Skeletons “talk” even after thousands of years

“First, the forensic team comes to look closely at the place where the crime was found or where the crime was committed,” says police spokesman Christian Viehweider. Of course, there is also a search for objects that could belong to the person. “Then the skeleton is taken to the forensic department and the detailed criminal work begins.”

Stefano Longato, specialist in this field and in the field of anatomy, knows what the work of forensic medicine looks like.

“Unfortunately, forensic pathologists are rarely directly on site”
He emphasizes at the beginning that “ideally, the coroner is also at the scene of the crime or where it was found. Because where the skeleton is located, a lot of additional information can be found. Maggots or other animals can be used to draw conclusions about how long the skeleton had been there.”

Partly due to a lack of personnel, in most cases only the police are on site. “She takes pictures and hands over the skeleton and other items to us.”

“The more mature the skeleton, the heavier”
Depending on how many parts of the skeleton are present, you can quickly determine whether it was male or female. “This is clearly identified by the pelvic bones.” The size of a human is also quite easy to determine. “If long bones are missing, it is of course more difficult,” says the expert.

Also exciting: “Adults over 25 have a very static skeleton, which makes it difficult to determine their age. The age of children and young people who are still developing is easier to estimate. The more mature, the harder it gets.”

3D constructions and “Kommissar DNA” help
The available technical aids are special calipers and measuring units and measuring tapes. Computed tomographs are also used from time to time, making 3D reconstructions possible. “The bones are also examined for foreign objects and injuries,” explains Longato. In addition, various chemical processes are available to the experts. “Some things can also be read from the teeth, if they are present.”

Sometimes “Kommissar DNA” is also used. “With this you can still determine the sex after a thousand years on the basis of the chromosomes,” says the doctor. The problem: “Of course, the person’s identity cannot be determined without a DNA counterpart from the database.” Here then only immediate family members – ie parents, siblings or children – can help.

First results on the table after a few weeks
Of course, it always depends on which skeletal pieces are present and how well they have been preserved. “The most complete or best preserved DNA is usually in the skull, because it is preserved longer and better there. In the other bones, the DNA has often already been destroyed by environmental influences.” Depending on the quality of the samples, the results are already available after a few weeks. Incidentally, Longato even needs one photo to distinguish between humans and animals.

Searching the databases is the task of the police. “But it also happens that the manager comes to us with photos of possible candidates and asks for further investigation,” says the expert.

‘Many more discoveries due to global warming’
Finally, Longato reveals that he gained the greatest and most exciting knowledge about skeletons during his training at the “Body Farm” in Knoxville (USA). This will certainly come in handy in the future. Because while skeletons are rarely found every year at the moment, the expert is convinced that in the course of global warming, the Alps are “likely to release a lot more from previous wars”.

It remains to be seen whether there will also be a second Ötzi.