Are two bodies in a trench a mass grave? an attempt to bridge the gap between single and mass graves

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dc.contributor.authorWessling, Roland
dc.contributor.authorSpoletini, Allie
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-12T08:28:17Z
dc.date.available2024-06-12T08:28:17Z
dc.date.freetoread2026-03-27
dc.date.issued2024-03-27
dc.descriptionWarning: This article contains images of mass Graves from genocides, which some may find disturbing.en_UK
dc.description.abstractThe definitions for mass graves proposed in the past concentrated on the minimum number of casualties and whether they were in a connected body matrix. This meant that many graves practitioners encounter could not be classified properly. They were neither a single grave nor a mass grave. This article proposes four key measures to address the grave classification issue. Firstly, it introduces three simple criteria to assist in classification. Secondly, it suggests three new grave types (cluster, trench, and serial grave) to name the most common graves. Thirdly, a final grave type, the multiple grave, is added to describe any grave that does not fit into any of the other categories. Finally, this article suggests that the threshold between multiple and many casualties, i.e. how many casualties constitutes a mass grave, should be set for each individual conflict or context rather than aiming for a universal figure. These four measures are designed to be simple, intuitive and flexible enough to allow practitioners to use grave labels that make sense in their particular context for forensic and legal professionals as well as the general public.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationWessling R, Spoletini A. (2024) Are two bodies in a trench a mass grave? an attempt to bridge the gap between single and mass graves. Forensic Archaeology, Anthropology and Ecology, Available online 27 March 2024en_UK
dc.identifier.eissn2753-6254
dc.identifier.issn2753-6246
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1558/faae.25336
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/22453
dc.language.isoen_UKen_UK
dc.publisherEquinox Publishingen_UK
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/*
dc.subjectgrave classificationen_UK
dc.subjectforensic archaeologyen_UK
dc.subjectsingle graveen_UK
dc.subjectmass graveen_UK
dc.subjectmultiple graveen_UK
dc.titleAre two bodies in a trench a mass grave? an attempt to bridge the gap between single and mass gravesen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK
dcterms.dateAccepted2023-04-16

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