“I Die for Freedom”: How an Inscribed Medallion Led to a Positive Identification of an Execution Victim of the Spanish Dictatorship

Journal article

Introduction: During an excavation in 2022 of a mass grave within a cemetery in Castilla-La Mancha containing the remains of executed victims of the Spanish Civil War and Francoist dictatorship, the scientific team discovered a medallion with a name and a date inscribed on it. The medallion was associated with an individual recovered from a grave containing 12 other individuals in 5 separate stratigraphic layers. This paper aims to outline the identification process of the deceased from the skeletal remains and associated medallion. Methods: This process included archival research, gathering witness testimonies, archaeological evidence, osteological examination and DNA analysis. Results: After restoration, the medallion revealed the words “VIVA LA FIJL. VIVA LA FAI.” on one face and “MUERO POR LA LIBERTAD.” on the other. The human skeletal remains associated with the medallion showed male morphological characteristics and were estimated to be between 21 and 30 years old at the time of death, with a height between 1.64 and 1.67 m. There was skeletal evidence of ballistic trauma on the right mandible and the right scapula. Genetic analysis confirmed an mtDNA match with his maternal niece. Discussion/Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the identification of human remains from the Spanish Civil War and the Dictatorship which followed, and how the objects found within a mass grave can be useful in aiding a positive identification.

Authors: Ronner, E; Márquez-Grant, N; Gorostiza, A; Moreno Andrés, J; Villalta Luna, AM

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: MDPI
• Journal: Forensic Sciences
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 43
• Article number: 43
• Publication date: 2026-05-21
• Acceptance date: 2026-05-19
• DOI: 10.3390/forensicsci6020043
• EISSN: 2673-6756
• ISSN: 2673-6756
• Language: English
• Keywords: forensic anthropology; object conservation and restoration; Spanish Civil War; DNA analysis; human identification