In 2006, a male body was discovered in a tomb in the church of San Biagio in Cittiglio, northern Italy. Carbon dating estimated the body to be over 700 years old. Now, researchers say the man was brutally murdered.
A study published in the December issue of the Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports reconstructed the death of the unknown man to reveal a series of blows to the head, thanks to support from the Fondazione Comunitaria del Varesotto and Fondazione Cariplo, charitable organizations in Italy.
Injuries to the head and upper body, according to the study, represent “a unique case of raw violence in the past of this rural population.”
Study author Chiara Tesi with the University of Insubria’s Center of Research in Osteoarchaeology and Paleopathology, said in an email to McClatchy News “the number and the damaging power of the blows showed the aggressor’s intentionality and perhaps a certain overkill toward the victim, as well as a certain degree of raw violence, aimed at quickly killing the victim and affecting his identity through focused blows to the head.”
The researchers used three-dimensional X-rays to overlap the microstriations, or tiny grooves left on bone from a wound, and identify which cuts were made from the same weapon. Tesi said the process is difficult, but it is the only way to attribute multiple wounds to the same weapon when the weapon hasn’t been identified or recovered.
By using this process, they identified four wounds likely made by the same weapon, according to the study. The researchers could then hypothesize that a sword, which Live Science reports was likely steel based on the historical context, was used to attack the victim.
Despite reconstructing the last event in the man’s life, the researchers are still only able to identify a few details about how he actually lived.
“The individual was buried in front of the ancient facade of the church, near the entrance to the building,” Tesi said. “At that time, the church was oriented towards the top of the hill, where, according to historical sources, a castle had been built. Thus, the burials in front of the ancient entrance, according to archaeological deductions, were probably reserved for important persons in some way linked to the fortified structure, presumably the descendants of the founding family of the castle.”
The victim’s assumed prominence in the community may have contributed to his murder, Tesi said, making him a higher target for assault.
Relying solely on the anthropological findings, the researchers can say that the man was between 19 and 24 years old, was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and had previous military training, evident from healed wounds. They can also conclude that he had practiced archery from a young age from missing bone fusion in his right shoulder and elbow.
The victim’s physical traits were also used for a facial reconstruction, something that Tesi says helps scientists understand how the wounds may have impacted soft tissue. The reconstruction also creates an emotional connection to the victim who remains unidentified.
“Let’s hope at this point that at least some justice is done by giving this man back his identity and by telling the story of his life and his end,” Tesi said. “We hope with all our hearts that with our work we have done him the justice he deserved.”
___
© 2023 The Charlotte Observer
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
