The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), began a series of excavations near Vukovar, at the Ovcara pig farm in 1993. They proceeded to find surmounting evidence for a mass execution, but were not allowed continued access until 1995. In June of 1996 the tribunal sent Dr. William Haglund to Ovcara to complete the exhumations begun by Dr. Clyde Snow. With the help of Boston-based physicians for human rights, forensic scientists from nineteen countries were shuttled over to assist in the tedious work (Stover 42). The local government was required to cooperate with the scientists by guarding the site and providing any helpful information.
In 1992 Dr. Clyde Snow came to the area as part of a U.N. team investigating war crimes. He met up with "Marko" who said he had escaped a mass execution near Vukovar. They went to the site together looking for signs. On the surface, half buried, was a skull facing upwards, jaw agape. Two months later they came back and unearthed the skeleton, finding more of the same below and what appeared to be the rough outline of a large grave. The Serbian government hadn't approved exhumations yet so they placed the bodies back and covered the hole, knowing they would return when it was safer (Stover 43).
Before excavations began,
preparatory work had to be done to determine the actual size of the grave, soil
density and hardness. A typical method used to search for bodies is to take a
T-shaped steel probe, thrust it into the ground then remove it to smell for the
tell tale odor of decaying flesh. Also the positioning of bodies provides many
clues that can reveal a number of factors in the deaths, so it is important to
dig slowly (ICTY).
To begin the actual digging a backhoe was used. This removed the dirt in shallow layers until bodies or clothing started to appear. At this point the digging needed to be done by hand to avoid damaging any of the remains. Trowels and small brushes were used which removed the dirt and grime gently. Everything found was considered a key piece of evidence and was carefully marked and stored in baggies. This included clothing, bandages, teeth, small broken bits of bone and jewelry. The ground needed to be searched for shell casings and bullets. One way was by watching for any signs of bullet holes in the skeletons or trees nearby. It was also important to gather plant and insect remains in the grave. These were analyzed later to determine the time of death or burial (ICTY).
The first step in exhuming a grave of this caliber included dressing properly, by wearing overalls, rubber boots and protective gloves. They were literally knee deep in the stench of death all day- forced to work slowly, so as not to loose any evidence. After brushing the skeleton free of most of the dirt it was photographed, then mapped in its exact placement with an electronic surveying system. This was much more accurate and faster than the old manual method. It became clear that these people had been executed in groups because shell casings were found in clumps between groups of bodies.
As the work continued, bodies were found wearing hospital smocks and special foot wear known to be worn by Croatian hospital employees. Many also had signs of prior injuries, such as a broken arm in a sling, crutches or casts. The Serbian army had laid siege on Vukovar for three months in November of 1991 decimating the town. It was rumored many months before the grave was exhumed that these men were the victims of the victorious Serbian army who had gathered all the males from the hospital, brought them to Ovcara and executed them. The findings of the exhumation were clearly validating this claim (Stover 43).
After the bodies were pulled from the ground they were sent to the morgue in Zagreb where Dr. Clyde Snow continued the identification process. Students from the University working with him interviewed relatives and friends of the missing hospital patients. They were trying to gather accurate physical descriptions, dental charts and any other helpful clues that might assist Dr. Snow in identifying the corpses.
All the information was entered into his computer and when a skeleton arrived he examines it, determining sex, cause of death, previous injuries, racial characteristics, right or left handedness, signs of disease, height and age. Any clothing or jewelry found with it were also entered in. The computer program was set up to run a match on all these descriptions, hopefully finding the identity. If none of this worked, a DNA test was to be completed (Stover 46).
The actual excavation took six weeks, however, the forensic and identification process will take months. All in all it is a tedious, grueling process that requires patience and a solid belief in your work. It is unfortunate that Drs. Clyde Snow and William Haglund have grown famous for their work uncovering the horrors of present day humanity. We thank them though for forcing the world to see the destruction humankind continues to be capable of.
Sources
Stover Eric. "The Grave at Vukovar" Smithsonian. 27.12 (1997): 40+.