Directional Scatter
Definition
A non-random distribution pattern in which skeletal elements or other material are concentrated in a particular compass direction from the primary deposition point, indicating the direction of post-mortem dispersal.
- Pattern type
- Non-random, compass-directional
- Indicates
- Direction of post-mortem dispersal
- Cause examples
- Water flow, slope, scavenger activity
- Field
- Surface scatter and scene-of-recovery analysis
Common questions
How do investigators determine what caused a directional scatter pattern?+
They assess terrain slope, drainage and water flow, prevailing wind, and scavenger trails against the compass orientation of the scattered elements, since each agent tends to disperse remains in a characteristic direction relative to the primary deposition point.
Why does directional scatter matter for locating the primary deposition site?+
Tracing the scatter pattern back against the inferred dispersal direction helps investigators identify where the body was originally deposited, which may lie some distance from where the bulk of the remains were eventually found.
Related terms
- Grid-Based Collection
- A systematic search method in which the scene is divided into numbered cells, each searched and recorded in turn, with every item's...
- Primary Deposition
- The original position in which the body was placed or fell after death, before any movement by scavengers, water, or other post-depositional...
- Scene-of-Recovery
- The location where remains are found, which may or may not be the location of the original death or primary deposition. Distinguishing...
- Secondary Scatter
- The distribution of skeletal material away from the primary deposition point by post-mortem processes: scavenger activity, water transport, slope movement, or human...
- Total-Station Plotting
- The recording of three-dimensional coordinates of each item by an electronic surveying instrument (total station) before it is collected. The resulting point...