Identification of unknown remains in the medicolegal context is of utmost importance in returning... more Identification of unknown remains in the medicolegal context is of utmost importance in returning a decedent to his or her family and is the legal responsibility of the medical examiner or coroner. In situations where an individual cannot be identified visually, a medical examiner may consult with a forensic anthropologist to aid in the identification process. Forensic anthropologists can contribute to an identification using comparative radiographic methods to establish a scientific identification or through methods that contribute to an identification by limiting potential matches to the decedent, including skeletal analyses to establish the biological profile; identification of skeletal pathologies, anomalies, or surgical implants; or skull–photo or photo–photo superimposition techniques.
Butterfly fractures are expected to form with the transverse portion on the tension side and the ... more Butterfly fractures are expected to form with the transverse portion on the tension side and the wedge portion on the compression side of a bent bone, however wedges have also been observed in the reverse orientation and are reported to be frequent in concentrated 4-point bending. To investigate how these fractures form, concentrated 4-point bending experiments were performed on nine human femora and documented using high-speed video. Videos showed the wedge portion formed as fracture initiated in tension, branched obliquely, then curved to terminate on the tension face. The transverse portion formed as a crack traveled between the curved fracture branch and the compression face. Fractography was also applied to evaluate fracture surfaces. At least one fractography feature was present in all femora and 32/35 bone fragments examined. Fracture propagation sequences interpreted using fractography matched those observed on video, demonstrating the utility of this method for evaluating complex fracture patterns.
From 1988 to 1992 excavations by the University of Arizona near the town of Lugnano in Teverina i... more From 1988 to 1992 excavations by the University of Arizona near the town of Lugnano in Teverina in the province of Terni yielded a Roman villa in the ruins of which was placed the largest infant cemetery yet found in Italy. The excavations revealed that the cemetery was installed at one time or over a very short period, perhaps due to an epidemic. A case based on circumstancial evidence might be made that the infants died from Plasmodium falciparum malaria, although this conclusion must remain for present an hypothesis.
The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains rec... more The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains recovered from an extended-use Roman workshop complex at the site of Spolverino, located near modern-day Alberese, Italy. The site was excavated in 2010-2013 by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana and the University of Sheffield’s Alberese Archaeological Field School as part of a regional investigation into Roman era economic and settlement trends. Located strategically at the mouth of the Ombrone River at the intersection of multiple trade routes, the workshops manufactured glass, metal, and bone goods over four centuries of continuous use. Following the abandonment of the complex in the late 5th century, it was repurposed as a small necropolis prior to its conversion to agricultural fields. Four single-inhumation tombs were found in three rooms and were of three different types. Osteological analyses included those for demographic information and paleopathological conditions. Analysis revealed the presence of two subadults and two adult males. All individuals expressed indicators of active stress, including moderate cribra orbitalia in the subadults and active periosteal reactions in the adults. Of note was one male who expressed evidence of rhinomaxillary syndrome in conjunction with other pathologies. The burial of these individuals at Spolverino represents a key phase of transition in the transformation of the landscape from thriving manufacturing district to agricultural fields that persist today. Spolverino’s abandonment and conversion into a necropolis provide insight into the collapse of the Late Antique settlement network along the Ombrone.
This excellent volume on craniofacial identification is evidence that the frontiers of forensic s... more This excellent volume on craniofacial identification is evidence that the frontiers of forensic science are being advanced on a global scale; the 28 contributions are from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The editors of this book should be commended for their excellent work. Comprehensive and well written, it consists of 20 chapters organized into four parts, bringing together an impressive amount of information on craniofacial anatomy, analysis, documentation, and identification. What sets this book apart from others is its educational theme, which clearly outlines specific procedures followed in the forensic investigation and identification of human remains.
The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains rec... more The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains recovered from an extended-use Roman workshop complex at the site of Spolverino, located near modern-day Alberese, Italy. The site was excavated in 2010-2013 by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana and the University of Sheffield’s Alberese Archaeological Field School as part of a regional investigation into Roman era economic and settlement trends. Located strategically at the mouth of the Ombrone River at the intersection of multiple trade routes, the workshops manufactured glass, metal, and bone goods over four centuries of continuous use. Following the abandonment of the complex in the late 5th century, it was repurposed as a small necropolis prior to its conversion to agricultural fields. Four single-inhumation tombs were found in three rooms and were of three different types. Osteological analyses included those for demographic information and paleopathological con...
Current literature associates bending failure with butterfly fracture, in which fracture initiate... more Current literature associates bending failure with butterfly fracture, in which fracture initiates transversely at the tensile surface of a bent bone and branches as it propagates toward the impact surface. The orientation of the resulting wedge fragment is often considered diagnostic of impact direction. However, experimental studies indicate bending does not always produce complete butterfly fractures or produces wedge fragments variably in tension or compression, precluding their use in interpreting directionality. This study reports results of experimental 3-point bending tests on thirteen unembalmed human femora. Complete fracture patterns varied following bending failure, but incomplete fractures and fracture surface characteristics were observed in all impacted specimens. A flat, billowy fracture surface was observed in tension, while jagged, angular peaks were observed in compression. Impact direction was accurately reconstructed using incomplete tension wedge butterfly fractures and tension and compression fracture surface criteria in all thirteen specimens.
