Abstract：
Human skeletal remains (HSR) are routinely excavated from archeological contexts and analyzed by experts in human osteology. Contrarily, HSR in medicolegal contexts are usually recovered by law enforcement officers and examined by pathologists with limited osteological training. To examine legal requirements for expertise, we reviewed laws in the United States regarding the recovery and analysis of HSR from archeological sites, unmarked graves, and medicolegal contexts. Of the 50 states, 19 (38%) have laws stating that an anthropologist with osteological training should be involved in the recovery or analysis of HSR from an archeological context. Fifteen of those 16 states have laws requiring a minimum level of education to be a qualified skeletal analyst. In contrast, only one state, Texas, requires an anthropologist who handles forensic cases to have a doctoral degree. Including Texas, only eight states (16%) have laws that encourage but do not mandate consultation with a forensic anthropologist for medicolegal skeletal cases. Louisiana and Washington have state-funded laboratories, expert forensic anthropologists, and effective protocols for handling forensic cases. Due process and human rights concerns at stake in criminal cases require that those recovering and analyzing modern HSR have an equal or higher level of expertise than those working with archeological remains. Yet, legislators assume that law enforcement and pathologists are adequately trained. Because court standards demand expert testimony based on accepted methodologies and standard levels of competency, forensic anthropologists have a professional responsibility to engage with lawmakers to draft legislation to ensure proper handling of all skeletal cases.
摘要：
人体骨骼遗骸（HSR）通常是从考古环境中挖掘出来的，并由人体骨学专家进行分析。相反，在法医学背景下的HSR通常由执法人员恢复，并由病理学家进行有限的骨骼训练。审查专业知识的法律要求，我们回顾了美国关于从考古遗址恢复和分析高铁的法律，没有标记的坟墓,和法医学背景。在50个州中，19（38％）的法律规定，应由接受骨学训练的人类学家参与考古背景下HSR的恢复或分析。这16个州中有15个州有法律要求最低程度的教育才能成为合格的骨骼分析师。相比之下,只有一个国家,德州,需要处理法医案件的人类学家拥有博士学位。包括德州,只有八个州(16%)的法律鼓励但不强制要求与法医人类学家就法医学骨骼病例进行协商。路易斯安那州和华盛顿州有国家资助的实验室，法医人类学家,和处理法医案件的有效协议。刑事案件中涉及的正当程序和人权问题要求那些恢复和分析现代高铁的人比从事考古遗骸工作的人具有同等或更高的专业知识水平。然而，立法者认为执法和病理学家得到了充分的培训。因为法院标准要求基于公认的方法和标准能力水平的专家证词，法医人类学家有专业责任与立法者合作起草立法，以确保妥善处理所有骨骼案件。
