Outdoor taphonomy facility
Keele's DEFRA-approved outdoor taphonomy facility includes various burial scenarios that are used for teaching, research and training. These include simulated clandestine burials of murder victims in both earth-cut and below patio graves, buried metallic objects of forensic interest and six 2,000L water tanks for aquatic decomposition studies.
A variety of long-term monitoring projects are ongoing within the site that are available for teaching and research projects, the longest being earth-cut graves dug in 2007. Our geophysical monitoring research paper details the first 10 years of results.
A domestic patio has also been simulated with Sus scrofa and a variety of forensic objects that can be detected. Our geophysical monitoring research paper details initial results.
Aquatic forensic research
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Within the facility, there are six 2,000L water tanks with pumps that can be used for various taphonomic teaching and research projects. |
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Keele has a variety of lakes that can be used to trial forensic object detection techniques and we have developed a bespoke aquatic forensic geophysics capability for water search. |
dGPS surveying
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An EMLID dGPS base station is permanently installed on a nearby building, only the second known globally at a UK HE, which allows sub-cm positional accuracy for campus-based spatial positioning. |
Contact
Please contact Dr Jamie Pringle with enquiries.
For media enquiries, please contact the Communications team.
School address
Lennard-Jones School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Lennard-Jones Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG, UK
Phone (School Office): +44 (0)1782 733033, (Chemistry): +44 (0)1782 731693, (Forensic Science): +44 (0)1782 731694, (Physics): +44 (0)1782 733527
Email: scps@keele.ac.uk
Information for schools and colleges
Programme directors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Tess Phillips
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733038
Email : t.r.phillips@keele.ac.uk
Dr Chris Hawes
Tel : +44 (0)1782 732820
Email : c.s.hawes@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Dr Jamie K. Pringle
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733163
Email : j.k.pringle@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Barry Smalley and Dr Joana Oliveira
Email : b.smalley@keele.ac.uk, j.oliveira@keele.ac.uk
Admission tutors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Natalie Capel
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : n.j.capel@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Dr Natalie Capel
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : n.j.capel@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Juliana Morbec
Email : physics@keele.ac.uk or j.morbec@keele.ac.uk