Phone: +30-210-7462426 Address: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 M. Asias Str., 11527 Athens, Greece
There is a high demand of osteometric methods to address the issue of commingled remains, however... more There is a high demand of osteometric methods to address the issue of commingled remains, however, the research in reassociating the crania with C1, and C1 with C2, as part of the craniovertebral junction, is limited. Reassociating crania with the postcranial skeleton can offer beneficial information for personal identification, as the cranium is broadly utilized for sex and age estimation. Moreover, cranium contributes to the facial reconstruction, a useful supplementary method for forensic identification. For this study, measurements were collected from 159 crania and 182 C1 and C2 vertebrae from the Athens Collection, representing adult males and females between 18 and 99 years. A reassociation method was produced utilizing osteometrics of articular surfaces. A supplementary sample of ten individuals was utilized as a test sample, originating from Athens Medical School. Seven equations were generated by simple linear regression analysis for the reassociation of the cranium to C1, and C1 to C2. The blind test results demonstrated that this method can be applied with 80-100% success. Overall, the results indicated that the produced regression models are a useful addition to the existing sorting methodologies, as they can be applied in mixed-sex and/or fragmented commingled osteological assemblages.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2021
Human remains have been displayed in museums in Europe since many centuries for historical, cultu... more Human remains have been displayed in museums in Europe since many centuries for historical, cultural, and educational reasons. Of particular interest are skeletal remains and body parts that have suffered violent deaths and such remains often feature in Criminology Museums. Despite the well-acknowledged value of human remains in medical education, bioarchaeology, and research, the display of human remains still raises ethical considerations ranging in severity depending on the cultural substrate and legal framework of each country. Recent developments in medical imaging and visualisation are offering an alternative way. Taking into account the emerging issues regarding exhibition and handling of human remains, this research project aims to use virtual methods to reconstruct the circumstances of the death of a nineteenth-century outlaw comprising one of the human exhibits at the Criminology Museum of Athens in Greece.For the purpose of the project, the severed head of the outlaw Stav...
Tool use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as > 3 m... more Tool use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as > 3 million years ago. Although heightened manual dexterity is considered to be intrinsically intertwined with tool use and manufacture and critical for human evolution, its role in the emergence of early culture remains unclear. Most previous research on this question exclusively relied on direct morphological comparisons between early hominin and modern human skeletal elements, assuming that the degree of a species’ dexterity depends on its similarity with the modern human form. Here we develop a new approach to investigate the biomechanical efficiency of thumb opposition, a fundamental component of manual dexterity, in several species of fossil hominins. Our work for the first time takes into account soft tissue as well as bone anatomy, integrating virtual modeling of the muscle opponens pollicis and its interaction with three-dimensional bone shape form. Results indicate that efficient thumb opposition appeared approximately 2 million years ago, likely associated with our own genus Homo, and did not characterize Australopithecus, the earliest proposed stone tool-maker. This was true also of the late Australopithecus species, A. sediba, previously found to exhibit human-like thumb morphology. In contrast, later Homo species, including the small-brained H. naledi, show high levels of thumb opposition dexterity, highlighting the increasing importance of cultural processes and manual dexterity in later human evolution.
In wound ballistics research there is a relationship between the data that characterize a bullet ... more In wound ballistics research there is a relationship between the data that characterize a bullet and the injury resulted after shooting when it perforates the human body. The bullet path in the human body following skin perforation as well as the damaging effect cannot always be predictable as they depend on various factors such as the bullet's characteristics (velocity, distance, type of firearm and so on) and the tissue types that the bullet passes through. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the contribution of Computed Tomography (CT) in wound ballistics research. Using CT technology and studying virtual "slices" of specific areas on scanned human bodies, allows the evaluation of density and thickness of the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, the muscles, the vital organs and the bones. Density data taken from Hounsfield units can be converted in g/ml by using the appropriate software. By evaluating the results of this study, the anatomy of the human body utilizing ballistic gel will be reproduced in order to simulate the path that a bullet follows. The biophysical analysis in wound ballistics provides another application of CT technology, which is commonly used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various medical disciplines.
