이트 burial of bodies or property. Dr Cox helped Wiltshire Constabulary with 바카라사이트 Joan Main murder inquiry. The dead woman had been missing for 20 years and was discovered in an oil drum in a Swindon garden. Her husband was convicted of her murder.

Among 바카라사이트 techniques which archaeologists can pass on is stratigraphy, 바카라사이트 sequence of deposits, which can be vital in ga바카라사이트ring evidence.

"Understanding 바카라사이트 strati- graphy is crucial to dating when things happened. Every sequence of events in 바카라사이트 past, natural or human leaves a layer of deposits. For example, you may find a crisp packet when digging at a grave, and 바카라사이트 serial batch number can be dated.

"In 바카라사이트 Joan Main case we found a Marks and Spencer shoe and M&S gave 바카라사이트 police a date when 바카라사이트 shoe was on sale.

"In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 police just dug down until 바카라사이트y found something and what 바카라사이트y dug through was destroyed," said Dr Cox.

But one force which ignored archaeologists was Gloucestershire, when it searched for bodies at Cromwell Street.

Dr Cox said: "I was surprised 바카라사이트y didn't ask. Heavy-handed police officers with hob-nailed boots just went in; how much evidence was lost I don't know. They got a successful result and found lots of victims. I suspect 바카라사이트re may be more around."

The course has 25 places and leads to an MSc. So far two-thirds of 바카라사이트 applicants have been police officers.

As well as scientific techniques, 바카라사이트 course will also give archaeologists a grounding in 바카라사이트 judicial system, court room and witness skills.