Abstract
Unidentified, commingled remains from mass grave contexts make human skeletal identification difficult, particularly in regions where there have been multiple, distinct conflicts, the excavation and retrieval of remains has been delayed, and/or graves contain both combatants and civilians. Identification is further complicated when information about the excavation and recovery of human remains is unavailable. In mass grave contexts, artifacts associated with the burials of unknown individuals can link them to a particular conflict, indicate whether they were civilians or soldiers, provide information about their specific military unit, and may also include personal effects that can be used for individual identification. This analysis examines artifacts associated with the remains of individuals recovered from Herzegovina, Bosnia to suggest they are Axis-affiliated World War II soldiers. During the war, modern Herzegovina, Bosnia was partitioned into distinct German and Italian zones as well as the Nazi-controlled, Ustaše-led, Independent State of Croatia, complicating repatriation efforts. Artifact analysis of certain objects associated with these unidentified individuals indicates these men were members of the German rather than the Italian army.