Distinguished guests or agents of ingérence: foreign participation in Spanish Civil War grave excavations

Abstract

For the past eight years Spanish scientists have collaborated with Spanish social and political organizations in an effort to incorporate empirical evidence from unmarked graves into the recovery of historical memory of the Spanish Civil War. Some teams have requested the assistance of experienced professionals from other countries for training and consultation. Other teams reject the influence of foreigners and prefer to view the issue of the Civil War missing as an internal matter. This paper recounts the role of forensic archaeology and anthropology in human rights investigations globally, critically examines the likelihood that the methods applied and the experiences gained elsewhere are relevant to Spain, and explores whether the implantation of foreign experts is required to achieve objectivity in Spanish human rights investigations.