Author/Editor		Zupanič-Slavec, Zvonka
Title		New method of identifiying family related skulls: forensic medicine, anthropology, epigenetics
Type		monografija
Place		Wien
Publisher		Springer-Verlag
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 255
ISBN		3-211-22044-5
Language		eng
Abstract		This original work represents an interdisciplinary identificational research of 18 skulls (without lower jaws), the only posthumous remains, which presumably belonged to the Central-European noble family, the Counts of Celje, who in the 15th century attained power comparable to that of the Habsburgs. Between the years 1350 and 1450 they buried their family members into the family vault in the Minorite church in Celje. When, after a fire, the church was renovated (in 1811), they opened the vault, numbered the skulls by an unknown principle and subsequently stored them. The research, based on most up-to-date approaches, identified those skulls and established their kinship relations. We used the methodology of forensic science, physical anthropology, epigenetics, roentgenology, paleopathology, dentistry and history. This work is basically divided into three parts: the first part collects and critically evaluates the necessary historical and genealogical data; the second identifies the skulls by gender, age and some other features; the third searches for family relationship between the skulls and compares the historiographic and identification results. The Counts of Celje still have living descendants on the female side (after Barbara of Celje), who represent the 20th generation. Therefore, the research was directed into genetics. The researchers of the reference laboratory of paleogenetics (G. F. De Stefano, Rome) endeavoured to isolate the mitochondrial DNA from the skull samples. The isolation, however, was not successful. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		PALEONTOLOGY FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY CRANIOMETRY SKULL FORENSIC DENTISTRY AGE DETERMINATION BY SKELETON AGE DETERMINATION BY TEETH PALEOPATHOLOGY HISTORY OF MEDICINE, MEDIEVAL PEDIGREE SEX DETERMINATION