Amoxy, you around? Have you heard anything up there about people who've worked with the forensic dog team?
Posted by
MonsterMeg (aka Mojave)
Oct 24 '19, 21:46
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This is the summary I wrote of our presentation last week....
Ashes from Ashes: Archaeologists and Forensic Dogs Recovering Lost Human Remains
Natalie Brodie
Ms. Brodie spoke of her experience working with forensic dogs after the recent Butte County wildfire. Search and rescue dogs are used in the immediate aftermath of a fire but these are looking solely for victims of the fire. Some personal belongings may be located and then the debris is likely bulldozed.
In 2017 the Institute for Canine Forensics was approach by a family whose house had burned, taking with it the ashes of a loved one. Dogs from the Institute had been trained to find prehistoric burials and those from historic cemeteries and, in this case, located the cremains within five minutes. After the Camp Fire in Butte County Ms. Brodie was one of the archaeologists asked to volunteer for the project. This was a strictly volunteer effort and dogs, handlers, and archaeologists spent many weekends in the burned out ruins. Archaeological experience was valuable in understanding the site formation process and being able to recognize changes in soil structure and color.
Every homeowner was interviewed, either in person or by Facetime, and data was recorded regarding the layout of the home, where the cremains were kept and in what kind of container, and what other items may have been close by. Each recovery team consisted of a dog and handler, and four or five archaeologists. The dog would be directed to the general area and alert on one or more potential areas. Ms. Brodie noted the scent would sometimes drift or pool away from the actual ashes so it was not always a precise science. Archaeologists would then excavate the potential area and any ashes would be a more tan color than the surrounding soil. Once located, the ashes would be pedestaled and collected. Handlers and archaeologists were working in hazardous conditions and wore Tyvek suits, rubber boots, face masks, and gloves – the dogs also wore boots.
There was constant contact with the homeowner during the process and the team often encountered skepticism. They learned to listen and often heard the life story of the deceased they were seeking. Ms. Brodie said that, as an anthropologist, she was intrigued by the variety of stories she heard. Ashes were kept in a variety of containers from an urn on the mantel to a suitcase under the bed. Some houses had multiple sets including one with the husband and sister-in-law, and another with the husband and his dog! One homeowner had the cremains of his estranged brother under the workbench in his garage waiting for his sister to collect them. Cremains include a metal disc identifying the crematorium and a serial number for the deceased. If these can be found they can assist in the identification of the ashes.
Ms. Brodie worked in the area of the Camp Fire which burned 153,366 acres including the city of Paradise. Eighty-five people died and 18,804 structures were lost at an estimated cost of $16.5 billion. The Forensic team received requests to search for 251 sets of cremains in 183 houses and recovered 214 – an 85% success rate. The work is emotional for both the families and the dog handlers and archaeologists but Ms. Brodie sees this as a new application for archaeology. Recovery is possible, relevant, and meaningful. She concluded by noting this is not something that has received any interest from the authorities, and likely won’t, but we need let them know that one extra line on the paperwork could make all the difference.
Additional information on the work of the Institute for Canine Forensics in California fire areas may be found in the Fall 2019 issue of American Archaeology Magazine.
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