In 2014, skeletons were found in the well in a Gurdwara in Ajnala area of Punjab. Who do the skeletons belong to? While historical records said that these could be Indian soldiers killed by the British during the 1857 armed uprising, there were several other theories about it. How did scientists go about investigating this mystery? We spoke to Dr J S Sehrawat, a forensic anthropologist from Panjab University. This podcast is the story of the fascinating world of forensic anthropology.

Reporting and research - Menaka Rao
Co-host and audio editing - Rakesh Kamal

Additional Reading:

Short fieldwork report. Human remains from Ajnala, India, 2014
Forgotten, Discovered and Then Forgotten Again: The 1857 Martyrs in Punjab's Ajnala
Carbon dating, the archaeological workhorse, is getting a major reboot
Aspartic acid racemization of root dentin used for dental age estimation in a Polish population sample - PMC.
Forensic odontological sex determination of Ajnala skeletal remains based on the statistical equations generated from the odontometrics of known teeth - ScienceDirect
Dental Age Estimation of Ajnala Skeletal Remains: A Forensic Odontological Study
Pinpointing the Geographic Origin of 165-Year-Old Human Skeletal Remains Found in Punjab, India: Evidence From Mitochondrial DNA and Stable Isotope Analysis

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