1 HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND AT THE DISRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL PREMISES IN MATALE The Report on Forensic Archaeology Raj Somadeva MPhil. PhD (Sweden ), FSLCA Professor in Archaeology & Consultant Field Archaeologist Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology University of Kelaniya. Part I 1.1 Introduction A location containing buried human skeletal remains situated at the premises of the District General hospital in Matale in the Matale District in the Central province ( map 1) was observed by me on 10 th December 2012. This investigation was based on the request made by Dr. Ajith Jayasena, Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Matale District General Hospital and the permission granted by the Magistrate’s Courts of Matale. Subsequently I re-visited the location on 9 th January and 10 th February 2013 in order to collect some further information that had emerged during the later stages of the excavation. Those skeletal remains had been found during an excavation carried out with a view to lay the foundation for the proposed new bio-gas chamber of the hospital. Digging has been conducted by the building contractors using heavy earth-moving machinery and during that process a few of the remains of the human skeletons had been found at a maximum depth of 1.45 meters beneath the existing ground surface of the location. Some of the skeletons were physically damaged due to the operation of heavy earth-moving machinery for digging and therefore they have been excluded from the present study owing to their incomplete nature itself and the disturbances that had occurred in their soil matrix. This report presents the forensic archaeological observations made during excavations that could be useful for arriving at medico-legal conclusions on the skeletons. The content of the 2 report has been organized in two parts that include thirteen sections. Excluding section 1.1 that provides a brief introduction to the present case, the other sections are arranged following a rational scheme that is needed to justify the conclusion of the study. Section 1.2 presents the basic hypothesis in which the study attempts to validate in relation to the existence of the collective burial under observation and meet the objectives of the Map 1. Map shows the location of the site 3 study which has been set forth accordingly. Section 1.3 attempts to summarize the theoretical frame of reference of the study. In section 2.1 a short description is presented in order to introduce the site. Study the post-depositional environment is an essential element of the interpretation of assemblages in buried contexts. The related notion of ‘site formation’ which is an important aspect discussed in field archaeology has been discussed in section 2.2. The methodology that has been followed during the recording of data in the field is outlined in section 2.3. Taphonomy or the process of decaying is one of the vital aspects that have to be considered in understanding and interpretation of the objects in the subsurface. Some of the physical characteristics that are critical to the preservation of human bones of the present case are discussed in section 2.6. The details of the assemblage consisting of few material objects found from the burial ditch is presented in section 2.5. 1.2 The Present Report This report develops a forensic archaeological perspective on the findings of the collective burial found in Matale. Forensic archaeology, a forensic science, is the application of archaeological principles, techniques and methodologies predominantly in medico-legal contexts. Forensic archaeologists are field archaeologists employing a high degree of skill, knowledge and experience in field craft and technological methods to help locate, recover and interpret buried objects/evidence. The technological methods employed include geophysical prospecting, remote sensing techniques, surveying and excavation. Beyond its forensic archaeological frame of reference, the scope of this report is mainly concentrated on reconstructing the behavioral pursuits of the burial event within its time- space dimension, to accomplish which, different perspectives of methodology and theory used in archaeology have been applied. This process involved the retrieval of data and the testing of the hypothesis through the information derived from the analysis of data. The hypothesis presented in the discussion is “this collective burial was systemically coupled with the general process of the hospital. It would have been a burial that spontaneously occurred at a certain time which had performed within a legal framework. The skeletons might have belonged to a group of victims who had suffered from some epidemic and were housed in the Matale District General Hospital at the time of their death. The corpses were buried in the hospital premises as a pre-cautionary measure taken by the hospital authorities to avoid public contact with the dead for the reasons pertaining to community health”. 