Gianni Lombardi

The contribution of forensic geology and other trace evidence analysis to the investigation of the killing of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

In May 1978 the body of the kidnapped Italian Prime Minister, murdered by the Red Brigades, was found in a car parked in the center of Rome. This paper discusses the findings from the investigations conducted on the evidence found on Mr. Moros clothes, shoes (beach sand, bitumen, vegetals and polyester fragments), and on the car. To get a comprehensive picture of the characteristics of the various pieces of evidence, use was made of a multiple-technique approach. The sand was identified as coming from the seashore close to Rome. A tract of shore with a limited number of roads leading to the beach was defined as compatible with the textural and compositional characteristics of the sand. The study of the vegetal fragmenta suggested that they had been picked up in a period of time close to the killing. Thermosetting polyester, of the type used in boat manufacturing was found under the fenders, in the tires and inside the car, as well as under Mr. Moros shoes, supporting proximity of a beach. Pollen analysis showed that adhesion of volcanic soil to the car fenders antedated adhesion of the sand.

Il Tufo Giallo della Via Tiberina (Roma) utilizzato nei monumenti romani

This tuff (TGVT) is a product of the Quaternary Sabatini Volcanic District outcropping just north of Rome. At first excavated by the Etruscan, it was used for the structures of relevant Roman monuments during the Republican and Imperial age. A synthesis of the geological and historical data is presented together with the results of chromatic, petrographic and chemical analyses of samples from ancient monuments and modern quarries which allowed to assess the range of the compositional and structural variations of the tuff. As many other tuffs related to the alkaline-potassic volcanism of the perithyrrenian belt, the TGVT contains abundant zeolites (chabazite and phillipsite) derived from the volcanic glass transformation. Together with calcite, they are the binding agent of the tuff and responsible for its good mechanical properties. Results of this work show that the TGVT has compositional ranges different from other tuffs used by the Romans and good general properties which justify its use in ancient and modern times.RiassuntoIl Tufo Giallo della Via Tiberina (TGVT) è un prodotto del Distretto Vulcanico dei Sabatini affiorante a nord di Roma. Già cavato dagli Etruschi, è stato utilizzato nelle strutture di importanti monumenti della Roma Republicana ed Imperiale. Si presenta un inquadramento geologico e storico ed i risultati di analisi cromatiche, petrografiche, chimiche su campioni da monumenti e da cave in attività che hanno mostrato i campi di variazione strutturale e composizione del tufo. Così come altri tufi prodotti dal vulcanismo alcalino-potassico della fascia peritirrenica, il TGVT è ricco in zeoliti (cabasite e phillipsite) derivate dalla trasformazione del vetro. Insieme alla calcite costituiscono il sistema cementante del tufo che ha buone caratteristiche meccaniche. Nell’insieme risulta che il TGVT ha suoi specifici caratteri che lo differenziano da altri tufi utilizzati dai Romani e caratteristiche che lo hanno fatto apprezzare come materiale da costruzione sia nell’antichità sia nei tempi moderni.

Thermal analysis in forensic science

Abstract A review of the uses of thermoanalytical methods in forensic science is presented. Applications include studies on: the thermal behaviour of human hair, skin and finger nails, the DTA, DSC, TMA and thermomicroscopic characterization of polymers and fibers, DTA and TG of food. grains, DTA of explosives, DTA, TG, DTG of glass, rubber, paint and plastics parts from vehicles -and of soils from shoes, clothes, appliances, cars.

The Death of Countess Agusta in Portofino (Northern Italy) and the Soil from Two Mismatched Slippers

Abstract:  Accident, suicide, or homicide might have caused the death of Countess Agusta who fell from the 80‐m tall cliff of her villa. Two mismatched slippers were recovered along the cliff. Use was made of microscope, X‐ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and microprobe techniques to compare 40 mg of soil collected from the slipper soles with samples from the villa garden. Structural details of the slipper soles were consistent with the lady wearing them during the fall. Analysis of the soil residues confirmed that they originated from the garden only. The features of a few, minute glass chips adhering to the slipper soles reasonably matched those of other fragments that were found on a small ledge on the cliff beyond the garden parapet. Based on this and other evidence, the case was closed with a verdict of accidental fall.

Caratteri fisico-meccanici del Tufo Giallo della Via Tiberina (Roma)

This tuff (TGVT) is a product of the Sabatini Quaternary Volcanic District out cropping just North of Rome. The TGVT was used in many monumental structures of Ancient Rome and nowadays large volumes are extracted from quarries located in the Riano area. This work discusses the results of physico-mechanical analyses (density, porosity, imbition, elastic waves velocity, uniaxial, compressive, tensile and flexural strength) carried out on a series of blocks from quarries. The range of the data obtained in natural, saturated and freezing conditions allowed assessing the influence of environmental conditions on the TGVT. Among volcanic tuffs, the TGVT shows good mechanical properties wholly adequate for its use in the building industry.RiassuntoIl tufo Giallo della Via Tiberina (TGVT) è un prodotto del Distretto Vulcanico Quaternario dei Sabatini affiorante poco a nord di Roma. È stato utilizzato sin dall’antichità nelle strutture di monumenti Romani ed attualmente importanti volumi sono estratti, da numerose cave nell’area di Riano. Si presentano i risultati di una serie di analisi fisico-meccaniche (densità, porosità, imbibizione, velocità onde elastiche, resistenza a compressione uniassiale, a flessione e a trazione) ottenute da un’estesa campionatura di blocchetti da cave. La determinazione del campo di variabilità dei risultati in condizioni naturali, di saturazione in acqua e di gelività ha permesso di valutare la dipendenza del TGVT dalle condizioni ambientali. Tra i tufi vulcanici, il TGVT ha mostrato avere buone proprietà meccaniche del tutto adeguate per il suo impiego come materiale da costruzione.

Provenance and authenticity of Roman sculptures by petrographic techniques

Forensic petrographic methods—such as microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thin section examination—applied to materials of archaeological interest—provided reliable answers to questions related to their provenance. It could be demonstrated that the patina on a Roman marble statue had been faked and that the genetic history of earthy incrustations on the sculptures and on a fragment of marble from an illegal excavation site was the same, therefore indicating a common provenance. Moreover, the same techniques proved that a terracotta fragment found in the belts of an excavator was from the same area as the illegal excavation site.