ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 April 1978
Page Count: 8

Personal Identification of Human Remains: An Overview
Warren, CP
Associate professor of anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, Ill.

(Received 17 May 1977; accepted 22 August 1977)

Abstract

Personal identification of human remains, as a science and as an art, occurs in a variety of sociocultural contexts. Unknown remains resulting from accidents and homicides occupy the attention of identification specialists in criminalistics, and unknowns resulting from military engagements and mass disasters are the focus of identification specialists in both military and civilian agencies. Each group of specialists has, within its respective identification agency, its own techniques and methods for establishing identity, and each group has its own criteria with which to verify identification. The purpose and functions of personal identification also vary within the context of the investigative agencies, but all identification specialists, regardless of their agency affiliation, are oriented toward establishing an individuality that can be validated by comparison with supporting social data.

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Paper ID: JFS10774J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS10774J
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