Summary Systematic tool production and use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibl... more Summary Systematic tool production and use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as >3 million years ago.1, 2, 3 Although heightened manual dexterity is considered to be intrinsically intertwined with tool use and manufacture, and critical for human evolution, its role in the emergence of early culture remains unclear. Most previous research on this question exclusively relied on direct morphological comparisons between early hominin and modern human skeletal elements, assuming that the degree of a species’ dexterity depends on its similarity with the modern human form. Here, we develop a new approach to investigate the efficiency of thumb opposition, a fundamental component of manual dexterity, in several species of fossil hominins. Our work for the first time takes into account soft tissue as well as bone anatomy, integrating virtual modeling of musculus opponens pollicis and its interaction with three-dimensional bone shape form. Results indicate that a fundamental aspect of efficient thumb opposition appeared approximately 2 million years ago, possibly associated with our own genus Homo, and did not characterize Australopithecus, the earliest proposed stone tool maker. This was true also of the late Australopithecus species, Australopithecus sediba, previously found to exhibit human-like thumb proportions. In contrast, later Homo species, including the small-brained Homo naledi, show high levels of thumb opposition dexterity, highlighting the increasing importance of cultural processes and manual dexterity in later human evolution.
Introduction. Ground-level falls have emerged as one of the major causes of unintentional fatal i... more Introduction. Ground-level falls have emerged as one of the major causes of unintentional fatal injury in several developed countries. As older age is accompanied by deterioration on various systems and abilities of the human body, the elderly are known to be particularly vulnerable to fatal ground-level falls. Methods. Forty-three cases of fatal accidental ground-level falls, which occurred in the region of East Attica, were assigned to our Department during the years 2011-2015. Epidemiological data of the victims, the circumstances of the falls and the type/characteristics of the injuries were recorded. Results. Forty-three cases of fatal ground-level falls involving 24 male victims (55.8%) and 19 female victims (44.2%). Their ages ranged between 45 and 96 years old with the vast majority (38 cases-88.4%) of the victims being >65 years old. Almost half of the fatal ground-level fall cases (21 cases) took place inside or near the victims' residence, 11 occurred in public places, 1 in another residence, 1 in the victim's workplace and in 6 cases the place of the fall was unknown. Twenty-two of the fallers (57.9%) died within the first 24h after the fall while the rest died 2-45 days post-injury. Fatal injuries involved mainly the head with (14 cases) or without (15 cases) cranial bone fracture. In some cases, head trauma was accompanied with severe neck (3 cases), thoracolumbar spine (1 case) or pelvic (1 case) trauma. Notably, 5 people died due to post-traumatic complications during their hospitalization. Conclusion. Elderly people seem to be prone to fatal accidental ground-level falls occurring mostly inside their residence or in the surroundings. Head and neck are highlighted as the main body regions seriously injured after a ground-level fall.
Can someone claim property rights on a corps e? If so, to whom it belongs? If not, are there anyl... more Can someone claim property rights on a corps e? If so, to whom it belongs? If not, are there anylimits to the "use exploitation" of the human body? This paper discusses the ethical issues that arise ineducation and research with cadaveric materials by conducting a review of the international litera ture. Inthe light of various scandals concerning the retention of cadaveric tissues and organs and their use ineducation and research, the legislative framework in the UK was revised in 2006 to regulate themanagement of a corpse. Similar acts exist in m any other countries. In Greece, the current legal systemonly regulates the use of biological materials for transplantation, leaving a "gap" in education andresearch issues after death. Greece must leave behind the paternalism of the past and follow the p rinciplesof information and consent.
We present two cases of elevator‐related deaths that occurred in two different elevators, and dea... more We present two cases of elevator‐related deaths that occurred in two different elevators, and deaths were caused by a similar, but unusual, mechanism. An elevator is a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Elevator‐related deaths and injuries are rarely reported in the literature. In most of these cases, cause of death was attributed to falls. It seems that most of the elevator accidents may be attributed to factors related to device maintenance inadequacies or even to device malfunctioning. In our cases, both elevator cars were not equipped with full‐length inner doors, thus allowing both accidents to occur. Since 2014, the European Union adopted a relative directive, which imposes the need to equip all elevators with such full‐length doors. The enforcement of the above‐mentioned EU Directive is crucial, in order to prevent similar accidents in the future.
There is a high demand of osteometric methods to address the issue of commingled remains, however... more There is a high demand of osteometric methods to address the issue of commingled remains, however, the research in reassociating the crania with C1, and C1 with C2, as part of the craniovertebral junction, is limited. Reassociating crania with the postcranial skeleton can offer beneficial information for personal identification, as the cranium is broadly utilized for sex and age estimation. Moreover, cranium contributes to the facial reconstruction, a useful supplementary method for forensic identification. For this study, measurements were collected from 159 crania and 182 C1 and C2 vertebrae from the Athens Collection, representing adult males and females between 18 and 99 years. A reassociation method was produced utilizing osteometrics of articular surfaces. A supplementary sample of ten individuals was utilized as a test sample, originating from Athens Medical School. Seven equations were generated by simple linear regression analysis for the reassociation of the cranium to C1, and C1 to C2. The blind test results demonstrated that this method can be applied with 80-100% success. Overall, the results indicated that the produced regression models are a useful addition to the existing sorting methodologies, as they can be applied in mixed-sex and/or fragmented commingled osteological assemblages.
