Forensic Science and Origins
It seems that the most likely place to hear about forensic science is when it relates to law enforcement investigations, but it applies to other areas as well. With advances in science and technology, "cold case" crimes have been solved, and some were decades old. The 1888 Jack the Ripper murders have been "solved" several times, but each conclusion comes up lacking, even with DNA testing. Obviously, forensic science is historical in nature, using evidence that exists in the present to attempt to explain the past.
The older the scene of investigation, the more sketchy the details become, even with modern methods. Scenes are contaminated in many ways, witnesses become unavailable (or dead, if something happened long enough ago), physical evidence may be lost or tampered with, and more. The massacre of a fortified Pequot village in 1637 has been undergoing investigation in an effort to reconstruct history. There are lessons to be learned not only about historical science, but the lessons and illustrations also apply to the study of origins.
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| Reproduction of John Underhill's 1637 woodcut of assault on fortified Pequot village / PD |
The Pequot War in New England, during 1636–1637, climaxed in a morning firefight at Fort Mystick, in Connecticut. What really happened there? The explosive battle began and ended quickly, with many dead or wounded, some captured (and enslaved)—and many questions linger about who did what, when, where, how, and why.To read the rest, click on "Mystick Mystery: Scientists Investigate Connecticut’s Pequot War Battlefield".
The historic battle of Fort Mystick involved Puritans, Pequots, Narragansetts, and Mohegans. The site still bears silent witness to the triumphant yet tragic events of that day, providing physical evidence that forensic scientists can analyze for demonstrative clues.
The most extensive [forensic/archeological] work undertaken by the Battlefields Project has involved retracing the fateful events of May 25 and 26, 1637, surrounding the fortified Pequot settlement at Mistick (modern Mystic, Connecticut). When English forces stormed the village’s wooden palisades, it was to be the major turning point in the Pequot War, shifting the balance of power in southern New England permanently in English favor.