4 If this hypothesis is valid, the following statements would also apply. (a). There should be medical records in the hospital pertaining to this collective burial. (b). The skeletons should be intact otherwise any post-depositional disturbances whether natural or cultural, would have an impact on them. (c). The exhumation should prove the behavioral facets that involve with the formal deposition of each corpse which is bound with the general cultural practice of burying the dead. (d). There should be bio-chemical changes remaining visible on the skeletons caused by the epidemic disease. (d). There should be culturally reflective objects that remain with the skeletons at least the components attached to the clothes of the dead that are resistant to decay. The objectives of this investigation were based on four specific aspects related to the validation of the general hypothesis presented above. (a). To retrieve as much information as possible to interpret the intended purpose of the burials; (b). To suggest the required measures to determine the postmortem interval of the burials; (c). To apply the knowledge and the techniques of field archaeology and archaeological theory to a problem of medico-legal significance (for similar approach in physical anthropology. vide , Ubelakar 2006:4) (d). To synthesize all the information collected to arrive at a medico-legal conclusion ( vide , Blau and Ubelakar 2009); 5 1.3 Theoretical Premises The most important assumption made by many archaeologists is that the spatial patterning of the material remains in the buried contexts reflects the spatial patterning of the past activities (Binford 1962, 1964; Brose 1970; Clarke 1968; Hill 1970; Longacre 1970; McPherron 1967; Struever 1968; Wilmsen 1970, emphasis in italics ). Binford has specifically elaborated this notion elsewhere. He states; .... The loss, breakage, and abandonment of implements and facilities at different locations, where groups of variable structures performed different tasks, leaves a ‘fossil’ record of the actual operation of an extinct societies ( events ). (1964:425 emphasis in italics ). Archaeological remains are a distorted reflection of a past behavioral system. Archaeological knowledge is defined as consisting of the laws that are employed implicitly or explicitly to retrieve knowledge of the past from material data (Schiffer 1995:35). Artifacts or in other words the material objects and their pattern of deposition in a buried context are a reflection of the event those material objects were parts of. Between the time that the artifacts were manufactured and used in the past and the time these same objects are unearthed by the archaeologists, they have been subjected to a series of cultural and non-cultural processes which have transformed them spatially, quantitatively, formally, and relationally (Collins 1975). In order to reconstruct the past events using the material objects of the buried contexts, archaeologists are keen to study those processes very carefully. The general principle of the archaeological inference derives from the assertion that there is equivalence between a past cultural system and its archaeological record. This assumption could also be reduced to interpret an organized event which has occurred even in the recent past. Part II 2.1 The Site: a general description This is a location on the eastern quarter of the Matale General Hospital. It is a sloping terrace towards the northern and north eastern direction. This slope prompts different physical processes. Notable is the flow of water during the rainy seasons and it has resulted in excess water seepage into the subsurface. This has influenced the penetration of water in to the sub soil with soluble chemical elements that results in the fluctuating acidity and the relative humidity in the subsurface. The immediate surroundings area of the location is congested by several buildings that supply 6 services to the hospital (see, plan 1 & fig . 1’). Periodic soil erosion would have occurred in this sloping area and it has been controlled by filling soil into the eroded surface. It is understood that soil that has been used in filling was originated from the foundation trenches of the buildings in the vicinity. Two garbage pits unearthed at the southern edge of the excavation trench and the south eastern corner of the burial ditch suggest that at a certain time, this area had been considered as peripheral to the core area of the hospital. The southern boundary of the site is demarcated by a wire-fence. The distance between the position of the southernmost skeleton in the ditch and the fence is 8.2 meters. There is a permanent gate to the site at a location 163 o degrees to the north. A minor road lies along Plan 1. the plan showing the genaral setting of the site. the fence and it is connected to a public road which is draining-off from the Kandy - Matale highway. The northern boundary is defined by a sharp edge of the terrain formed by a