title: Forensic or archaeological issue: is chemical analysis of dental restorations helpful in assessing time since death and identification of skeletonized human remains?
abstract: In 2011, small mass grave with completely skeletonized remains was discovered in Belgrade suburb. An eyewitness claimed that skeletons belonged to German soldiers killed in WWII. Anthropologists were engaged to investigate whether the skeletal remains correspond to the indicated German group or represent more recent case requiring court trial. Numerous dental restorations were noticed. Owing to the fact that different dental materials were used in dental practice at certain times, the aim of this study was to explore whether analysis of dental restorations could help in identification and estimation of time since death. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry revealed that dental fillings corresponded to copper amalgam, conventional silver amalgam, silicophosphate cement, and zinc phosphate cement. Chemical results combined with anthropological and historical facts suggest that the individuals lived before the 1960s in country with well-developed dental service at that time. Therefore, chemical analysis of dental fillings was useful to distinguish between skeletal remains that are too old to be of forensic interest and the remains relevant to legal investigations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Anthropology, Institute of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 4/2 Dr Subotica, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zelic
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Anthropology, Institute of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 4/2 Dr Subotica, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Djonic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Olivera
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Neskovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Milovan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stoiljkovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 31a Deligradska, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 31a Deligradska, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zivkovic
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Anthropology, Institute of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 4/2 Dr Subotica, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Djuric
mesh_terms: D002048:Burial; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000032:analysis; D003738:Dental Cements / Q000032:analysis; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012823:Silicate Cement / Q000032:analysis; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D015036:Zinc Phosphate Cement / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D003738:Dental Cements; C036917:silicophosphate cement; D012823:Silicate Cement; D012834:Silver; D015036:Zinc Phosphate Cement; D003300:Copper; D003723:Dental Amalgam
keywords: dental fillings; dental forensic; forensic science; identification; mass grave; time since death