Who knew that one could learn so much about an event from over 50 years ago frozen in time, a picture. We all know that pictures tell stories, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a picture can tell you much more than I had previously thought simply by taking a closer look.  For example, Professor Beisaw, an archaeologist, blew my mind with the interpretations she came up with regarding this anonymous photograph below, all that made perfect sense once presented to my eye.

Photograph taken anonymously in the 1940’s, a murder victim, unknown, lays across the floor

How the position and crinkles in the rug, along with how it appeared he was folding his work clothes suggest he was struck from behind and there was no struggle, especially as there was a letter opener on his desk he could have used if he had seen his attacker. The “Post” magazines, three in chronological order, along with the recent certificate on his desk (not framed) can give a time frame for this picture. How a pipe, used somewhat but the ashtray being empty, and a gun hung around a lamp suggest his age,  around 16-20. I could go on; however, I think I’ve proved my point.

These interpretations and presentation made me realize that there is another dimension to archeologists and what they can do than I, and others, previously thought. Most people think of archaeology as excavating, digging, finding artifacts, etc. And that is a part yes, but here, an archaeologist was able to dive into a murder mystery from over 50 years ago, by using her trained eye to interpret the photograph just like she interprets excavation sites and artifacts she finds, and bring the dead to the present and tell their story, and most importantly, help the future. To bring closure to the family of this mystery boy even 50 years  late.

This is what people usually think about archeology

There’s much more similarity in between crime scene analysis and archaeology that I knew of until Thursday. The main difference primarily being crimes scenes are generally the present, while archaeologists usually interpret the past. Hey, maybe one day we will start calling on archaeologists to solve cold cases.

References:

Anonymous. 1940s. Photograph. The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Poughkeepsie,          NY.The Artful Dodger Goes Late Night. Poughkeepsie: Vassar College, 2013. Print.

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/05/archaeology-expands-beyond-traditional.html#.UnZyvBaE5FI

Imagine combining the minds of an archaeologist, a police officer, and a detective. The three unique minds of these professions are how mysteries are solved. During the “Scene of the Crime” presentation by Dr. April Beisaw, an archaeologist’s perspective and thoughts were demonstrated in two crime photos. One photo was of an actual police homicide photo, and the other a print by George Bellow named The Last Victim. In the spirit of Halloween, Dr. Beisaw took an interesting approach to demonstrating an analysis of the pictures. She turned her presentation into a ghost story, engaging the audience and keeping them asking questions.

 George Bellows “The Last Victim”

How is an archaeologist’s perspective different then one of a detective or police officer? Looking at both of the photos next to each other, a detective or police officer may look at it and analyze them separately. Each photo was taken and made at different time periods that one may not find any similarities between the two. An archaeologist looks at similarities by using different clues to find out the lifestyle of the victim. As Dr. Beisaw explained, both pictures stood out to her because of the similar position of the victim and location of the murder. The first thing an archaeologist notices that may not be noticed by others is the similarities that occur in people across time and cultures. Both victims in the photo had similar arm positions and both were in a similar laid down position. Archaeologists use these human universals to learn and provide more information about all similar situations.

 human universals:facial expressions

Another interesting thing archaeologists bring to a crime scene is looking around for ordinary objects that are found in the room to infer a date, profession, lifestyle, and everyday activities of the victim. The daily routine or what type of person the victim is does not concern detectives on a case, but by using various ordinary clues, more information can be found.  In one of the photos, Dr. Beisaw pointed out the childish wallpaper of the room, some magazines, and an academic certificate. All of these ordinary and simple items that may have been overlooked by a police officer let us to think about the victims family and lifestyle.

The presentation by Dr.Beisaw left the audience asking questions and thinking about crime scenes in a different light. At the end of the presentation the audience even started thinking like an archaeologist and trying to further the analysis of the unknown victim. The presentation was a fun way to get the audience thinking and was perfect for continuing the Halloween mood!

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Duchenne-FacialExpressions.jpg

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but to an archaeologist a picture can mean so much more. Although archaeologists can use photographs to assess sites they have never visited, there is an even greater promise in the combined futures of archaeology and photography. Because of the innovations that have been made in regards to photography, it is now possible that it can become a tool to capture the process of archaeology instead of just the end results.

When many people think about archaeology, they immediately think of the artifacts that archaeologists discover. However, there is an entire process that leads to finding these artifacts. When field work occurs, archaeologists spend time planning and surveying before they begin excavating, which is when the discovery of most artifacts occurs. With digital photography, it is now possible for archaeologists to document every step of the process that occurs at any given site. Instead of just having photographic documentation of the artifacts, archaeologists can now utilize photographs of the entire field work process to analyze how well each step of field work was executed.

An example of how the steps of an excavation can be documented.

Digital photography is a development that has changed the way objects were captured and remembered. Once people could see what the photos they were taking looked like, it opened up an entirely new perspective on the possible uses of photography. Digital photography allows archaeologists to make sure that photos are in focus, that they have sufficient lighting so that people can see what is in the photograph, and that objects are captured in correct colors so that analysis may be as accurate as possible. Digital photography allows a photographer to capture numerous pictures, whereas cameras that required film were much more limited in the number of photographs that could be taken. The increase in the number of available photographs allows archaeologists to capture multiple elements of a site as well as the entire process that occurs at a site. Digital photography no longer limits how many pictures can be taken.

Another important aspect of digital photography is that it allows archaeologists to return to a site without physically having to visit it. If there are multiple photographs from multiple angles, then an archaeologist can continue to analyze different aspects of a site long after they have left the field. Digital photography allows the archaeologist to recreate the story of the site by analyzing its objects, landscape, and surroundings.

Pictures allow archaeologists to capture the landscape of a site.