ditch excavated for the construction of a building for the hospital. Burial trench Building no 1 Building no 2 (kitchen) A temporary hut Water tank fence Gate fence edge of the terrace 306.87 306.47 304.24 304.94 305.64 N Plan. 1 The plan shows the gevaral setting of the site. 7 2.2. Site formation The general topography of the location where the burial ditch is situated slopes in the northeastern direction. Local stratigraphy suggests that the ground surface had been flattened and leveled in recent times. Excluding the layer of recent origin and the area covered by the two garbage pits mentioned above, the rest of the soil layers seem to have remained undisturbed until the time when the present burial ditch was dug out. When the location was first observed the stratigraphic matrix of the trench where the human skeletons lay buried was in a highly disturbed state due to the mixing up of separate layers of soil that was the result of speedy and uncontrolled digging by the use of heavy earth- moving machinery. Besides it appeared that the diggings carried out after the recovery of the skeleton were more concentrated on the skeletons themselves and therefore the immediate surroundings of those had transformed into a chaotic accumulation of several heaps of soil. Both activities have collectively made a synthetically formed series of irregular levels at the bottom of the trench. Irrespective of the disturbances caused by the present exhumation, it can be concluded that the matrix of the skeletons remained intact. The main observation to be made in arriving at this conclusion is that the phalanges of the arms and feet are to be found. Phalanges of Fig. 1 A photograph shows the untidy surrounding of the burial site. 8 most of the complete skeletons were intact in the present case and it suggests that there was no external influence which caused any deformation of the physique of the skeletons after they were buried. The varying degrees of digenesis of bones visible could be a result of natural transformation (N-transformation) that has occurred. An analysis was conducted to check the anomalies related to the soil chemistry of the burial soils. Such chemical reactions would have acted as one of the agents of the decay of the metallic objects found at the burial ditch as well. The distribution of the roots of trees in the burial ditch is another crucial taphanomic agent that has negatively affected the skeletons. For instance, a root that has penetrated into the skull of skeleton number 95 has produced an extremely fragile condition in the area around the hole where it penetrated. Roots secreted acids and it produces be etchings on the bones due to direct contact with the roots (Schiffer 1987). 2.3. Method of Recording A major focus of the recording was the documentation of the distribution pattern of the skeletons and their physical correlation with each other ( fig. 2). Information related to the reconstruction of the burial ditch was another concern. The formation of the vertical soil Fig. 2 A photograph shows the souther sector of the burial ditch. 9 profile has been finely recorded in order to understand the pedogenesis at the location that may influence the degradation process of the skeletons as well as the major physical indicator of the earth modification activities that had occurred there. The following steps were taken to record (a) the horizontal distribution of the skeletons and the artifacts ( plan. 3) (b) the vertical accumulation of soil layers and (c). the reconstruction of the burial ditch. 47 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 93 90 87 91 92 89 94 95 96 98 97 99 100 138 139 137 140 141 103 115 142 143 118 114 110 111 101 102 105 104 112 113 117 116 119 145 144 134 17 146 133 33 121 16 14 131 130 132 9 128 126 120 121 122 123 125 124 127 129 N Plan. 2 The plan shows the distribution of 154 human skeletons. (dot represents the location and line shows the orientation of the skeletons.) ( source: Regional Survey Genaral’s Depatment, Matale) 10 i. the position and the general appearance of each skeleton has been drawn manually in 1:10cm scale on a A1 size metric scale graph sheet. Subsequently it was scanned on the computer for the preparation of the final illustration. ii. Adopting the levels to the skeletons and their matrix was conducted using the height of the mean sea level (MSL) calculated using the Baro meter (model- Sunho Altimeter). iii.MSL values of two points (the bottom of the skull (parietal bone) and the lower edge of the foot) of each skeleton were recorded. MSL values were corroborated using manual dumpy level (model – Topcon Green label- ATG6) iv. The required distances were measured using a hand-held digital distance meter (model- Spectra HD 50). 0 40 cm 20 C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 Plan. 3. The plan shows the stratigraphy of the burial ditch. 