The feasibility of a United Kingdom Human Taphonomic Research Centre (UKHTRC)

The USA have had Taphonomy faciities for some decades. The UK and indeed Europe have fallen behind in conducting important research in this area of fundamental basic science and in the forensic sciences arena. Until an open and sensible debate discussing the creation of such a facility in the UK is entered into, without the rhetoric cries of emotion, this science shall continue to languish unsupported. This will have a direct impact on how this science moves forward and how the Police and Forensic Services of the UK are able to conduct their investigtaions using the latest cutting-edge research findings. At present there is no dedicated human taphonomic facility in the United Kingdom or indeed Europe. Europe will fall behind in human specific taphonomic studies if such a facility is not created in the foreseeable future. The ethical, legislative, logistical, environmental, scientific and financial complexities are considered here in the plans to construct the first UK facility through a private enterprise initiative with the input of stakeholders across a wide range of roles and interests. The problems and the limitations associated with establishing an open-air taphonomic facility are numerous, but it is clearly recognised by researchers and practitioners alike that there is a need for more establishments in the USA and hence by implication around the globe. These existing facilities have served to act as major nexus contributing to our knowledge of aspects of human decomposition and associated environmental issues and as such should be developed further to realise their full potential into the 21st Century. Many questions remain to be answered as part of the complex process of initiating this UK based national facility, however the time to start this process is now before UK science falls behind in our understanding of the systems of life through death. The work presented aims to initiate that debate....