From unknown to known: Identification of the remains at the mausoleum of fosse Ardeatine
During the Second World War, on 24th March 1944, 335 Italians were massacred near Rome by the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Four months later forensic examination led to the identification of 323 out of 335 victims. After approximately 60 years, the identification of the remaining unidentified twelve victims began with anthropological and genetic analysis carried out by a team of Italian forensic experts. Anthropological analysis was performed in field in order to confirm the sex of each victim and verify the presence of only one individual in each grave for a correct sampling.
Source: Science and Justice - Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Elena Pilli, Silvia Boccone, Alessandro Agostino, Antonino Virgili, Giancarlo D'Errico, Martina Lari, Cesare Rapone, Filippo Barni, Jacopo Moggi Cecchi, Andrea Berti, David Caramelli Tags: Case review Source Type: research