Investigating a 1,500-year-old murder mystery in Cologne, Germany
Investigating a 1,500-year-old murder mystery in Cologne, Germany
Investigation into two corpses, found under Cologne Cathedral, Germany, that were buried many centuries before the present cathedral was built.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
It was a chance discovery that shocked Germany. Traces of an ancient crime right underneath Cologne Cathedral. Georg Hauser, head of the cathedral's excavation, has been investigating for years. Today, he's revisiting the remains of the two corpses first found in the 1950s, but which date from much earlier.
But who were this unlucky pair buried here and how did they die? Forensic biologist Mark Benecke and chemist Bert Steffan are expecting Georg Hauser at the grave site. Using the latest technology, these scientists hope to unravel the mystery behind these 1,500-year-old graves that date from the time of the Franks. But are there any clues that scientists today can unearth that their counterparts in the 1950s couldn't? When the corpses were discovered, all that remained were a few bones and teeth. The bodies had long since turned to dust. Back then, all scientists could say for certain was that the graves contained the bodies of a woman and a six-year old child who died in approximately 526 A.D. Benecke is searching every last square inch of the tombs for clues that could link the two bodies. Were they mother and child? In the grave's crevices, all he finds are bits of stone, but using a magnifying glass he spots what he thinks might be a stain and wonders whether it might be suitable for a DNA test.
Meanwhile, at the University of Munich another team of scientists are testing samples from the tombs. This box sent by the team in Cologne turns out to be a treasure trove of clues. Inside are leather gloves from both graves. 1,500 years ago, mourning relatives would place the deceased's personal affects alongside the corpse. That means that the woman and the child must have worn these gloves. Biologist Professor Wanner takes small samples from the woman's glove to examine it under his microscope. These are then covered in platinum. This way, Professor Wanner can produce a detailed chemical image with the help of his scanning electron microscope. Professor Wanner is ecstatic when he sees the image coming into focus on his screen. He could never have envisioned this in his wildest dreams. The layered structure of the image indicates the presence of red blood cells. The child's glove reveals the same picture. This is 1,500-year-old blood. Meanwhile, Wanner has received reports from Cologne that experts have found traces of molybdenum, a poison that could have killed these two. The blood count from Professor Wanner's microscope shows the same thing. There can now be no doubt. Both woman and child were poisoned.
Molybdenum is contained in lead sugar, which the Romans used to sweeten wines and food. A little bit was harmless, but the quantities Professor Wanner found in the blood samples taken from the gloves were more than enough to kill. It's assumed that the woman and child coughed up blood, which is how it came to be on the gloves. It's still unclear, however, who the two were. A DNA test has shown categorically that the woman was not the mother of the child. But why were the pair of them buried together beneath Cologne Cathedral? That mystery will likely puzzle scientists for years to come.
But who were this unlucky pair buried here and how did they die? Forensic biologist Mark Benecke and chemist Bert Steffan are expecting Georg Hauser at the grave site. Using the latest technology, these scientists hope to unravel the mystery behind these 1,500-year-old graves that date from the time of the Franks. But are there any clues that scientists today can unearth that their counterparts in the 1950s couldn't? When the corpses were discovered, all that remained were a few bones and teeth. The bodies had long since turned to dust. Back then, all scientists could say for certain was that the graves contained the bodies of a woman and a six-year old child who died in approximately 526 A.D. Benecke is searching every last square inch of the tombs for clues that could link the two bodies. Were they mother and child? In the grave's crevices, all he finds are bits of stone, but using a magnifying glass he spots what he thinks might be a stain and wonders whether it might be suitable for a DNA test.
Meanwhile, at the University of Munich another team of scientists are testing samples from the tombs. This box sent by the team in Cologne turns out to be a treasure trove of clues. Inside are leather gloves from both graves. 1,500 years ago, mourning relatives would place the deceased's personal affects alongside the corpse. That means that the woman and the child must have worn these gloves. Biologist Professor Wanner takes small samples from the woman's glove to examine it under his microscope. These are then covered in platinum. This way, Professor Wanner can produce a detailed chemical image with the help of his scanning electron microscope. Professor Wanner is ecstatic when he sees the image coming into focus on his screen. He could never have envisioned this in his wildest dreams. The layered structure of the image indicates the presence of red blood cells. The child's glove reveals the same picture. This is 1,500-year-old blood. Meanwhile, Wanner has received reports from Cologne that experts have found traces of molybdenum, a poison that could have killed these two. The blood count from Professor Wanner's microscope shows the same thing. There can now be no doubt. Both woman and child were poisoned.
Molybdenum is contained in lead sugar, which the Romans used to sweeten wines and food. A little bit was harmless, but the quantities Professor Wanner found in the blood samples taken from the gloves were more than enough to kill. It's assumed that the woman and child coughed up blood, which is how it came to be on the gloves. It's still unclear, however, who the two were. A DNA test has shown categorically that the woman was not the mother of the child. But why were the pair of them buried together beneath Cologne Cathedral? That mystery will likely puzzle scientists for years to come.