Unraveling Neolithic sharp-blunt cranial trauma: Experimental approach through synthetic analogues

Moreno-Ibáñez, Miguel Ángel; Fibiger, Linda; Saladié, Palmira

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2023.105739

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Different blunt objects can cause identical fracture patterns, so it is not always possible to determine the exact weapon used without risking over‐interpretation (Pinheiro et al, 2015; Spatola, 2015). This case does not seem to be related to the use of a sharp‐blunt object, such as an ax or adze, because of its circular and homogeneous outline that makes it difficult to distinguish a clear point of impact from an object with sharp ends (Kimmerle & Baraybar, 2008; Moreno‐Ibáñez et al, 2021, 2023). It is possible to posit that this is a BFT produced by an object with a small surface area, which impacted just above the ear of the individual, and which was probably the cause of death.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Moreno‐Ibáñez,

Saladié,

Ramírez‐Pedraza

et al. 2024

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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ObjectivesTo 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 MethodsMetric 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.ResultsAmong 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.DiscussionThe 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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Moreno‐Ibáñez,

Saladié,

Ramírez‐Pedraza

et al. 2024

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Perimortem cranial injury in the Bronze Age. A blunt object to the right parietal caused trauma in a preadolescent individual from Mokarta (Salemi‐Sicily)

Lauria,

Miccichè,

Sineo

2024

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards the hills of the western Sicilian hinterland. Especially during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, the island's hinterland was marked by isolated settlements due to Siculi, Ausoni, Morgeti, and Elimi invasions and Phoenician and Greek colonization. In this scenario, Mokarta is an example of territorial autonomy and ethnic isolation (Sicanian) within an area of Elimi colonization. Its demise in the 11th century B.C.E, presumably at the hands of the Elimi, was rapid and violent as the settlement was suddenly abandoned following its destruction by fire. Symbolic of this event is an individual found at the entrance of a burned and collapsed hut who appears to have died from a cranial injury. This paper focuses on the osteological analysis of this skeleton, highlighting the perimortem injury, related to his death, and places the results within a forensic archeological context. The morphological pattern of the lesion is the result of a high‐energy impact by a circular blunt object. The fracture, involving both the meningeal vessels and the brain, could have led to a fatal neurological trauma. The analysis of the cranial fracture and an anatomical evaluation of the affected area led us to conclude that the perimortem injury, inflicted on the right parietal, probably was the cause of death. The case proposed highlights how an integrated approach based on bioarcheology and forensic anthropology helps in interpreting an archeological scenario and formulating hypotheses about the circumstances of an individual's death.

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Investigating trauma in mummified remains using finite element analysis

Jurda

2024

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Anthropologists evaluate injuries in skeletal remains by examining their macroscopic and microscopic features, utilizing empirical and theoretical knowledge about trauma formation and healing. Finite element analysis (FEA), which enables computational simulation of the structural stress on bone tissue and skeletal components based on their shape and defined physical properties, could be used to supplement such assessments. This study evaluates FEA's applicability for simulating injuries observed in historical skeletal materials by confronting the method with a lower limb trauma observed in nearly 300‐year‐old mummified remains. The simulations were computed using algorithms integrated into the Mechanical Finder software. Postmortem computed tomography (CT) data were acquired using a Phillips Brilliance CT 64 scanner with a slice thickness of 0.3 mm and a 1024 × 1024 matrix. The dynamic simulations focused on exploring the relationship between the direction and speed of the projectile and the formation and propagation of skeletal trauma. FEA provided insight into the mechanical limits of the affected bones across varying projectile velocities and impact directions. The observed fractures most closely matched the results of the simulation where the projectile struck from the lateral side. The obtained information supplemented the osteological diagnosis based on the visual assessment of the trauma. However, the informational value of the results was reduced because the software did not show the spread of finer fractures and was unable to simulate covering soft tissues. On a general level, Mechanical Finder facilitates the simulation of bone biomechanics primarily through its ability to create nonhomogeneous FEA models directly from CT scans. Nevertheless, its usage remains challenging for experts without a biomechanical background.

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Unraveling Neolithic sharp-blunt cranial trauma: Experimental approach through synthetic analogues

Cited by 5 publications

References 60 publications

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

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

Perimortem cranial injury in the Bronze Age. A blunt object to the right parietal caused trauma in a preadolescent individual from Mokarta (Salemi‐Sicily)

Investigating trauma in mummified remains using finite element analysis

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