Gaudio Daniel, Betto Andrea
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
ArcSAT snc, Padova, Italy.
Forensic Sci Res. 2024 Jul 24;9(3):owae037. doi: 10.1093/fsr/owae037. eCollection 2024 Sep.
If there is a category of war victims for whom the identification process has been and still remains an extremely challenging issue, it is the soldiers of World War One. There are various reasons for this, including unreliable identity tags, the unprecedented number of casualties, and the level of destruction caused by the massive use of "new" weapons. In Italy, this phenomenon was so severe and well-known that a monument was erected in Rome specifically in memory of those unknown soldiers ("Tomba del Milite Ignoto"). However, modern techniques in forensic archaeology and anthropology can facilitate identification even in this extreme context. In the casework described here, the presence of human remains was reported to the judicial authorities, which were subsequently located and excavated in a remote region of the Italian Alps using a range of techniques, including drone imagery, GPR, and micromorphological surveying. During the archaeological excavation of the human remains, a World War One zinc identification tag in very poor condition was found adjacent to the body. The biological profile was estimated (male, 20-30 years old, 166 cm±3.27 cm), and a trauma survey was performed. Thanks to the restoration of the ID tag, parts of the name and enrolment number were found and cross-referenced with the anthropological data of the subject, matching the information in the available military records. The victim had no siblings or offspring, making it impossible to identify descendants. However, the operation led to a contextual/presumptive identification of the soldier and the discovery of his story. He was a native of Tuscany, who died during the "Punitive Expedition" (1916) and was buried, probably by his comrades, in a small flat area hidden from enemy lines. In investigations like this, the involvement of local communities, whether groups or individuals, is crucial. In this case report, it will be shown how multidisciplinary approaches and collective actions can play a pivotal role in resolving highly intricate scenarios, such as those pertaining to armed conflicts.
如果说有一类战争受害者，其身份识别过程一直且仍然是一个极具挑战性的问题，那就是第一次世界大战的士兵。造成这种情况的原因有很多，包括身份标签不可靠、伤亡人数空前以及大量使用“新型”武器所造成的破坏程度。在意大利，这种现象非常严重且广为人知，以至于在罗马专门建造了一座纪念碑，以纪念那些无名士兵（“无名战士墓”）。然而，法医考古学和人类学的现代技术即使在这种极端情况下也能有助于身份识别。在本文所述的案例工作中，有人向司法当局报告了人类遗骸的存在，随后利用一系列技术，包括无人机图像、探地雷达和微观形态测量，在意大利阿尔卑斯山的一个偏远地区找到了并挖掘出了这些遗骸。在对人类遗骸进行考古挖掘时，在尸体旁边发现了一个状况极差的第一次世界大战时期的锌制身份标签。估计了生物特征（男性，20 - 30岁，身高166厘米±3.27厘米），并进行了创伤调查。由于身份标签的修复，找到了部分姓名和入伍编号，并与该对象的人类学数据进行交叉核对，与现有军事记录中的信息相符。受害者没有兄弟姐妹或后代，因此无法识别其后代。然而，这次行动导致了对这名士兵的背景/推测性身份识别，并发现了他的故事。他是托斯卡纳人，在“惩罚性远征”（1916年）期间死亡，可能由他的战友埋葬在一个远离敌方战线的小平原地区。在这样的调查中，当地社区，无论是团体还是个人的参与至关重要。在本案例报告中，将展示多学科方法和集体行动如何在解决高度复杂的情况，如与武装冲突相关的情况中发挥关键作用。