11 v. Artifacts recovered in association with the skeletons were drawn in 1:1 scale for presentation. The dimensions of the artifacts were taken using a digital caliper (model 0-100 mm BILTEMA). vi. Vertical soil profile of the ditch was cleared at a location in the southern wall of the trench ( plan 3) in order to distinguish the stratigraphy. Layer interfaces were drawn manually using the spirit level. 2.4. Stratigraphy There are four soil layers in the stratigraphy from the surface down to the level where the corpses were buried ( figs .3 & plan 3). Physical characteristics of each layer are as follows; Layer 1- Compaction: coarse grained sediment Composition: coarse sand Inclusions: none Thickness: 56cm (maximum); 42cm (minimum) Color: 2.5YR 4/6 (reddish brown) Soil reaction: 7.46pH Layer 2 - Compaction: fine grained sediment (compact) Composition: medium sand Inclusions: none Thickness: 34cm (maximum); 28cm (minimum) Color: 5YR 4/4 (dull reddish brown) Soil reaction: 7.49pH Layer 3- Compaction: fine grained sediment Composition: sandy clay Inclusions: human skeletons Thickness: 54cm (maximum); 19cm (minimum) Color: 7.5YR 4/6 (brown) Soil reaction: 7.66pH Layer 4 - Compaction: coarse grained sediment (weakly cemented) Composition: medium sand Inclusions : none Thickness: This layer was not fully excavated Color: 2.5YR 4/6 (reddish brown) Acidity: not measured 2.4.1 Other physical characteristics – Four physical characteristics including (i). acidity 12 (ii). electric conductivity (iii) salinity and (iv). temperature of each soil layer have been measured. All the 3 layers depict are slightly saline condition. Electric conductivity is more pronounced in layer 3 in which the skeletons are lying than in the other two layers. Layer Electric conductivity (ms) Salinity (ppt) Temperature (C 0 ) 1 98. 7 0.0 27 2 98 0.0 27.4 3 112.4 0.1 27. 7 Table 2.1 Some physical characteristics of the soil layers in the stratigraphy (courtesy of the Department of Geography, University of Colombo). Fig. 3 layer interfaces and the stratipraphy of the burial. 13 2.5 Artifacts The artifacts remaining with the skeletons are confining to 24 metal objects (finger-rings) a single plastic button of a cloth, two pieces of plastic fragments and a noose made out of a metal wire. A detailed description of each object will be presented in this section. 2.5.1 Button ( fig . 4) Object ID – MT/MG/2012/B1 Provenance – Hip area of skeleton no. 39 Dimensions – Diameter 17mm (maximum); 15mm (minimum); Thickness 5mm; Diameter of the attachment 5mm. Color – pale white It was found 10 cm west of skeleton number 39 at a depth of 0.6 meters below the ground surface. It has a metallic shank. This metallic shank even covers the edge of the button. The surface of the button was discolored but perhaps it appeared in slightly pale white in its original state. Absorption of soil particles into the surface has transformed its color in to a slight darkness. This button could be identified as an example of a celluloid ivoroid button of Retro plastic group of 6 L672 that was made in China ( fig. 6 ). A proto-type of this button style was made in Italy during the 1960’s. But the celluloid button similar to our example was popular in the local market during the 1980’s. I have made a painstaking effort to find a specimen that analogous to this button in the present market. Finally I was fortunate to find a single button of the genre of this style from one of the leading button shops in Maharagama town ( fig .5). It was in one of the boxes among the other old style buttons. I asked the dealer for several Fig 4. The photograph of the button recoverd at a location close to skeleton no 39. 14 buttons of that type but he said it was not possible because that style is now outdated and Fig 5. A button found at one of the button shops in Maharagama. It shows a close stylistic similarity with the one found from the burial ditch and belongs to a single genre. Fig 6. Some of the Retro-plastic celluloid buttons manufactured in China during the 1980’s. 15 only single button remains because it is damaged and therefore it had not been sold. He further emphasized that button styles used by females are changing rapidly and the type of the present button had disappeared in the early 1990’s. After the discussion with the button dealer, I am convinced that the history of the use of the present button style may not go beyond at least 2 or 3 decades. If it is goes further, there is no possibility for it to remain it in an old button collection of a dealer. On the stylistic ground the button recovered from the present burial ditch can be identified as a part of a female-attire. 2.5.2. Rings – The total number of finger-rings found is 19. Except 4 specimens, the others remain as 5 individual clusters. This cluster formation was due to the sticking of individual rings during their deterioration. The details of those objects are indicated below. Fig 7. A cluster of metal rings recoverd from location close to skeleton no 72. Fig 8. Two metal rings found in association with skeleton no 20. 16 2.5.3 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R1 ( figs . 