Examination and Identification of the Skeleton: Anthropological Findings by F. Wagenfeil | Beethoven Music Research Center www.lvbeethoven.org

II. Untersuchung und Identifizierung des Skeletts:

1. anthropologischer Teil. (Mit 5 Abbildungen.) Von F. Wagenfeil, Bonn.
**II. Examination and Identification of the Skeleton:

Anthropological Section. (With 5 illustrations).
By F. Wagenfeil, Bonn.

During the opening of the grave located in the old cemetery of Bonn on the afternoon of 22 March 1932, which, according to the account given above, was supposed to contain the mortal remains of Beethoven’s mother, the gravedigger encountered a skeleton in natural position at a depth of about 1.50 metres. It was largely recovered and, according to subsequent anthropological examination, could be characterised in summary as follows:

Skull: light, thin‑walled, with weak muscular markings. Length 185 mm, breadth 153 mm, height 120 mm. Almost all sutures still open. Mandible markedly senile, tooth‑root cavities closed except for one. Chronic inflammatory bone deposits with severe deviation at the right condyle. Upper jaw broken and missing. Long bones of the limbs light, gracile, and rather short. On the neck of the left femur, chronic inflammatory bone deposit. Two cervical vertebrae fused together with loss of the left articular cavity due to chronic inflammation. Pelvis certainly male.

The first skeleton found was therefore that of an elderly man of graceful build. There is no doubt as to the correctness of the sex diagnosis. Likewise, everything — especially the pathological alterations — indicates advanced age, except for the condition of the cranial sutures, though such cases are not too rare.

According to the account, the first skeleton to be unearthed can only belong to the Italian cleric Matari, who died in his 61st year.

Digging further, the gravedigger soon found a skull in the upper right corner of the grave, which I then uncovered myself. The skull lay face‑down; the lower jaw was found at its feet and not in connection with it. The interior of the skull was completely filled with soil, the surface so contaminated that at first I could not and would not make any assumption about the sex. We explained the displacement upward to the right and onto the face as caused by soil pressure, perhaps at the time of Matari’s burial. In any case, we initially believed we had found the skeleton we were seeking.

I continued to dig methodically in the lower half of the pit and soon encountered two foot skeletons lying next to each other at a depth of about 1.80 m, roughly 1.10 m from the skull last uncovered. From there I gradually dug toward the head and succeeded in bringing to light a skeleton in completely free position. The individual bones were removed in the order in which they were exposed. With the cervical vertebral margin, the upper wall of the grave was reached, which was then further broken down to remove the skull.

The skull found in the upper right corner of the grave — initially thought to belong to the second skeleton — did not belong to the second body recovered, but had been placed in the grave at some point, whether during the first or second occupation of the grave is unknown. Other bone fragments were also found in the soil, both above Matari’s skeleton and near the skull mentioned.

As will be seen in the description, the skull belonging to the second skeleton is very damaged, but it must be emphasised that these damages were certainly not caused by the excavation, but were already present. I was unable to find in the soil any further bone fragments of the skull or the teeth of the upper jaw; perhaps this might have been possible at least in part with a sieve, but I did not have one at my disposal. After the removal of the second skeleton, we encountered disturbed soil, so the grave was safely emptied.

Description of the second skeleton:

Skull: the entire facial skeleton is missing, and parts of the lateral cranial wall are defective. Only the following bones are present: the squama of the frontal bone, both parietal bones, the occipital bone, and both temporal bones. In both parietal bones there are hole‑shaped defects that developed after death. The left parietal bone is fractured in the area of the lower half of the anterior margin, near the coronal suture, fairly parallel to it. Perpendicular to this fracture, another fracture enters the defect, separating the detached portion of the parietal bone from the frontal bone into an upper and a lower piece. The upper piece protrudes outward from the surface of the cranial vault, while the lower piece protrudes inward. This creates some difficulty in measuring the breadth, to which I shall return. The squama of the temporal bone is almost entirely missing on the left side and in the anterior part of the right side.

