I've worked on mass graves AMA

[tessiegirl]

I helped excavate mass graves in a post conflict country...

Ask away!

[NameChangeCuddleBums]

What is your job? How did you feel at the time and now?

[NameChangeCuddleBums]

Did you work help any remains be returned to their families?

[bluetrampolines]

Wow. It hadn't occurred to me that was even a job. I feel so naive.

When is a situation deemed so bad they resort to mass graves.

[MeltingSnowflake]

How do you deal with the trauma of what you have seen?

[MaisyPops]

I agree blue. It never crossed my mind that would be a job.

OP how do you keep emotionally detached when excavating?

[MummytoCSJH]

I'm hoping to study anthropology and archaeology in the future so I can do the same. How did you get into the role? Were there parts of the job that you thought you had prepared for but that shocked you during?

[tessiegirl]

We lived abroad for five years due to my husband's job. Because of my degrees/past experience I was able to help out.

[tessiegirl]

I look back and think wow tbh. I feel extremely privileged to have helped the victims to get justice and their families to have some kind of closure

[tessiegirl]

I remember one grave was half the size of a football pitch. Nothing can prepare you for that sight and the smell. But what kept me going was what I was doing to help those victims.

[TheEmmaDilemma]

Are you Temperance Brennan?

Such an interesting job. How did you get into it? Was it something you fell into, or always wanted to do?

[tessiegirl]

When a body was excavated and 'lifted' we had to go through pockets to find personal effects. There were so many who had photos in their wallets or id cards. Seeing the person who they were before this happened was very surreal

[tessiegirl]

Temperance!
I studied archaeology for my degree then forensic anthropology at masters

[tessiegirl]

I was extremely lucky that my husband is also in that line of work so I could help out and gain more experience

[CookPassBabtridge]

Fascinating thread OP! What country/countries have you done this in?

[tessiegirl]

Eastern Europe.

My husband has also worked in Iraq, Africa, South America...

[MrsCar]

How long had the people been dead?

[Theweasleytwins]

Are you and dh Booth and Brennan?😁

[tedx]

What is your DHS Job? Sounds so interesting.

[bluetrampolines]

Does it make you morbid with regards to human nature and life?

[bluetrampolines]

What skills do you use?

[Ghostontoast]

Were you in West Africa OP. Did you DH work for the UN?

My sister sadly had to deal with such issues.

[Ghostontoast]

Your DH

[Ghostontoast]

Sorry i’ve just seen that it was Eastern Europe.

[ShirleyPhallus]

Wow, I also had no idea there was such a job

How did you get in to it? What other jobs would you do / have you done?

[ItscalledaVulva]

What happened to the remains once you had removed them from the mass grave?

Who funds this work, is it national government or UN?