The discovery and forensic investigation of two early medieval burials

We report a case of medicolegal and archaeological interest involving the discovery of some human remains near a medieval castle. During a storm in the summer of 2024 some trees on a hill (near Udine) were uprooted. Several months later, in December 2024, a passerby noticed a human skull among the exposed roots and promptly alerted the authorities. A medicolegal inspection of the remains at the scene identified a partial skeleton and requested an archaeologist to excavate and document the remains. Further enquiries indicated that the uprooted trees had originally been planted in the 1960 s and that the site had been used in 1944 for the execution of partisans. The hill was surveyed using metal detection and geophysical techniques, and the remains were excavated and recorded using the archaeological methodology. The survey of the area allowed the discovery of another skeleton, suggesting a complex burial history for the area. This multidisciplinary investigation, incorporating forensic archaeology, physical anthropology and chemistry, enabled the complete recovery and detailed forensic examination of two skeletons, which established a timeframe for these burials, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of teamwork in forensic research.