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Scene-of-recovery

Definition

The location where remains are found, which may or may not be the location of the original death or primary deposition. Distinguishing the scene-of-recovery from the scene of the event is a central interpretive task in outdoor forensic investigations.

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...
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...
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-RecoveryThe location where remains are found, which may or may not be the location of the original death or primary deposition. Distinguishing the scene-of-recovery fr...

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