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2021
Human remains have been displayed in museums in Europe since many centuries for historical, cultu... more Human remains have been displayed in museums in Europe since many centuries for historical, cultural, and educational reasons. Of particular interest are skeletal remains and body parts that have suffered violent deaths and such remains often feature in Criminology Museums. Despite the well-acknowledged value of human remains in medical education, bioarchaeology, and research, the display of human remains still raises ethical considerations ranging in severity depending on the cultural substrate and legal framework of each country. Recent developments in medical imaging and visualisation are offering an alternative way. Taking into account the emerging issues regarding exhibition and handling of human remains, this research project aims to use virtual methods to reconstruct the circumstances of the death of a nineteenth-century outlaw comprising one of the human exhibits at the Criminology Museum of Athens in Greece.For the purpose of the project, the severed head of the outlaw Stav...
Tool use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as > 3 m... more Tool use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as > 3 million years ago. Although heightened manual dexterity is considered to be intrinsically intertwined with tool use and manufacture and critical for human evolution, its role in the emergence of early culture remains unclear. Most previous research on this question exclusively relied on direct morphological comparisons between early hominin and modern human skeletal elements, assuming that the degree of a species’ dexterity depends on its similarity with the modern human form. Here we develop a new approach to investigate the biomechanical efficiency of thumb opposition, a fundamental component of manual dexterity, in several species of fossil hominins. Our work for the first time takes into account soft tissue as well as bone anatomy, integrating virtual modeling of the muscle opponens pollicis and its interaction with three-dimensional bone shape form. Results indicate that efficient thumb opposition appeared approximately 2 million years ago, likely associated with our own genus Homo, and did not characterize Australopithecus, the earliest proposed stone tool-maker. This was true also of the late Australopithecus species, A. sediba, previously found to exhibit human-like thumb morphology. In contrast, later Homo species, including the small-brained H. naledi, show high levels of thumb opposition dexterity, highlighting the increasing importance of cultural processes and manual dexterity in later human evolution.
In wound ballistics research there is a relationship between the data that characterize a bullet ... more In wound ballistics research there is a relationship between the data that characterize a bullet and the injury resulted after shooting when it perforates the human body. The bullet path in the human body following skin perforation as well as the damaging effect cannot always be predictable as they depend on various factors such as the bullet's characteristics (velocity, distance, type of firearm and so on) and the tissue types that the bullet passes through. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the contribution of Computed Tomography (CT) in wound ballistics research. Using CT technology and studying virtual "slices" of specific areas on scanned human bodies, allows the evaluation of density and thickness of the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, the muscles, the vital organs and the bones. Density data taken from Hounsfield units can be converted in g/ml by using the appropriate software. By evaluating the results of this study, the anatomy of the human body utilizing ballistic gel will be reproduced in order to simulate the path that a bullet follows. The biophysical analysis in wound ballistics provides another application of CT technology, which is commonly used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various medical disciplines.
Summary Systematic tool production and use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibl... more Summary Systematic tool production and use is one of humanity’s defining characteristics, possibly originating as early as >3 million years ago.1, 2, 3 Although heightened manual dexterity is considered to be intrinsically intertwined with tool use and manufacture, and critical for human evolution, its role in the emergence of early culture remains unclear. Most previous research on this question exclusively relied on direct morphological comparisons between early hominin and modern human skeletal elements, assuming that the degree of a species’ dexterity depends on its similarity with the modern human form. Here, we develop a new approach to investigate the efficiency of thumb opposition, a fundamental component of manual dexterity, in several species of fossil hominins. Our work for the first time takes into account soft tissue as well as bone anatomy, integrating virtual modeling of musculus opponens pollicis and its interaction with three-dimensional bone shape form. Results indicate that a fundamental aspect of efficient thumb opposition appeared approximately 2 million years ago, possibly associated with our own genus Homo, and did not characterize Australopithecus, the earliest proposed stone tool maker. This was true also of the late Australopithecus species, Australopithecus sediba, previously found to exhibit human-like thumb proportions. In contrast, later Homo species, including the small-brained Homo naledi, show high levels of thumb opposition dexterity, highlighting the increasing importance of cultural processes and manual dexterity in later human evolution.