7) Provenance – fingers of the left hand of skeleton no. 72 Dimensions- 25mm (maximum); 15mm (minimum); Thickness – 13.5mm There are 7 individual rings sticking together in this cluster. It clearly suggests that the person who represents this skeleton was wearing a multiple set of rings at the time of death. Surface of those is considerably deteriorated. 2.5.4 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R2 ( figs .8) Provenance – from skeleton no. 20 Dimensions – Diameter 20mm (maximum); 15mm (minimum); Thickness 2.5mm 2.5.5 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R2a ( figs . 8) Provenance – from skeleton no. 20 Dimensions – Diameter 21mm (maximum); 17mm (minimum); Thickness 4.5mm There are two identical rings sticking together. Object ID no. MT/MG/2012/R2 is also found from the same location and it is clear that those 3 rings were worn by the person who represents skeletal no. 20 at the time of death. The surface of those rings is considerably deteriorated. 2.5.6 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R3 ( figs . 9) Provenance – from skeleton no. 41 Dimensions – Diameter 17mm (maximum); 13mm (minimum); Thickness 1mm Fig 9. Four metal rings recoverd from skeleton no. 47. 17 2.5.7 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R3a ( figs . 9) Provenance – from skeleton no. 41 Dimensions – Diameter 16mm (maximum); 13mm (minimum); Thickness 1.5mm Close observations show that there is a pattern of etchings on the surface of this ring. 2.5.8 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R3b ( figs . 9) Provenance – from skeleton no. 41 Dimensions – Diameter 17.5mm (maximum); 15mm (minimum); Thickness 1.5mm A similar pattern of etchings as on the surface of object no. MT/MG/2012/R3b can be seen on this ring. 2.5.9 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R3c ( fig 10) Provenance – from skeleton no. 41 Dimensions – Diameter 16mm (maximum); 13mm (minimum); Thickness 1.5mm Fig 10. Two metal rings recoverd form the skeleton no. 41. Fig 11. Several metal fragment recoverd form a location close to skeleton no. 59. Fig 12. Several pieces of broken iorn rings reoverd from skeleton no. 60. 18 3 individual rings are sticking together. The etchings on the surface suggest that these 3 rings are representing an identical style of the object numbers R3a and R3b. 2.5.10 Object ID – MT/MG/2012/R4 ( fig . 10) Provenance – from the edge of right leg of skeleton no. 70 Dimensions – Diameter 20mm (maximum); 5.5mm (minimum); Thickness 3mm Two individual rings are sticking together. 2.5.11 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/Mo1 ( fig . 11) Provenance – from a place close to a foot of skeleton no. 59 Dimensions –Diameter 12mm (maximum); Thickness 33mm (maximum); length 21mm This metal (iron) object seems a part of a metal chain. Another two similar objects were recovered from the same location but are in a fragmentary state (figs. xxx). 2.5.12 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/Mo 2 ( fig 12 ) Provenance – recovered from a place close to skeleton no. 60 Dimensions - Diameter (inner) 19mm (approximate); 38mm (outer); Thickness; 8mm. Fig 13. Three iron nails recoved from skeleton no. 6B. Fig 14. Two pieces of a metal object (probably a path of a paper knife cutting) 19 There are two such metal (iron) rings recovered. All of them are in a fragmentary condition. 2.5.13 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/N1 ( fig. 13 ) Provenance – recovered from a location close to the right side tibia of skeleton no. 6B Dimensions – Length 40cm; diameter of the nail head 6mm Three iron nails recovered together. 2.5.14 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/Mo3 ( fig 13 ) Provenance – recovered together with the nails described under MT/MG/2012/N1 Dimensions – Length 23mm (maximum); width 12mm; Thickness 1mm Fig 15. Four iron nails reocverd from skeleton no. 6. Fig. 16. A metel rings recoverd form skeleton no. 2. Fig 17. A nail (metal) recoverd from skeleton no.6 20 This is a piece of a metal object. The thickness and the tapering forehead suggests that it could be a piece of a paper cutter. 2.5.15 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/N2 ( fig . 15) Provenance – recovered at a point close to the phalanges of the right arm of skeleton no. 6 Dimensions – 3 nails are of equal size. Length 43mm; Diameter of the nail head 7mm 2.5.16 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/N2b ( fig. 15 ) Provenance – recovered together with the assemblage MT/MG/2012/N2 Dimensions – Length 32mm; Diameter of the nail head 5mm 2.5.17 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/Mo4 ( fig . 16) Provenance – recovered from underneath the skull of skeleton no. 2 Dimensions – Diameter 12mm (inner); 23mm (outer); Thickness 10mm (maximum) 2.5.18 Object ID - MT/MG/2012/N3 ( fig . 17) Provenance – recovered from a point close to the phalanges of the right arm of skeleton no.6 Fig 18. A metal rings recoverd from skeleton no. 79. Fig 19. A metal rings recoverd from skeleton no. 79.