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The Virtual DHOC of the Certosa Cemetery of Bologna
Project
ID: 000610808
Public
The Documented Human Osteological Collection (DHOC) of the Certosa Cemetery of Bologna (Emilia Romagna, northern Italy) consists of 425 human skeletons belonging to individuals deceased in the city between 1898 and 1944. The DHOC was assembled in the first half of the 20th century by the directors of the former Institute of Anthropology of the University of Bologna, Fabio Frassetto and Elsa Graffi Benassi. All the human skeletons are now housed at the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Bologna. They are mostly complete and well-preserved and pertain to individuals of different ages, ranging from fetuses/newborns to 91 years old. As a documented series, each individual is accompanied by a wide range of information, including name, sex, age at death, date and place of birth and death, occupation, cause of death, names of relatives/spouses. This kind of collection represents a scientific standpoint for the study of human skeletal remains and to test methods and techniques in the field of bioarchaeology, forensics and paleoanthropology. Then, the virtual database of the DHOC of the Certosa Cemetery of Bologna aims at making this information accessible to other researchers, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of scientific research in anthropology, while also ensuring the virtual preservation and accessibility of this collection for future generations. When downloading the material, the curators will ensure that specific terms of use conditions are met, including the adherence to international scientific recommendations in dealing with human remains with due respect. Belcastro et al. 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2605; Belcastro et al. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci2020025