Currently, mark-making practices as a form of identification and proof of life are an unrealized resource. Over a three-year period, systematic walkover surveys were conducted on and within fortifications and other structures on the island of Alderney to locate historic and modern marks. The investigations presented in this article demonstrate the importance of non-invasive recording and examination of marks to identify evidence connected to forced and slave labourers, and soldiers present on the island of Alderney during the German occupation in World War II. Names, hand and footwear impressions, slogans, artworks, dates, and counting mechanisms were recorded electronically and investigated by using international databases, archives, and translation services. We discuss the value and challenges of interpreting traces of human life in the contexts of conflict archaeology and missing person investigations and underline the need for greater recognition of marks as evidence of past lives.

中文翻译：

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生命的证明：奥尔德尼岛上的标记制作实践

目前，作为一种身份识别和生命证明形式的标记实践是一种未实现的资源。在三年的时间里，在奥尔德尼岛上的防御工事和其他结构上和内部进行了系统的步行调查，以定位历史和现代标记。本文介绍的调查表明，非侵入性记录和检查标记对于识别与二战德国占领期间出现在奥尔德尼岛上的强迫劳工和奴隶劳工以及士兵有关的证据的重要性。姓名、手和鞋类印象、标语、艺术品、日期和计数机制均以电子方式记录，并通过使用国际数据库、档案和翻译服务进行调查。