Chaos theory and its applications in forensic anthropology

Abstract

Chaos theory, initially developed by Edward Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has evolved from a theory of the natural and physical sciences to a theory that has broad, interdisciplinary applications. Fundamentally, chaos theory connects various scientific disciplines by explaining how seemingly random behaviors that happen in non-linear or “chaotic” systems, no matter how minor, can lead to major consequences. While forensic anthropology is often considered an a-theoretical subfield of anthropology, the discipline has witnessed a proliferation of theoretical publications in recent years. It engages with a variety of theories, ranging from low-level theories of archaeological recovery to high-level theories such as human evolution and adaptation to understand human variability. However, in its primacy, forensic anthropologists struggled to understand the systems and agents involved in forensic contexts. The utilization of chaos theory and non-linear systems has the potential to transform the field, providing a new lens to better understand forensic contexts. This paper will delve into the interdisciplinary ways forensic anthropology can employ chaos theory, specifically in developing a range of non-linear systems theoretical frameworks, especially in work concerning human decomposition and reconstruction of forensic contexts.