The forehead is bulging, slightly blistered; the frontal eminences are visible, especially on the right. The squama of the frontal bone is perhaps slightly pushed backward and downward, which would make the cranial length and height somewhat too small. But this would make little difference and would not alter the general character of the cranial form.

In the region of the parietal bones the skull slopes backward and downward like a roof, while in the region of the occipital squama it is slightly convex.

The mastoid processes are conical with a rather large basal diameter but reduced height; the left one is cratered on its inner side. Such defects, probably developed after death, are also present on the left side of the adjacent internal parts of the temporal bone pyramid and the occipital bone. Here the styloid process is missing, whereas on the right it is still present.

The muscular relief of the neck region is weakly developed. The bone walls are thick and allow light to pass through only in two places. The colour is brown.

Sutures: Internal: sagittal and coronal sutures ossified; lambdoid suture: the lambda region ossified but still visible, otherwise ossified. Suture between occipital bone and mastoid process open on the left, partially smoothed on the right. Suture between parietal bone and mastoid process open on both sides; squamous suture present only on the right, open. External: sagittal suture in the posterior half probable, but due to chipping of the outer table, in the anterior half overrun yet still clearly visible. Coronal suture fading (more on the right than on the left), but still well visible. Lambdoid suture: still completely open, except for slight smoothing in the lambda region and the central part (stronger on the left than on the right). Suture between occipital bone and mastoid process, as well as between parietal bone and mastoid process on both sides, and right squamous suture completely open.

Measurements: length 172 mm, breadth 149 mm, height 120 mm, horizontal cranial circumference 507 mm.

For the measurement of the breadth, the lower piece of the parietal bone that protrudes into the cranial cavity was brought level with the frontal bone. The greatest breadth was found on this piece. The upper piece, which protruded outward, could not be pressed inward because it was too fragile and would have broken. Perhaps there is also here a small measuring error, but probably in the sense that the skull would in any case be somewhat broader than can be measured. As with the length, this error would be so insignificant that it could not meaningfully alter the results.

Indices: length–breadth index 86.63 (hyperbrachycranial), height–breadth index 80.54 (tapeinocranial), height–length index 69.77 (chamaecran–orthocranial).

Thus, according to the indices, the skull may be characterised as markedly short and broad, and less than flat.

Mandible: chin height 27 mm. Thickness behind the mental foramen 14 mm on both sides; in front of the mental foramen 12 mm on both sides. Mandibular angle about 112°. Both articular processes and the left angle were broken; the left coronoid process is superficially damaged; further measurements are not possible. The bone is strong and heavy, with distinct muscular markings.

Long tubular bones of the limbs: the measurements and indices listed in the note fall within the average range, show nothing remarkable, and indicate a tendency toward slenderness in the upper limb and robustness in the lower limb. From the length of the long tubular bones, the approximate living stature can be determined according to the methods of Manouvrier or Pearson (cf. Martin, Lehrbuch der Anthropologie, 2nd ed., p. 1068 ff.). The first method yielded 159.4 cm; the second 158.8 cm, corresponding to a medium‑tall body height.

Some bones of the hands and feet were missing, others defective; especially the short and long bones were not measured, and no pathological alterations could be detected. The scapulae were preserved only in fragments. The outer part of the clavicles was missing on both sides.

From the sternum the xiphoid process was missing. Length of the manubrium 46 mm, of the body 105 mm; the ratio between the two lengths is therefore 1 : 2.3; maximum breadth of the body 34 mm.

The ribs were mostly preserved only in fragments.

Pelvis: the two inferior pubic rami are almost completely missing; on the right the entire ischium is absent; on the left the entire ischium is missing except for the origin of the superior ramus on the body and the posterior part of the left ilium. Of the sacrum, only the first two vertebrae are intact; of the third, only the upper half is present.

