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Secondary context

Definition

A location where remains have been deposited after being moved from the primary deposition site. Non-disturbance of secondary contexts means not excavating or sampling material that might provide evidence of this movement until the investigative rationale for doing so is clear and documented.

Related terms

Ante-mortem data (AMD)
Information gathered from families and other sources about a missing person before their remains are identified: physical descriptions, medical and dental records,...
Dignity of remains
The ethical principle that human remains should be handled with care and respect regardless of the circumstances of death or the condition...
ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross, an independent humanitarian organisation that has developed widely referenced guidelines on the handling of the...
Repatriation
The return of human remains, or cultural objects associated with those remains, to the country, community, or family from which they originate....
Victim family liaison
The structured process of maintaining communication between an investigation team and the relatives of victims or missing persons. Effective liaison involves both...

Explained in

  • Ethics and Human-Rights ObligationsA location where remains have been deposited after being moved from the primary deposition site. Non-disturbance of secondary contexts means not excavating or...

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