Forensic archaeology is the application of archaeological techniques and methods to criminal investigations and legal issues. Archeologists assist law enforcement in locating, recovering, and analyzing evidence from crime scenes, mass disasters, and historical sites.

1. Rohan Singrore

2. Forensics In
Arthashastra
Presentation topic:-

3. Forensic Arthashastra

4. Forensic Arthashastra:-
Kautilya wrote the Arthashastra originally in Sanskrit. Later, it was
translated to English by R. Shamasastry. Rudrapatna Shamasastry was
a Sanskrit scholar and librarian at the Oriental Research Institute
Mysore. He discovered and published the Arthashastra, an ancient
Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy.
Thus, now we shall look at the provisions that Kautilya had provided,
in the English translation for better understanding.

5. Forensic Arthashastra:-
The first ten verses from this chapter of Arthashastra which
deals with post mortem examination has been discussed
below. Every point contains the original verse from the
Arthashastra, the literal translation as provided by R.
Shamasastry (in quotes and italics), and a small text from
other supplementary readings from various sources that can
help us understand the verse better.

6. A small text from other
supplementary readings

7. 1:-
“In cases of sudden death, the corpse
shall be smeared over with oil and
examined.”

8. It has been put down by Kautilya that it is
required by the magistrate to conduct a
post-mortem on any case of sudden or
unnatural death after smearing the body
with oil for the purpose of bringing out
bruises, swellings and other injuries if
any.

9. 2:-
“Any dead person, wetted with blood and with
limb, wounded and broken, may be regarded as
having been killed with sticks or ropes.”

10. Symptoms for death succumbed when
beaten with sticks or ropes are
fractured body parts, muscles in
spasm, and body being covered in
blood.

11. A portion of the translated version of
Arthashastra by R. Shamasastry reads:
“Death due to any one of the above causes is, sometimes under the fear
of punishment, made to appear as having been brought about by
voluntary hanging, by causing marks of ligature round the neck.
In death due to poison, the undigested portion of meat may be
examined in milk. Or the same extracted from the belly and thrown on
fire may, if it makes ‘chitchita’ sound and assumes the rainbow colour,
be declared as poisoned.