Identity in historical skeletal remains: Reflections for ForensicAnthropology

Abstract

This essay discusses whether the techniques used by physical anthropology and their application to theforensic field, allow to positively identify an individual by his skeletal remains. The discussion addressesthe osteological analysis of two skeletons attributed to two important characters of Sonoran history: the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino and Captain Juan Bautista de Anza. The findings allow inferringthat in the first case, though characteristics could match with the missionary, there aren’t enough elementsa definitive identification; in the second case the analysis indicated that it was unlikely that the skeletonbelonged to Anza, as ratified later by local chroniclers. Thus, uncertainty remains about the skeletal remainsof Father Kino.