A Multidisciplinary Approach and Technical–Scientific Contribution to the Ecclesiastical Evaluation of Sacred Remains Attributed to Saint Hipolystus and the Martyrs Crescentius and Irenaeus (3rd Century A.D.) from the Specus Martyrum of Atripalda (Ancient Abellinum)

Relics and mortal remains attributed to saints and martyrs, long venerated within Christian tradition, represent a unique area of scientific inquiry conducted under canonical procedures aimed at verifying authenticity, ensuring preservation, and promoting public devotion. This study focuses on the canonical recognition of the bone remains preserved in the Specus Martyrum of Atripalda (ancient Abellinum), attributed to Saint Hipolystus and the martyrs Crescentius and Irenaeus. The investigation was promoted by the Diocese of Avellino in preparation for the Hipolystian Jubilee commemorating 1720 years since their martyrdom (1 May 303 A.D.). A multidisciplinary approach was applied, combining historical analysis of sources such as the Martyrologium Hieronymianum (5th century), the Passio Sancti Hipolysti (9th century, edited in the Acta Sanctorum) and another Passio written by the Bishop Ruggero (13th century), with anthropological, radiographic, and radiocarbon (14C) analyses. The skeletal remains were examined through recognition, lateralization, cataloging, and evaluation of morphological and anthropometric features. The results identified elements compatible with an elderly male and two subadult individuals, consistent with the traditional identities of the martyrs. Despite the challenges posed by commingling, fragmentation, and environmental degradation, the investigation demonstrated how scientific rigor can effectively support canonical processes, offering a methodological framework for the verification of relics and contributing to the preservation of religious and cultural heritage.