Fatal cranial injury in an individual from Messina (Sicily) during the times of the Roman Empire

Forensic and archaeological examinations of human skeletons can provide us with evidence of violence.In this paper, we present the patterns of two cranial lesions found on an adult male (T173) buried in agrave in the necropolis ‘Isolato 96’, Messina, Sicily, dating back to the Roman Empire (1st century BC - 1stcentury AD). The skull reveals two perimortem traumatic lesions, one produced by a sharp object on theright parietal bone and the other one on the left parietal bone, presumably the result of a fall. Theinterpretation of fracture patterns found in this cranium are an illustration of how forensic approachescan be applied with great benefit to archaeological specimens. 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.