Identification of unknown remains in the medicolegal context is of utmost importance in returning... more Identification of unknown remains in the medicolegal context is of utmost importance in returning a decedent to his or her family and is the legal responsibility of the medical examiner or coroner. In situations where an individual cannot be identified visually, a medical examiner may consult with a forensic anthropologist to aid in the identification process. Forensic anthropologists can contribute to an identification using comparative radiographic methods to establish a scientific identification or through methods that contribute to an identification by limiting potential matches to the decedent, including skeletal analyses to establish the biological profile; identification of skeletal pathologies, anomalies, or surgical implants; or skull–photo or photo–photo superimposition techniques.
Butterfly fractures are expected to form with the transverse portion on the tension side and the ... more Butterfly fractures are expected to form with the transverse portion on the tension side and the wedge portion on the compression side of a bent bone, however wedges have also been observed in the reverse orientation and are reported to be frequent in concentrated 4-point bending. To investigate how these fractures form, concentrated 4-point bending experiments were performed on nine human femora and documented using high-speed video. Videos showed the wedge portion formed as fracture initiated in tension, branched obliquely, then curved to terminate on the tension face. The transverse portion formed as a crack traveled between the curved fracture branch and the compression face. Fractography was also applied to evaluate fracture surfaces. At least one fractography feature was present in all femora and 32/35 bone fragments examined. Fracture propagation sequences interpreted using fractography matched those observed on video, demonstrating the utility of this method for evaluating complex fracture patterns.
From 1988 to 1992 excavations by the University of Arizona near the town of Lugnano in Teverina i... more From 1988 to 1992 excavations by the University of Arizona near the town of Lugnano in Teverina in the province of Terni yielded a Roman villa in the ruins of which was placed the largest infant cemetery yet found in Italy. The excavations revealed that the cemetery was installed at one time or over a very short period, perhaps due to an epidemic. A case based on circumstancial evidence might be made that the infants died from Plasmodium falciparum malaria, although this conclusion must remain for present an hypothesis.
The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains rec... more The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains recovered from an extended-use Roman workshop complex at the site of Spolverino, located near modern-day Alberese, Italy. The site was excavated in 2010-2013 by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana and the University of Sheffield’s Alberese Archaeological Field School as part of a regional investigation into Roman era economic and settlement trends. Located strategically at the mouth of the Ombrone River at the intersection of multiple trade routes, the workshops manufactured glass, metal, and bone goods over four centuries of continuous use. Following the abandonment of the complex in the late 5th century, it was repurposed as a small necropolis prior to its conversion to agricultural fields. Four single-inhumation tombs were found in three rooms and were of three different types. Osteological analyses included those for demographic information and paleopathological conditions. Analysis revealed the presence of two subadults and two adult males. All individuals expressed indicators of active stress, including moderate cribra orbitalia in the subadults and active periosteal reactions in the adults. Of note was one male who expressed evidence of rhinomaxillary syndrome in conjunction with other pathologies. The burial of these individuals at Spolverino represents a key phase of transition in the transformation of the landscape from thriving manufacturing district to agricultural fields that persist today. Spolverino’s abandonment and conversion into a necropolis provide insight into the collapse of the Late Antique settlement network along the Ombrone.
This excellent volume on craniofacial identification is evidence that the frontiers of forensic s... more This excellent volume on craniofacial identification is evidence that the frontiers of forensic science are being advanced on a global scale; the 28 contributions are from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The editors of this book should be commended for their excellent work. Comprehensive and well written, it consists of 20 chapters organized into four parts, bringing together an impressive amount of information on craniofacial anatomy, analysis, documentation, and identification. What sets this book apart from others is its educational theme, which clearly outlines specific procedures followed in the forensic investigation and identification of human remains.
The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains rec... more The purpose of this presentation is to report on the preliminary analyses of skeletal remains recovered from an extended-use Roman workshop complex at the site of Spolverino, located near modern-day Alberese, Italy. The site was excavated in 2010-2013 by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana and the University of Sheffield’s Alberese Archaeological Field School as part of a regional investigation into Roman era economic and settlement trends. Located strategically at the mouth of the Ombrone River at the intersection of multiple trade routes, the workshops manufactured glass, metal, and bone goods over four centuries of continuous use. Following the abandonment of the complex in the late 5th century, it was repurposed as a small necropolis prior to its conversion to agricultural fields. Four single-inhumation tombs were found in three rooms and were of three different types. Osteological analyses included those for demographic information and paleopathological con...
Current literature associates bending failure with butterfly fracture, in which fracture initiate... more Current literature associates bending failure with butterfly fracture, in which fracture initiates transversely at the tensile surface of a bent bone and branches as it propagates toward the impact surface. The orientation of the resulting wedge fragment is often considered diagnostic of impact direction. However, experimental studies indicate bending does not always produce complete butterfly fractures or produces wedge fragments variably in tension or compression, precluding their use in interpreting directionality. This study reports results of experimental 3-point bending tests on thirteen unembalmed human femora. Complete fracture patterns varied following bending failure, but incomplete fractures and fracture surface characteristics were observed in all impacted specimens. A flat, billowy fracture surface was observed in tension, while jagged, angular peaks were observed in compression. Impact direction was accurately reconstructed using incomplete tension wedge butterfly fractures and tension and compression fracture surface criteria in all thirteen specimens.
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