Tag Archives: University of Adelaide

Anthropological Society of South Australia launches “Grave Concerns”

A crowd of enthusiasts gathered at the Royal Society Room at the South Australian Museum on Wednesday 15th December to enjoy a glass of champagne and hear Dr Kathryn Powell talk about her new book, Grave Concerns:  Locating and Unearthing Human Bodies (2010, Australian Academic Press).

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Book launch: Dr Kathryn Powell, “Grave concerns: locating and unearthing human burials”

The Anthropological Society of South Australia

is pleased to announce the launch of member Dr Kathryn Powell’s new book

Grave Concerns: Locating and Unearthing Human Bodies

at 6.30 pm, Wednesday 15th December, at the Royal Society Room, South Australian Museum.

More about the book:

Constructing graves is a uniquely human activity. When the grave is hidden it is most likely done so to conceal a murder or the wrongful disposal of a body. Finding these buried bodies is vital for both a successful legal prosecution as well as the emotional closure required for family and friends of the victim. This unique text provides a compact reference for those who find themselves called upon to search for missing persons who have met a tragic fate. Other readers will find a greater understanding of the science and culture that lies behind clandestine graves, so often a key component of both real life and fiction. Hidden bodies deserve to be found and this book outlines techniques that increase the likelihood of success with professional patience, persistence and a knowledge-based approach.

More about the author:
Dr Kathryn Powell obtained her PhD from the University of Adelaide in 2006 after pioneering work  at Australia’s first “body farm” designed to research detection of hidden graves in Australia’s unique dry and uncompacted soil. She currently works as a consultant forensic anthropologist on both hidden graves as well as the anthropology of Aboriginal sites of significance