Introduction. Ground-level falls have emerged as one of the major causes of unintentional fatal i... more Introduction. Ground-level falls have emerged as one of the major causes of unintentional fatal injury in several developed countries. As older age is accompanied by deterioration on various systems and abilities of the human body, the elderly are known to be particularly vulnerable to fatal ground-level falls. Methods. Forty-three cases of fatal accidental ground-level falls, which occurred in the region of East Attica, were assigned to our Department during the years 2011-2015. Epidemiological data of the victims, the circumstances of the falls and the type/characteristics of the injuries were recorded. Results. Forty-three cases of fatal ground-level falls involving 24 male victims (55.8%) and 19 female victims (44.2%). Their ages ranged between 45 and 96 years old with the vast majority (38 cases-88.4%) of the victims being >65 years old. Almost half of the fatal ground-level fall cases (21 cases) took place inside or near the victims' residence, 11 occurred in public places, 1 in another residence, 1 in the victim's workplace and in 6 cases the place of the fall was unknown. Twenty-two of the fallers (57.9%) died within the first 24h after the fall while the rest died 2-45 days post-injury. Fatal injuries involved mainly the head with (14 cases) or without (15 cases) cranial bone fracture. In some cases, head trauma was accompanied with severe neck (3 cases), thoracolumbar spine (1 case) or pelvic (1 case) trauma. Notably, 5 people died due to post-traumatic complications during their hospitalization. Conclusion. Elderly people seem to be prone to fatal accidental ground-level falls occurring mostly inside their residence or in the surroundings. Head and neck are highlighted as the main body regions seriously injured after a ground-level fall.
Can someone claim property rights on a corps e? If so, to whom it belongs? If not, are there anyl... more Can someone claim property rights on a corps e? If so, to whom it belongs? If not, are there anylimits to the "use exploitation" of the human body? This paper discusses the ethical issues that arise ineducation and research with cadaveric materials by conducting a review of the international litera ture. Inthe light of various scandals concerning the retention of cadaveric tissues and organs and their use ineducation and research, the legislative framework in the UK was revised in 2006 to regulate themanagement of a corpse. Similar acts exist in m any other countries. In Greece, the current legal systemonly regulates the use of biological materials for transplantation, leaving a "gap" in education andresearch issues after death. Greece must leave behind the paternalism of the past and follow the p rinciplesof information and consent.
We present two cases of elevator‐related deaths that occurred in two different elevators, and dea... more We present two cases of elevator‐related deaths that occurred in two different elevators, and deaths were caused by a similar, but unusual, mechanism. An elevator is a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Elevator‐related deaths and injuries are rarely reported in the literature. In most of these cases, cause of death was attributed to falls. It seems that most of the elevator accidents may be attributed to factors related to device maintenance inadequacies or even to device malfunctioning. In our cases, both elevator cars were not equipped with full‐length inner doors, thus allowing both accidents to occur. Since 2014, the European Union adopted a relative directive, which imposes the need to equip all elevators with such full‐length doors. The enforcement of the above‐mentioned EU Directive is crucial, in order to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Forensic archaeology is mostly defined as the use of archaeological methods and principles within... more Forensic archaeology is mostly defined as the use of archaeological methods and principles within a legal context. However, such a definition only covers one aspect of forensic archaeology and misses the full potential this discipline has to offer. This volume is unique in that it contains 57 chapters from experienced forensic archaeological practitioners working in different countries, intergovernmental organisations or NGO’s. It shows that the practice of forensic archaeology varies worldwide as a result of diverse historical, educational, legal and judicial backgrounds. The chapters in this volume will be an invaluable reference to (forensic) archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, humanitarian and human rights workers, forensic scientists, police officers, professionals working in criminal justice systems and all other individuals who are interested in the potential forensic archaeology has to offer at scenes of crime or places of incident. This volume promotes the development of forensic archaeology worldwide. In addition, it proposes an interpretative framework that is grounded in archaeological theory and methodology, integrating affiliated behavioural and forensic sciences.
Methodologies and legislative frameworks regarding the archaeological excavation, retrieval, anal... more Methodologies and legislative frameworks regarding the archaeological excavation, retrieval, analysis, curation and potential reburial of human skeletal remains differ throughout the world. As work forces have become increasingly mobile and international research collaborations are steadily increasing, the need for a more comprehensive understanding of different national research traditions, methodologies and legislative structures within the academic and commercial sector of physical anthropology has arisen. The Routledge Handbook of Archaeological Human Remains and Legislation provides comprehensive information on the excavation of archaeological human remains and the law through 62 individual country contributions from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Australasia.
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