New evidence of prehistoric arrow wounds in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Recent excavations carried out in the Iberian Peninsula have revealed some skeletons with arrow wounds at sites dating from the neolithic to the Bronze Age. The discovery of burials in which the human remains have not been moved and the methodical nature of the excavation have made an in situ examination possible, and have confirmed this evidence as testimony of violent action, of which there are many other examples all over Europe. Four cases of silex arrowheads found in different human bones from the excavation of the hypogeum of Longar (Navarra, Spain), carried out between 1991 and 1993, are described.

An Arrowhead Injury in a Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Human Cuneiform from the Rockshelter of La Peña de Marañón (Navarre, Spain)

“…Arrowhead injuries identified to date in the Iberian Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic are almost exclusively located on the skull, thorax and upper limb, with four, 14 and five cases, respectively (Armendáriz et al , ; Campillo, ; Campillo, ; Campillo et al , ; Etxeberria and Herrasti, ; Fernández‐Crespo, ; Silva, ; Silva and Marques, ; Silva et al , ; Trancho and Robledo, ; Vegas et al , ), whereas only one example was known until recently for the lower limb, specifically a non‐adult femur from San Juan ante Portam Latinam (Etxeberria and Herrasti, ). The case of La Peña de Marañón adds to this evidence, being a unique finding because of its location in a footbone.…”

“…Arrowhead injuries identified to date in the Iberian Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic are almost exclusively located on the skull, thorax and upper limb, with four, 14 and five cases, respectively (Armendáriz et al, 1994;Campillo, 1978;Campillo, 1997;Campillo et al, 1993;Etxeberria and Herrasti, 2007;Fernández-Crespo, 2015;Silva, 2003;Silva and Marques, 2010;Silva Figure 5. La Peña de Marañón.…”

“…To date irrefutable evidence of such injuries has only been known from nine sites from the Iberian Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic. The most significant ones are the rockshelter of San Juan ante Portam Latinam (Álava), the monument of Longar (Navarre) and the swallet of Las Yurdinas II (Álava), with respectively 13, four and two embedded projectile points or point fragments (Armendáriz et al , ; Fernández‐Crespo, ; Vegas et al , ). Moreover, there also exist two other isolated cases in Catalonia (Bòbila Madurell and Camí de Can Grau), one in Ávila (Cerro de la Cabeza) and two more in Portugal (Lapa do Bugio and Dolmen de Ansião) (Campillo, ; Campillo, ; Campillo et al , ; Etxeberria and Herrasti, ; Silva, ; Silva and Marques, ; Silva et al , ; Trancho and Robledo, ).…”

An arrowhead injury in a Neolithic human axis from the natural cave of Lapa do Bugio (Sesimbra, Portugal)

“…Considering the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, only five Spanish prehistoric sites have reliable evidence of wounds made by arrowheads: the Hypogeum de Longar (four cases: Armendariz et al, 1994), Dólmen de Collet Su (one case: Campillo, 1977), Cova H de Arbolí (one case: Campillo, 1983), San Juan ante Portam (nine cases: Etxeberria and Vegas, 1992) and San Quice del Valles (one case : Campillo et al, 1993). These injuries were found in individuals of both sexes and include wounds with signs of healing and others that lack these signs and probably caused the death of the individual.…”

Experimentación con proyectiles de retoque plano y resultados de su análisis funcional

“…Nos referimos al hipogeo de Longar (Viana) y a los dólmenes de Aizibita y Charracadía, ambos situados en el valle del río Salado (Armendáriz e Irigaray, 1993Beguiristain, 2007) 2 . En los dos primeros monumentos megalíticos existen además testimonios de actos de violencia, en el caso de Longar son varias las inhumaciones asociadas a lesiones por puntas de flecha (Armendáriz et al, 1994;Armendáriz e Irigaray, 1995: 26;Beguiristain y Etxeberria, 1994).…”