Franchi, N, Bartoli, F and Borrini, M (2012) A 2000 Year-Old Cold Case: the Violent Death of a Roman Mariner Between Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology. Journal of Biological Research, 85 (1). pp. 234-235. ISSN 1826-8838

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Abstract

During archaeological excavation of the Roman port of Pisa in 1999, two skeletons came to light, laden down by a Roman ship, sunk and partly preserved, probably caused by a disastrous flood in the River Auser. Skeletons belonging to an adult male and a small dog, resembling the present Dachshund breed, were recovered. The canine rested on he man's left upper limb at the forearm level. This 2000 year-old cold case has been investigated using physical and forensic anthropological techniques which allowed us to define the biological profile of this subject: including the sex, age, height and skeletal pathology. The taphonomic analysis of bones and the context as a possible crime scene let us understand the decomposition and death dynamics revealing the causes of the partial dismemberment. The case presented is an example the physical anthropology as a discipline useful for the analysis of skeleton human remains, and as a useful tool in the reconstruction of ancient events and bio-archaeological data in synergy with forensic sciences.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
Divisions:	Natural Sciences & Psychology (closed 31 Aug 19)
Publisher:	BioMed Central
Date Deposited:	15 Jul 2015 11:50
Last Modified:	15 Mar 2022 15:32
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1627

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