Nevertheless, the diagnosis of female sex is certainly possible because of the flattened, low iliac blades and the rounded pelvic inlet. The pelvises of the first and second skeletons, placed side by side, demonstrate the sexual difference magnificently. The measurements — for which the three bones were joined together with wax — also support the female diagnosis:

Maximum straight distance between the two iliac crests: 263 mm
Maximum straight distance between the two anterior superior iliac spines: 224 mm
Maximum straight distance between the two anterior inferior iliac spines: 240 mm
True conjugate (anteroposterior diameter of the pelvic inlet): 108 mm
Transverse diameter of the pelvic inlet: 119 mm
Oblique diameter of the pelvic inlet, from right posterior to left anterior: 118 mm
Oblique diameter of the pelvic inlet, from left posterior to right anterior: 117 mm

These measurements are very close to the average female values reported in obstetric textbooks, though they do not fully reach them — unsurprising, considering that bones may shrink somewhat and that wax inserts do not match the thickness of the cartilage preserved between the bones in the living body.

Now the conclusions drawn from this information:

This is a female skeleton. Apart from the pelvis — which is unequivocally female — the shape of the frontal region of the skull and the slight development of muscular markings point in the same direction. Regarding the limb skeleton, the small articular surface of the humeral head is relevant. The thickness of the cranial bones, the strong formation of the mandible, and the ratio between the manubrium and the body of the sternum are somewhat unusual; generally, the female sternal body is shorter. However, all these findings remain well within the female range of variation and cannot cast doubt on the correctness of the sex diagnosis.
Based on the state of the cranial sutures, an age of about 40 years may be estimated; based on the degree of dental wear, possibly higher. But enamel resistance likely varies from person to person and depends on general health — which, as is known, was not favourable in Beethoven’s mother.

The bone structure was neither extraordinarily delicate nor particularly robust; the skull tended more toward the latter than the former. Height was approximately average. Pathological alterations will be reported separately below.

If we consider these anthropological results together with the historical circumstances that led to the opening of the grave, and with what we know of Beethoven’s mother, there is no doubt that we are dealing with her skeleton.

Beethoven’s mother died of consumption in her 41st year. No images of her exist. Contemporaries (C. and G. Fischer) occasionally describe her as rather tall, slender, or willowy. Her height and the probable consequences of her illness may have produced this impression, even if her skeletal structure cannot be described as exactly graceful. In the following description of the mandible and the fine teeth, it is said that Beethoven’s mother had a “narrow and long face”, in agreement with contemporaries (C. Fischer).

Finally, it may be of interest to compare the mother’s skull with that of the son and to look for possible similarities.

It is appropriate to speak briefly of the writings and findings concerning Beethoven’s skull.

During the first exhumation in 1863, on the occasion of the renewal of the gravestone, the skull — opened and damaged after death by dissection and the removal of the inner ears — was found disintegrated into nine pieces. It was filled with clay, modelled in plaster, and measured anthropologically. These measurements do not appear to have been published; all later data refer to the cast, which, given its history, clearly cannot be exact in an anthropological sense.

The cast was later described anthropologically by Langer and Schaaffhausen. Both noted the protrusion of the dental portion of the upper jaw and the strong recession of the forehead. The latter, according to both examiners, could only have been caused by post‑mortem pressure. During the exhumation, a layer of bricks was found above the skeleton, probably intended to protect the corpse from phrenological predators — one recalls the fate of Haydn’s skull.

According to Langer’s description, the “strong incisors, already markedly protruding,” had “acquired a crooked direction” due to the protrusion of the maxillary dentition. The incisors of the lower jaw show “a lesser forward inclination.” “According to this configuration of the facial skeleton, the upper lip, as the death mask shows, could not have come into full contact with the lower lip, and the strong incisors look out through the slightly open oral fissure.”

Schaaffhausen took (uncertain) measurements of the cerebral skull and found a length of 198 mm, a breadth of 153 mm, and a circumference of 570 mm.

The cast that had been in Schaaffhausen’s possession is now in the collection of the Anatomical Institute of Bonn and is in my possession. The lower jaw is not present and is not mentioned by Schaaffhausen. Of the incisors, only a stump of the left first incisor is visible. The protrusion of the intermaxillary portion of the upper jawbone is very pronounced; the stump mentioned, after careful positioning, also makes the protrusion of the teeth likely. The palate is very flat and shows no signs of compression.