Sources:

Jansen, Alex. “Exploring the Future Roles for Archaeological Photography.” March 2012. <http://caaconference.org/wp-content/uploads/caa2012/posters/725_Jansen_CAA2012.pdf>

“Short Guide to Digital Photography in Archaeology.” June 2006. <http://www.bajr.org/documents/digitalphotography.pdf>

Photographs:

Image 1:

http://archaeology.co.uk/files/2011/03/Students-excavating-in-the-Medieval-graveyard-credit-Alan-Wilmshurstsmall1.jpg

Image 2:

http://thesebonesofmine.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-man-bac-landscape-looking-southwest-excavations-centre-right.jpg

Further Reading:

http://documents.stanford.edu/MichaelShanks/453

Though one won’t find crime tape around an archaeological site, these two disciplines have many similarities (“Crime-scene-tape”).

You won’t find your favorite television detective like Adrian Monk or CSI investigators scouring an ancient Egyptian site. Similarly, archaeologists with their khakis and trowels don’t usually investigate crime-scenes. These two seemingly different fields are surprisingly similar as I learned from an archaeologist’s lecture on a crime-scene photograph taken in 1940s New Jersey.

Archaeologists use objects from the past and people’s interactions with those objects to learn about the past. Crime-scene analysis also uses people’s belongings and how they interacted with them to solve a crime. Below is a photograph of a simple bedroom with a dead body lying on the floor. From the everyday objects found in the room, one can use archaeology to learn about the crime.

This photograph was taken anonymously and has no further background information (Anonymous).

The deceased’s face cannot be seen; therefore, artifacts in the room can determine who the victim is. Toys hang from a light fixture on the left wall. The artifacts’ provenience (it’s 3D location) shows they aren’t used anymore since they look decorative and are in an inaccessible location. A pipe on his dresser with wear at the mouth-end is in association with an empty ash-tray. If he smoked frequently, the ash-tray would be dirty. These three artifacts show that the victim was likely between 16-20 years old; he is growing out of childhood (toys on the wall) yet doesn’t fully embrace adulthood (an empty ash tray along with a pipe).

Archaeologists can use relative dating (using another item’s age to date something else) to determine when this crime occurred. Two consecutively published Post magazines date the crime-scene to mid-March 1946. On his bed rests a shirt and pants with the belt still in them next to a hanger. The victim is nicely dressed showing that he likely just undressed after returning home from work or school and is preparing for a formal event or job. Nothing is in his hand, the rug shows no sign of struggle, and a letter opener rests on his desk. If the victim fought back, he would likely have grabbed the letter opener as a weapon. The only blood present pools out from his head. He was likely leaning over his bed ready to hang up his clothes when from behind, the murderer struck with something blunt.

Be it 6 hours or 6,000 years ago, archaeologists and crime-scene investigators analyze objects from the past and how people interacted with them to paint a picture of what actually happened. The next time you watch your favorite detective show look for the things used to solve the crime and compare them to artifacts archaeologists study. You’ll often find little difference.

  Works Referenced

Anonymous. 1940s. Photograph. The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Poughkeepsie,          NY.The Artful Dodger Goes Late Night. Poughkeepsie: Vassar College, 2013. Print.

Beisaw, April M. “The Scene of the Crime.” Vassar College, Poughkeepsie. 31 October            2013. Lecture.

Crime-scene-tape. Digital image. 5 REASONS WHY A CRIMINAL JUSTICE ONLINE          DEGREE IS RIGHT FOR YOU. Florida National University, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2013.

People do not often associate the work of a forensic archaeologist with that of an art historian. A forensic archaeologist solely studies crime scenes and physical remains, right?

Not at all.

As illustrated by Professor Beisaw’s lecture, forensic archaeologists can use photographs and paintings of crime scenes to solve murders that occurred years prior. By analyzing a photograph of a crime scene as an art historian may study a classical antiquity, a forensic archaeologist can actually learn a significant amount about the events that led up to the murder of a victim.

In “The Last Victim,” George Bellows illustrates an event that he did not actually witness. However, he depicts a moment of intense human struggle precisely. Without actually being at the crime of the scene, a forensic archaeologist can tell that the slightly upturned rug indicates that the victims struggled to flea from the perpetrator. The anguished faces of those still alive suggest that the attack was unexpected.

“The Last Victim” by George Bellows

In a second work of art, an unnamed police homicide photograph taken in New Jersey by an anonymous artist , a man lays dead on the ground, a pool of blood forming under a nearby desk chair. Through the use of modern technology, an archaeologist can zoom in on different objects in the room of the crime scene. These artifacts not only help in determining the date of the homicide, but also, provide clues to the victim’s identity.

It has been determined that the photograph was captured shortly after World War II because of several artifacts found in the room, including copies of the Saturday Evening Post from February and March 1946.

Example of Saturday Evening Post that was enlarged to determine an estimated date of when the photo was taken. (Not actual issue in photograph).

Due to the fact that the man’s face is obscured by a desk, a forensic archaeologist needs to employ other methods in order to determine an identity. Additional artifacts were enlarged just enough to recognize that that man in the picture had a long first name, but a short last name and that he “lettered” in a sport in high school. A piece of paper with a list of names on it likely contains the name of the victim in the photograph. Upon further investigation, this list may hold the key to identifying the victim.

As demonstrated in Professor Beisaw’s lecture, art historians and forensic archaeologists both use art as a means of learning about the past. While the art is studied from very different angles, the works allow art historians and forensic archaeologists, alike, to solves mysteries of the past.

Links:

Beisaw, April M. “The Scene of the Crime.” Vassar College, Poughkeepsie. 31 October

2013. Lecture.

http://www.americanartarchives.com/staehle_p23feb46%20copy.jpg

http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/156/main/1/685891.jpg