Archaeology and Forensics at NCC
From a press release:
The Death and Ultimate Remains of Adolf Hitler:
Archaeology and Forensics
Nicholas Bellantoni
University of Connecticut
February 11 – Thursday 7:30 pm
GenRe Forum – East Campus
It is widely believed that Hitler and his wife Eva Braun killed themselves in the bunker, in order to avoid possible capture. Accounts suggest that his remains were burned and buried at the site, and later moved by the Soviets to other sites in Germany in the decades after the war. But this is uncertain. Other reports suggest that Adolf Hitler may not have shot himself dead and perhaps did not even die in his bunker. The lack of public information concerning the whereabouts of Hitler’s remains encouraged rumors that Hitler may have survived the end of World War II. Records kept by the Soviet KGB and Russian FSB were opened in 1992 and matched the widely accepted version of Hitler’s death, that his death was by suicide by gunshot and cyanide poisoning. However, the Russian archives yielded more detailed autopsy information along with what happened to the corpse. What became of Hitler’s remains is still an open historical question and it was thought the answer could lie in the Russian archives in Moscow, where among other artifacts, there is a piece of human skull with a bullet wound that the Russians say is that of Adolf Hitler.
As part of the filming of a new series on The History Channel, MysteryQuest, Nicholas Bellantoni, was brought on a fact-finding mission from Germany to Moscow in search of evidence. He conducted an exploratory dig through a patch of earth where Hitler’s remains were said to have been reburied by the Soviets in the decades after World War II, searching for bone fragments. He also gained access to the Russian national archives, where he reviewed documents related to the Soviets’ handling of Hitler’s remains, and examined and gained DNA evidence from blood and bone fragments the Russians have said for decades belonged to the Nazi dictator.
Hitler’s Escape premiered Sept. 16 and featured three UConn faculty: Nicholas Bellantoni, Linda Strausbaugh, and Dawn Pettinelli. Together they investigated what became of Adolf Hitler’s remains in the days, months, and years after the end of World War II. At the university’s Center for Applied Genetics, Linda Strausbaugh closed her lab for three days to work exclusively on the Hitler project’s DNA analysis of blood and skull fragments taken from the Russians. In addition, Pettinelli conducted tests on the soil samples excavated by Nick. The results of Nick’s research and the tests results will be revealed by Nick as he presents his adventure to Germany and Russia in search of what became of Adolf Hitler.
Nicholas Bellantoni, the State Archaeologist, is an adjunct faculty member in the Anthropology Department, and teaches introductory courses, independent studies, and serves on graduate committees. Dr. Bellantoni serves as the state archaeologist with the CT State Museum of Natural History and Archaeology Center at the University of Connecticut. He received his doctorate in anthropology from UConn in 1987 and was shortly thereafter appointed state archaeologist. His duties are many, but primarily include the preservation of archaeological sites in the state. His research background is the analysis of skeletal remains from eastern North America. He has been excavating in Connecticut for over 30 years.
