Grid-Based Collection
Definition
A systematic search method in which the scene is divided into numbered cells, each searched and recorded in turn, with every item's position documented before removal.
- Method type
- Systematic scene search pattern
- Structure
- Scene divided into numbered cells
- Process
- Each cell searched and recorded in turn
- Requirement
- Item position documented before removal
Common questions
When is a grid-based collection method preferred over a line or spiral search?+
It is favoured for large or open outdoor scenes where thorough, documented coverage of every subarea matters more than speed, such as surface-scatter recovery sites, because numbering and recording each cell makes it straightforward to prove the whole area was searched and to relocate any cell later.
Why must item position be recorded before removal rather than after?+
Recording position first preserves the spatial relationship between the item and its surroundings exactly as found, since removing an item before documentation risks losing precise placement data needed to reconstruct scatter patterns, trajectories, or activity areas during later analysis.
Related terms
- Directional Scatter
- A non-random distribution pattern in which skeletal elements or other material are concentrated in a particular compass direction from the primary deposition...
- 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...