Publication details
Men at war, recovery and analysis of soldiers’ remains from the WWI and WWII Italian Front
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2020 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Forensic Science International |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110533 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110533 |
| Keywords | World War; Forensic Anthropology; Archaeology; Soldiers’ identification; Italian Front |
| Description | Italy was hit hard by the World Wars, still today the discovery of human remains dating back to 20th century is a common phenomenon, in particular on Alpine glaciers, due to climate changes. The authors will describe the Italian scenario in terms of legislation, scientific procedures and related disciplines involved, then the difficulties in the identification of human remains of soldiers, but also potential issues related to uncontrolled “scavenging” activities and consequent ethical aspects. The interdisciplinarity, used as systematic approach to deal with complex cases, allowed the presumptive identification of a WWI soldier recovered after one century from the glaciers of the Adamello mountain, as described. Putting aside the national perspective, the authors endorse and encourage the establishment of an international working group in order to share common issues, to exchange experience and to build global best-practices. |