Perimortem sharp force trauma in an individual from the early medieval cemetery of Säben-Sabiona in South Tyrol, Italy

Death in the high mountains: Evidence of interpersonal violence during Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age at Roc de les Orenetes (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

OBJECTIVES

To test a hypothesis on interpersonal violence events during the transition between Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in the Eastern Pyrenees, to contextualize it in Western Europe during that period, and to assess if these marks can be differentiated from secondary funerary treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Metric and non-metric methods were used to estimate the age-at-death and sex of the skeletal remains. Perimortem injuries were observed and analyzed with stereomicroscopy and confocal microscopy.

RESULTS

Among the minimum of 51 individuals documented, at least six people showed evidence of perimortem trauma. All age groups and both sexes are represented in the skeletal sample, but those with violent injuries are predominantly males. Twenty-six bones had 49 injuries, 48 of which involved sharp force trauma on postcranial elements, and one example of blunt force trauma on a cranium. The wounds were mostly located on the upper extremities and ribs, anterior and posterior. Several antemortem lesions were also documented in the assemblage.

DISCUSSION

The perimortem lesions, together with direct dating, suggest that more than one episode of interpersonal violence took place between the Late Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age in northeastern Spain. The features of the sharp force trauma indicate that different weapons were used, including sharp metal objects and lithic projectiles. The Roc de les Orenetes assemblage represents a scenario of recurrent lethal confrontation in a high mountain geographic context, representing the evidence of inferred interpersonal violence located at the highest altitude settings in the Pyrenees, at 1836 meters above sea level.

Two cases of pelvic trauma with survival in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Egypt)

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the presence of a trauma that results in pelvic ring disruption and its clinical implications in two individuals from ancient Egypt.

MATERIALS

Two complete skeletons of adult women, dated to the Middle Kingdom (c. 1980-1760 BCE), from two tombs in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt).

METHODS

The anatomical elements were examined macroscopically in Egypt.

RESULTS

Unilateral sacroiliac luxation with disruption of the pubic symphysis was detected in both individuals. The presence of an overlapped symphysis was evident in female QH34aa. A healed fracture of the iliopubic ramus are present in female QH122. Antemortem bone alterations in the pelvis demonstrate that they survived the trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

Pelvic trauma due to a lateral compression was detected in the os coxae. Both women survived but probably had severe sequelae that impaired their quality of life. At least one of them might have received some type of medical treatment.

SIGNIFICANCE

Both cases shed light on pelvic fractures, their mechanisms of production, and their effects on bone and its functionality, as well as revealing possible associated lesions of soft tissues and vital organs.

LIMITATIONS

The pelvis, or at least the pubic symphysis, must be well preserved to allow the correct diagnosis of this type of lesion.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Studies are warranted on the detection of this type of fracture, focusing on the subtle bone changes that indicate its presence. There is also a need to develop methodologies that combine the study of bone and soft tissue alterations.

Troubles in Tuva: Patterns of perimortem trauma in a nomadic community from Southern Siberia (second to fourth c. CE)

OBJECTIVES

Warfare is assumed to be one of the defining cultural characteristics of steppe nomads in Eastern Eurasia. For the first-centuries CE, a period of political turmoil in Northern China and Southern Siberia, relatively few data are, however, available about the degree and variability of violence in these communities. Here, we provide new data on violence among steppe nomads during the first-centuries CE by analyzing the type, anatomical distribution, and demographic distribution of perimortem trauma at Tunnug1 (Tuva, Southern Siberia-second to fourth c. CE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Perimortem traumas were assessed on 87 individuals representing both sexes and different age classes. The timing of the lesions was assessed based on morphological criteria, including the absence and presence of bone reactive processes and the relative plasticity of the bone at the moment of impact. The distribution by age, sex, and anatomical location of trauma was analyzed by means of logistic models, Fisher's exact tests, and 3D visualizations.

RESULTS

A total of 130 perimortem traumas, including chop marks, slice marks, penetrating lesions, and blunt traumas were identified on 22 individuals. Chop marks were mostly at the level of the skull and vertebrae and were likely caused by bladed weapons. Slice marks were found on the cervical vertebrae and cranium and may be the result of throat slitting and scalping by means of smaller bladed implements. Traumas were more frequent in males, and their presence is not correlated with age.

DISCUSSION

This study adds new data to the few available regarding violence among steppe nomadic cultures and provides new insights about the effects of political instability on the life of the people inhabiting Eastern Eurasia during the early centuries CE.