The second exhumation took place in 1888 on the occasion of the transfer of the remains from the Währinger cemetery to the Central Cemetery of Vienna. At that time only twenty minutes were available for examination. The examiners (Meynert, Toldt, and Weisbach) therefore limited themselves to the cranial parts, and again to the facial skeleton.

I will cite only the results that are relevant here for the possibilities of comparison: “The squama of the frontal bone has a considerable thickness of 7.5 mm on the left side and 7.0 mm on the right above the region of the frontal eminences, and 7.0 mm on the right.” “The intermaxillary portion of the upper jaw is very strongly inclined forward. To the same degree, the strong central incisor protrudes obliquely.” “The strong projection of the inferior nasal spine, or rather the associated projection of the root line of the upper lip, should suffice to explain why the high degree of prognathism was not so evident in life. This circumstance, moreover, is also decisive for the shape of the lower part of the external nose, which appears particularly flat in the death mask.” “The lower jaw is small in relation to the upper face; the fine alveolar portion and consequently the incisors are markedly inclined forward.” “The occipital squamae do not suggest a very considerable projection of the occiput.”

The investigators consider it impossible that “the flatness of the forehead could have been caused by compression of the cranial bones in the grave or by decay of the superficial layers following decomposition,” and in my opinion they provide solid evidence for this.

If these data are compared with the findings from the mother’s skull, similarities emerge in the thickness of the bones, in the shape of the occiput, and — as Korkhausen’s study will show — in the position of the teeth and jaws.

It is not possible to demonstrate the same hereditary basis for this last particularly striking feature, and according to the results of hereditary research, external factors are more important for this form of jaw deformity than heredity. Nevertheless, the shared presence in both mother and son is noteworthy.

2. Anatomopathological Section

By W. Ceelen, Bonn

The most important change in the parts of the trunk skeleton examined was the stiffening of the vertebral column through a bony connection of the vertebral bodies, buckle‑like, in the region of the thoracic and lumbar spine. This bony fixation of the vertebral bodies to one another tends to develop on the basis of disease of the cartilaginous intervertebral discs, which lose their elasticity, collapse anteriorly, and lead to irritation of the periosteum of the adjacent vertebrae, the consequence of which is a bony bridge between neighbouring vertebrae. This disease (spondylitis deformans) is usually associated with impaired mobility and a curvature of the spine toward the back. It generally appears only in advanced age. In younger individuals, it is said to be caused by strong mechanical strain, overexertion, or concussion of the spine.

Thoracic cavity: On the thorax, the first rib is shortened and the costal cartilage ossified on both sides. In the area of the former bone‑cartilage boundary, focal bony thickenings (exostoses) have developed.

Skull: The facial skull was completely missing. The occipital bone, the remnants of the parietal and temporal bones showed post‑mortem bending. While the region of the left mastoid process and the left bony auditory canal were fairly well preserved, a large section of the mastoid process on the right temporal bone was destroyed. Here irregular holes and defects were found, lined with tendinous bone follicles. Most of the mastoid cells (cellulae mastoideae) were preserved, and an extensive area of the mastoid cavity (antrum mastoideum) was still visible, while large parts of the middle and inner ear showed severe destruction. There is no certain evidence that this destruction was caused by pathological processes during life. Microscopic examination also shows that it is more likely the result of atmospheric processes after death.

3. Medical Section on the Ear

By K. Grünberg, Bonn

On the skull given to me for radiography of the petrous bones, on the right side an indistinct pattern of the bony trabeculae of the pneumatic cells near the mastoid process is visible, while on the left side pneumatization is very clear at this point, as well as in the rest of the mastoid process. However, it is impossible to regard this difference between the right and left sides as pathological or to attribute it to diseases suffered during life. It is far more likely to be the result of ageing — also demonstrated by Professor Ceelen — which is much more pronounced on the right side than on the left. On the right side the tip of the mastoid process is missing.

4. Dental Section

By G. Korkhaus, Bonn

The lower jaw of Beethoven’s mother contains all the teeth up to the wisdom teeth; only the left central incisor and the right lateral incisor are missing, but the preserved tooth sockets (empty) show that the teeth were present at the time of death and were probably lost during excavation.

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