Cemetery Excavation
We can provide on-site advice, excavate
Recording Human
Remains
human remains with you or train your staff in
W e need a detailed in s itu skeleton
skeletal excavation. This can save costs and
sheet to understand the context:
improve on-site efficiency
 each skeleton should have a
skeleton num ber (th is can be
additional to the context num ber )
Processing of
Human Remains
We can process human remains for you and
advise on best practice for inhumed and
cremated remains
 orientat ion (head first) ; photos
should include a north arrow
 position
 a clear description of the skeleton in
situ , intercutt ing features, obv ious
pathology, stratigraphy
 lift ing qualit y
Things to consider when planning a
 details of coff ins , structures,
artefacts
cemetery excav ation :
 the likely num ber of buria ls (a
skeleton contingency may be a safe
option)
 av oid labelling bones prior to analysis
and if it has to be done, avoid all j oint
surfaces
 is the cemetery consecrated
 skeletons should be placed in stackable
boxes
 are there liv ing relat iv es
 like ly preserv ation of organic
materia ls, includ ing soft tissue
 artefactual preservatio n and
conservation
 the likely future of the collection
(storage, research, reburial)
 bone takes a long tim e to dry after
processing – allow at least 5 days
 bones should be bagged by skeletal
elem ent
We can provide an in situ skeleton
recording and crib sheet and
undertake in situ assessments of
badly preserved remains
 boxes should be clearly labelled,
especially if they include two or m ore
skeletons or a skeleton is spread across
several boxes
 Crem ated bone should be sorted to
2mm fragm ent size