🚀 go-pugleaf

Saturday, November 12

Lecture:  We died at such a place:  The Interaction of Battlefield
Archaeology and Forensic Science by Walter F. Rowe, PhD, Department of
Forensic Sciences, The George Washington University 2 p.m. Free and
open to the public. Bethesda Public Library, 7400 Arlington Rd,
Bethesda, MD (near Bethesda Metro station)  Hosted by the National
Capital Area Skeptics. 301 587-3827 ncas@ncas.org www.ncas.org.

About the lecture:
Battlefield archaeology has begun to emerge as a recognized discipline
within the field of anthropology. Battlefield archaeologists use the
methods of archaeology to interpret human behavior on battlefields.
Excavated human remains and material culture artifacts (remains of
weapons and uniforms) may reveal where fighting took place, where
tactical units were deployed and how the soldiers in those units
behaved (Did they fight or did they run?). The activities of
battlefield archaeologists have been popularized in a number of books
and in television shows such as "Battlefield Detectives"™ and "Two
Men in a Trench.™ Forensic science can contribute to battlefield
archaeology in a number of ways. Forensic pathologists and forensic
anthropologists can interpret injuries such as bullet wounds or blunt
and sharp force trauma to the skeleton; firearms examiners can analyze
firearms-related artifacts such as bullets and cartridges.
Archaeologists Douglas Scott and Richard Fox have used firing pin
impressions on expended cartridges recovered from the Little Big Horn
battlefield to reconstruct Custer's™ Last Stand. Scott has used
firearms examination techniques to study other Indian war battles such
as Cienegilla, Sand Creek and Embrio Canyon.

About the speaker:
Prof. Rowe is engaged in a similar project involving firearms-related
artifacts excavated on the site of the so-called Fetterman Massacre. In
1866 Capt. William Fetterman and his command of eighty men were
ambushed and killed by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors a few miles north of
Kearney, Wyoming. A large number of fired bullets and expended
cartridges have been recovered from the site of the battle. Prof. Rowe
will discuss his work on these artifacts and explain how examination of
such artifacts can shed light on the Fetterman battle.

About NCAS:
The National Capital Area Skeptics is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit
educational and scientific organization that promotes critical thinking
and scientific understanding, with a focus on paranormal and
fringe-science claims. NCAS is based in the Washington, Maryland, and
Virginia community, where it serves as an advocate for science and
reason, actively promoting the scientific method, rational inquiry, and
education. NCAS is at the front lines in the battle against gullibility
and fraud. http://www.ncas.org