Old Acquaintances Reappear: The Human Remains in the “Chiesa Vecchia” of Filetto, L’Aquila, Central Italy

Shortly after the discovery of mummies in the village of Calascio, inner Abruzzo region an additional site in the same area has been brought to light in Filetto, a small hermit belonging to the municipality of L’Aquila. Since 2001, a collection of human remains dating back to 19th century was known to be present inside a crypt beneath the ruins of the Chiesa Vecchia (old church). The recent recovery of the ruined church allowed us to come across the remains once again. The human remains from Filetto represent the seventh known collection of mummified bodies in the inner Abruzzo region, enhancing the assets of bioanthropological interests in this area. By analogy with Calascio and other local sites, we proposed a thorough investigation of bodies and burial goods in order to trace a bioanthropological and paleopathological profile of these individuals.