Exhuming the Past

Forensic Archaeology and Historical Justice in the Context of the Spanish Civil War

Abstract

Conflict is an undeniable reality of human history. The long-term impacts of twentieth-century armed conflicts on historical and contemporary societies remain underexplored. Forensic archaeology and anthropology have the potential to provide a distinctive perspective on the past. 

Rather than presenting a forensic case study in the conventional applied sense, this article offers a theoretical and contextual analysis of the role of forensic archaeology and anthropology in historical reckoning and justice processes, grounded in the context of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). This article uses the Spanish Civil War as an example of a country dealing with the consequences of armed conflict. Initially developed as part of criminal investigations, forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology have evolved into vital instruments for humanitarian efforts, uncovering previously obscured narratives, including the identification and return of the remains of conflict victims. By analysing the remains from the exhumation of mass graves from the Spanish Civil War, this research emphasises how forensic investigations address both legal and human rights imperatives, offering evidence for judicial proceedings while also providing closure for victims’ families. Adopting an ‘archaeology of the contemporary’ lens facilitates the investigation of the roles of forensic archaeology and anthropology. The findings reinforce these roles in historical reckoning and contemporary justice initiatives, while underlining the enduring challenges of confronting the legacies of armed conflict.