New integrative methodology for the excavation and study of mass graves and partially commingled remains
Clinical Snapshot
PICO Framework
| P — Population | Commingled human skeletal remains from a 16th-century CE mass burial site in southwestern Hungary |
| I — Intervention | Integrative methodology combining GIS-based spatial analysis, a novel skeletal coding system, and established osteological reassociation techniques (osteometric sorting, articulation, visual pair-matching, process of elimination) |
| C — Comparator | Standard fieldwork individualisation without GIS-assisted spatial analysis (implicit historical baseline of skeletons individualised during excavation alone) |
| O — Outcomes | Number of successfully individualised skeletons; rate of reassociation of commingled skeletal elements; utility of novel coding system for inventory and storage of skeletal remains |
Bottom Line
This paper presents a proof-of-concept methodological framework integrating GIS-based spatial analysis with a novel skeletal coding system to improve reassociation of commingled human skeletal remains. Applied to a 16th-century CE mass burial in Hungary, the approach reportedly increased the number of individualised skeletons beyond fieldwork-stage identifications. The methodology is conceptually sound and addresses a genuine gap in bioarchaeological and forensic anthropological practice. However, the evidence base is limited: this is a single-site case study without a formal comparator, statistical analysis, or inter-observer reliability testing. The claim of improved reassociation success cannot be rigorously quantified from the data presented. The novel coding system appears practically useful for inventory purposes. Clinicians and forensic practitioners should regard this as a promising but preliminary contribution requiring independent validation across diverse assemblage types, taphonomic conditions, and operator groups before adoption as a standard protocol. For Australian forensic and heritage contexts — particularly Indigenous remains repatriation — the spatial analysis framework merits further evaluation in collaboration with relevant regulatory and community stakeholders.
Key Findings
P Value: Not reported; no formal statistical testing performed
Effect Size: Not quantified; described qualitatively as 'substantial increase' — no numerical effect size reported
Primary Outcome: Substantial increase in the number of individualised skeletons beyond those identified during fieldwork, with potential matches identified for additional skeletal elements during laboratory analysis
Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not applicable in the traditional sense; no sensitivity, specificity, or diagnostic accuracy metrics reported for the reassociation methodology
Confidence Interval: Not reported
Clinical Application
GIS software (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS) is increasingly accessible and used in archaeological fieldwork. The methodology requires trained personnel in both skeletal biology and GIS data management. Implementation in resource-limited settings or rapid-response forensic contexts may be challenging without pre-established protocols and infrastructure. The novel coding system appears low-cost and readily adoptable. In Australia, this methodology has potential relevance to: (1) forensic investigations involving mass graves or commingled remains under the jurisdiction of State Coroners and the Australian Federal Police; (2) repatriation and identification of Indigenous Australian ancestral remains held in institutions, where reassociation of commingled skeletal collections is a significant ethical and practical challenge; (3) archaeological investigations of historical burial sites under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act and State heritage legislation. The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) and relevant State forensic pathology services may find the GIS-based spatial protocol applicable to DVI operations. No TGA, PBS, or RACGP implications are relevant to this non-clinical study. Bioarchaeologists, forensic anthropologists, and forensic pathologists working with commingled human skeletal remains in archaeological excavations, mass grave investigations, disaster victim identification (DVI), and human rights contexts
Abstract
The resolution of commingled human skeletal remains is a phenomenon increasingly encountered by archaeologists and anthropologists. Its difficulty is due to the complexity of the task itself, but also to the limited methodological resources available for researchers. Parallelly, its importance derives from the fact that individualized skeletons are a prerequisite for any anthropological analysis that aims to provide results. In this paper, we put forward a new methodological approach that aims to integrate different tools and techniques already available. The basis of this methodology is the analysis of the spatial relationships of the human skeletal remains. To facilitate its use and maximize its effectiveness, we have developed a set of specific tools and protocols that include a list of information to be directly recorded in Geographical Information System (GIS) software, as well as a new coding system for skeletal remains showing different levels of completeness. Results show that the application of such a methodology helped in the resolution of a large, commingled assemblage exhumed from a 16th-century-CE burial located in southwestern Hungary. The original number of complete skeletons (those individualized in their entirety during the fieldwork) was substantially increased, and for several other skeletal elements, potential matches were found during the laboratory work. We found this methodology to be a good filter prior to the utilization of the more standardized techniques such as osteometric sorting, articulation, visual pair-matching or process of elimination, as it would increase their effectiveness. Additionally, the novel coding system has proven to be useful in inventorying and storing human skeletal remains. This project shows that the addition of GIS technology and spatial analysis does increase the success rate in the reassociation of commingled human skeletal remains.
References
- 1.De Andrés Montero, M., Kis, L., Spekker, O., Vig, V., Kocsmár, R., Simon, Z., Simon, B., Neményi, R., Bertók, G., Tihanyi, B., & Pálfi, G. (2026). New integrative methodology for the excavation and study of mass graves and partially commingled remains. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13560
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