Departments of Anthropology and History Members on History Television

The world broadcast premiere of "1917: The Missing" will be aired on History Television, November 5, 2007 at 8:00 pm. 

 

In October of 2003, the remains of two Canadian soldiers from the First World War were recovered from a battlefield in the town of Avion, France. The documentary chronicles the investigation to determine their identities and to tell the story of these two soldiers. Organized by the Canadian Department of National Defense, Dr. Carney Matheson of the Department of Anthropology led the multidisciplinary team of geneticists, forensic archaeologists, genealogists and historians to achieve this goal. Other team members from Lakehead University included Tal Fisher, Bio-Archaeology Laboratory Technician with the Department of Anthropology and David Ratz, Sessional Lecturer with the Department of History.

 

With the goal of identifying the two soldiers and telling their story, the investigation team worked with an amazing collection of evidence. From walking the 1917 battlefield so close to Vimy Ridge, to analyzing the remains, the associated artifacts and the historical records. Family histories were also traced to contact living kin and DNA evidence examined. 

 

A truly moving experience for all team members involved and an amazing story.