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.
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...
Explained in
- Surface Scatter and Scene-of-RecoveryA non-random distribution pattern in which skeletal elements or other material are concentrated in a particular compass direction from the primary deposition p...