Page 53 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 5(2) (2017)
P. 53
ia universitatisthree smaller pits inside, into which he laid am- how the situation could be similar to the case of
munition, parts of the holster with bullets, and Josipovac – Verušed: a soldier that was killed in
for ensics and archaeology: the ethical approach to gr aves excavation and r esearch 53 any other object of organic origin. The organic a battle, or executed after it, and then buried by a
material, including soft tissues of the body, de- villager in his plough-field or along its edge.
composed very quickly, not only because of the
shallow burial and the effects of the weather As mentioned earlier, at the very beginning,
conditions but also because of the high acidity the orientation of the grave was North-South.
of the soil. The gravedigger put ammunition and Such grave orientation follows the orientation
organic material in the pit, which had to be col- of the plough-fields in that area. It indicates that
lected from the wider area, obviously after a bat- the soldier was buried in a part of the field not
tle. Over it, he laid the dead body and next to used for cultivation, to avoid unpleasant situ-
him the fragments of destroyed weapons. After ations. It is quite possible that the villager who
the archaeological excavation and research, this burried him was an owner of that plough-field
is beyond dispute. All phases of the work were where the battle occurred. Afterwards, he might
documented and photographed so that nothing have collected all explosive and unexploded am-
misses. The skeletal remains of the deceased, the munition scattered around and buried them be-
weapon components, the metal buttons and the neath the killed soldier. Unfortunately, it was
corroded emblem were stored under the proto- not possible to do any further research, a survey,
col for possible subsequent analysis that could about this case with the locals, because the ma-
get more information about the person and the jority of the inhabitants of the village Josipov-
circumstances of his burial. On this archaeolog- ac were expelled after the end of World War II.
ical site, no similar burial pits were found. How- Namely, in Josipovac had lived members of the
ever, about a thousand meters eastward, towards German minority in Slavonia. These are assump-
Osijek, a military bunker from World War II is tions after the archaeological excavation and re-
still preserved. It was an assumption that may- search were done.
be the death of the buried person was related
to broader events in the area at that time. With The described methods of research belong
subsequently conducted archival research we to archaeology, from the preparation of a site to
found out what probably happened in that mar- the fieldwork. But in this particular case some
ginal area of the town of Osijek, west of Josipov- very important phases of forensic archaeology
ac. The theory was set that it was the grave of a are missing, such as the area location, the site lo-
soldier from World War II. For a moment, con- cation and the confirmation, because this grave
sider the corroded iron emblem with, most prob- was found by chance on an archaeological site.
ably, depiction of an eagle. In the archive files, it These phases include not only location and con-
was mentioned that the 11th German Air Force firmation but also a determination of its nature.
Division was situated in Osijek and participated Both archaeological sites and forensic crime
in the battles for the city. With advancing of the scenes, f.e. mass grave’s vicinity, contain valuable
People’s Liberation Army and Partisan Detach- evidence like fragments of clothing, various ob-
ments of Yugoslavia toward Osijek, in the last days jects or personal items.
of World War II, a combat began in which many
soldiers were killed. On the photograph pub- While in archaeological field research the
lished in the book of Petrov, in descriptions and use of modern methods and techniques de-
on additional photographs, captured German pends largely on financial possibilities, in foren-
soldiers in the underwear can be seen.5 Some- sics they are a must. Development of nonintru-
sive or non-destructive tools gives a possibility
5 Marinko Petrov, Pakao na Dravi Belišće 1944-1945 Bistrinci (Bački Pe- to see through the layers of the ground, with-
trovac: Mesno udružnje boraca NOR-a Belišće, 1979), 142-147. out destroying the site. In the area and site lo-
cation, forensic archaeologists use several tools
like area imagery taken by the aerial reconnais-
munition, parts of the holster with bullets, and Josipovac – Verušed: a soldier that was killed in
for ensics and archaeology: the ethical approach to gr aves excavation and r esearch 53 any other object of organic origin. The organic a battle, or executed after it, and then buried by a
material, including soft tissues of the body, de- villager in his plough-field or along its edge.
composed very quickly, not only because of the
shallow burial and the effects of the weather As mentioned earlier, at the very beginning,
conditions but also because of the high acidity the orientation of the grave was North-South.
of the soil. The gravedigger put ammunition and Such grave orientation follows the orientation
organic material in the pit, which had to be col- of the plough-fields in that area. It indicates that
lected from the wider area, obviously after a bat- the soldier was buried in a part of the field not
tle. Over it, he laid the dead body and next to used for cultivation, to avoid unpleasant situ-
him the fragments of destroyed weapons. After ations. It is quite possible that the villager who
the archaeological excavation and research, this burried him was an owner of that plough-field
is beyond dispute. All phases of the work were where the battle occurred. Afterwards, he might
documented and photographed so that nothing have collected all explosive and unexploded am-
misses. The skeletal remains of the deceased, the munition scattered around and buried them be-
weapon components, the metal buttons and the neath the killed soldier. Unfortunately, it was
corroded emblem were stored under the proto- not possible to do any further research, a survey,
col for possible subsequent analysis that could about this case with the locals, because the ma-
get more information about the person and the jority of the inhabitants of the village Josipov-
circumstances of his burial. On this archaeolog- ac were expelled after the end of World War II.
ical site, no similar burial pits were found. How- Namely, in Josipovac had lived members of the
ever, about a thousand meters eastward, towards German minority in Slavonia. These are assump-
Osijek, a military bunker from World War II is tions after the archaeological excavation and re-
still preserved. It was an assumption that may- search were done.
be the death of the buried person was related
to broader events in the area at that time. With The described methods of research belong
subsequently conducted archival research we to archaeology, from the preparation of a site to
found out what probably happened in that mar- the fieldwork. But in this particular case some
ginal area of the town of Osijek, west of Josipov- very important phases of forensic archaeology
ac. The theory was set that it was the grave of a are missing, such as the area location, the site lo-
soldier from World War II. For a moment, con- cation and the confirmation, because this grave
sider the corroded iron emblem with, most prob- was found by chance on an archaeological site.
ably, depiction of an eagle. In the archive files, it These phases include not only location and con-
was mentioned that the 11th German Air Force firmation but also a determination of its nature.
Division was situated in Osijek and participated Both archaeological sites and forensic crime
in the battles for the city. With advancing of the scenes, f.e. mass grave’s vicinity, contain valuable
People’s Liberation Army and Partisan Detach- evidence like fragments of clothing, various ob-
ments of Yugoslavia toward Osijek, in the last days jects or personal items.
of World War II, a combat began in which many
soldiers were killed. On the photograph pub- While in archaeological field research the
lished in the book of Petrov, in descriptions and use of modern methods and techniques de-
on additional photographs, captured German pends largely on financial possibilities, in foren-
soldiers in the underwear can be seen.5 Some- sics they are a must. Development of nonintru-
sive or non-destructive tools gives a possibility
5 Marinko Petrov, Pakao na Dravi Belišće 1944-1945 Bistrinci (Bački Pe- to see through the layers of the ground, with-
trovac: Mesno udružnje boraca NOR-a Belišće, 1979), 142-147. out destroying the site. In the area and site lo-
cation, forensic archaeologists use several tools
like area imagery taken by the aerial reconnais-
