Earliest Cranio-Encephalic Trauma from the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic: 3D Reappraisal of the Qafzeh 11 Skull, Consequences of Pediatric Brain Damage on Individual Life Condition and Social Care

Abstract

The Qafzeh site (Lower Galilee, Israel) has yielded the largest Levantine hominin collection from Middle Palaeolithic layers which were dated to circa 90–100 kyrs BP or to marine isotope stage 5b–c. Within the hominin sample, Qafzeh 11, circa 12–13 yrs old at death, presents a skull lesion previously attributed to a healed trauma. Three dimensional imaging methods allowed us to better explore this lesion which appeared as being a frontal bone depressed fracture, associated with brain damage. Furthermore the endocranial volume, smaller than expected for dental age, supports the hypothesis of a growth delay due to traumatic brain injury. This trauma did not affect the typical human brain morphology pattern of the right frontal and left occipital petalia. It is highly probable that this young individual suffered from personality and neurological troubles directly related to focal cerebral damage. Interestingly this young individual benefited of a unique funerary practice among the south-western Asian burials dated to Middle Palaeolithic.

Selection to outsmart the germs: The evolution of disease recognition and social cognition

“…For Neandertals this includes Aubesier 11, dated to at least 0.17 mya, which shows significant tooth loss and alveolar lesions (Lebel and Trinkaus 2002;Lebel et al 2001) and Shanidar 1 dated at 73-40 kya who lost much of his right arm, may have been blind on one side, and suffered from hyperostotic disease (Crubezy and Trinkaus 1992;Hublin 2009). H. sapiens individuals that survived severe conditions include: a child, Qafzeh 12 dated to approximate 0.095 mya, who showed signs of hydrocephaly and survived until about 3 years old (Tillier et al 2001), an older child Qafzeh 11, also dated to 0.95 mya, that had a healed cranial fracture (Coqueugniot et al 2014), and an adult female, Dolní Vĕstonice 3, dated to approximately 0.027 mya, who sustained a severe injury to her face that might have interfered with eating (Trinkaus et al 2006;Trinkaus and Jelinek 1997).…”

The Sima de los Huesos Crania: Analysis of the cranial breakage patterns

“…In the fossil record, there are several cases of cranial antemortem (healed) fractures such as: Middle Pleistocene remains of Maba 1 (Wu et al, 2011), AtapuercaTrinchera Galería parietal , as well as at least eight of the Atapuerca-SH crania (Gracia-T ellez et al, 2013;P erez et al, 1997) and Late Pleistocene hominins such as Dolní V estonice 3, 11/12, 13, 15 and 16 (Trinkaus and Svoboda, 2006), Feldhofer 1 (Schultz, 2006), Krapina 4, 20, 31, 34.7 (Gardner and Smith, 2006;Radov ci c et al, 1988), Qafzeh 11 (Coqueugniot et al, 2014), Saint C esaire 1 (Zollikofer et al, 2002), Sal'a 1 (Sl adek et al, 2002), Shanidar 1 and 5 (Berger and Trinkaus, 1995;Trinkaus, 1983), Sunghir 5 (Trinkaus et al, 2014), Xujiayao 5a, 8 and 12 (Wu and Trinkaus, 2015) among others.…”

Individual centred social‐care approach: Using computer tomography to assess a traumatic brain injury in an Iron Age individual from China

“…In the long term, once passed through the intensive critical care phase, an individual could survive for months or even years. Neuropsychology will provide clues to discuss the long‐term consequences of TBI (Coqueugniot et al, 2014; Harrod & Martin, 2014; Martin, 1997; Martin et al, 2008; Orschiedt et al, 2003; Tornberg & Jacobsson, 2018). The typical consequences of TBI in contemporary clinical medicine comprise cognitive, motor and speech problems; migraines and dizziness; poor concentration; emotional instability; increased aggressiveness and antisocial behaviour; and amnesia (Aharon‐Peretz & Tomer, 2007; Centers for Disease Control, 2010; Cohen, Rosenbaum, Kane, Wamken, & Benjamin, 1999; Leon‐Carrion & Ramos, 2003; The Brain Injury Association of Wyoming, 2004).…”

“…With the development of osteobiography and BoC, some researchers have begun to focus on the debilitating impact of cranial trauma for the individual. They employed more detailed descriptions and more advanced equipment (computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance imaging) to improve diagnostic accuracy and adopted new theories to explore the impact of traumatic injury on the injured and their society (Coqueugniot et al, 2014; Orschiedt, Häuber, Haidle, Alt, & Buitrago‐Téllez, 2003; Tornberg & Jacobsson, 2018).…”