American Cultural Resources Association

Surveys: Are the Going to the Dogs?

We have seen dogs used by law enforcement for over a century because of their keen sense of smell. They are seen in airports sniffing the air currents for the odor of explosive odors or checking ports of entry for insects and other animals. And, we might have even been approached or heard about a project using them as a tool to locate the long-forgotten dead. This webinar will help CRM practitioners determine if canine resources are in fact a suitable tool for their survey or if they are barking up the wrong tree.

The participants will learn the science behind the powerful noses of these four-legged biological sensors, human decomposition, and its unique odor profile. More importantly though, presenter Paul S. Martin's twenty years of research and work on archaeological human remains detection (AHRD) canines will be utilized to help the archaeological community better understand how this resource can be appropriately deployed with geophysical instruments to understand more accurately what is beneath the surface. Archaeologists will be given the information to examine when evaluating if a canine team is the right fit for a project, because just having a dog that can find dead people is not an appropriate qualification.

After attending this webinar the participants will have a better understanding of the results that the AHRD canine team can provide and how those results can or should be interpreted.