Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.48188/so.3.5
Anthropological individualization of relics from sarcophagus stored in Vodnjan monastery, Vodnjan, Croatia
Željana Bašić
; University of Split, University Department of Forensic Sciences, Split, Croatia
Ivana Kružić
; University of Split, University Department of Forensic Sciences, Split, Croatia
Marijan Jelenić
; Parish Church of St. Blaise, Vodnjan, Croatia
Luka Ursić
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Stipan Janković
; Department of Health Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Frane Mihanović
; Department of Health Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Snježana Štambuk
; University of Split, University Department of Forensic Sciences, Split, Croatia
Darko Kero
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Katarina Vilović
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Dragan Primorac
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia; Eberly College of Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Šimun Anđelinović
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia; Clinical Department for Pathology, Legal Medicine and Cytology, University Hospital Center Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Aim: To develop a methodology for the estimation of the preservation of human skeletal remains – the relics in the Vodnjan assembly; to estimate the minimum number of individuals (MNI), sex, and age; to evaluate the physical state of their remains, and to individualize the remains to verify the list of saints allegedly buried at the monastery.
Methods: Standard crime scene investigation and forensic anthropology methods were used, including trace evidence marking, photography, minimum number of individuals (MNI) estimation, sex, age, stature estimation, pathological and traumatic changes examination, individuation, and individualization by the comparison to the biography.
Results: The total sample of the bones in the Vodnjan relic collection was very poorly preserved. The MNI in the sarcophagus was twenty-two. Of those, three were female, twelve were male, and seven were subadults.
Conclusion: The forensic approach to the documentation and analysis of relics was appropriate for this kind of skeletal material. The final identification was not possible because of the poor preservation of skeletal material and the lack of hagiographical (antemortem) data. However, the forensic anthropology approach enabled us to create osteobiographies, and after the comparison with the existing antemortem data, we could not exclude that the remains belonged to the named saints.
Keywords
Vodnjan monastery; saints; relics; forensic analysis; anthropology; bones
Hrčak ID:
279574
URI
Publication date:
17.2.2022.
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