14C dating in forensics: The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) and the identification of skeletal remains of missing persons

The Centre of Applied Physics, Dating, and Diagnostics (CEDAD) at the University of Salento collaborates with the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) to analyze skeletal remains of individuals who went missing during the 1963–64 inter-communal conflict and the 1974 events. Supported by the United Nations, the CMP aims to locate, identify, and return the remains to families, a process complicated by poor preservation of skeletal remains, complex burial contexts, and limited contextual information. Radiocarbon dating is a key part of the CMP’s analysis procedures, helping establish whether remains fall within the CMP mandate and providing details such as the individual’s year of birth. This paper reviews the application of radiocarbon dating of bone samples, addressing challenges like dietary offsets and carbon turnover models while demonstrating its significance in refining identification processes. Case studies highlight its utility in both relevant and unrelated contexts to the CMP’s mission, emphasizing its broader contributions to historical and forensic investigations.