Excavation

Finds of human remains belong to the most frequent and most important type of finds on archaeological excavations. In Bavaria, the State Collection for Anthropology and the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (BLfD) have been recommending the involvement of osteoanthropologists for several years now, if skeletal material is to be expected on excavations.  Experience has shown that both the condition of the recovered material and the quality of the information obtained have increased significantly as a result.

It is recommended to use an osteoanthropologist on the excavation who has a SAM certificate.

The SAM gives recommendations for the activity of osteoanthropologists on excavations which are based on the excavation guidelines of the BLfD, but they extend these more clearly or take up special topics which are not dealt with there.

They are addressed primarily to commercially active osteoanthropologists on excavations or those who are directly responsible for the handling of human remains, and should serve as a basis for their work. It also provides guidelines for the in – situ analysis.  These are to be handed in at time of delivery to the SAM.