Santeria and Palo Mayombe: Skulls, mercury, and artifacts

• James R. Gill ^[1] ; Christopher W. Rainwater ^[2] ; Bradley J. Adams ^[1]
  1. [1] New York University School of Medicine

     New York University School of Medicine

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner and Department of Forensic Medicine, New York University School of Medicine. Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins,New York University and New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatol-ogy
• Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 54, Nº. 6, 2009, págs. 1458-1462
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Santeria and Palo Mayombe are syncretic religions created in the New World based upon African religious beliefs combined with Christianity. The main worship of Palo Mayombe involves religious receptacles that may contain earth, sticks, varied artifacts, and animal and human remains. Due to the use of human and nonhuman remains, discovery of these items often leads to involvement by the police due to a concern ofhomicide. We review in detail the medical examiner records of two of these ritualistic cases including the autopsy, anthropology, police, and investi-gators’ reports. For the human remains, careful consideration of the context in which the remains were recovered, their state of preservation, and theassociated artifacts (e.g., beads and mercury) are important in determining the appropriate level of forensic significance. Anthropological examinationwith particular attention to taphonomic characteristics also may help determine the origin and forensic significance