An experimental investigation of cutmark analysis of sharp force trauma in the Bronze Age

Strong, Rebecca L.J.; Fibiger, Linda

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103843

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Most of the sharp force trauma has morphological characteristics that indicate the use of copper or bronze metal objects, which is consistent with the chronology of the site. Multiple experimental studies have been carried out with both archeological and forensic interest to identify the fracture patterns associated with the use of heavy cutting metal weapons on long bones (Brinker et al, 2016;Greenfield, 1999Greenfield, , 2013Lewis, 2008;Lynn & Fairgrieve, 2009;Okaluk & Greenfield, 2022;Strong & Fibiger, 2023;Walker & Long, 1977). The chop marks produced by metal weapons are characterized by clean cuts with a V-shaped crosssection, smooth walls, with the lifting of a bone flake following the direction of the blow, and without great damage or fracturing of the surrounding bone tissue (SI, Figure S5).…”

Section: Different Trauma Different Weaponsmentioning

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: Different Trauma Different Weaponsmentioning

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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“…Sharp-force trauma, on the other hand, indicates any injury produced by bladed instruments including penetrating wounds (stab or puncture wounds), cut marks or incised wounds, and chop wounds (cleft/notch), which involve both penetration and incision. In this case, the particular patterns of the cut marks allow for understanding the type of weapon and the direction of the trauma (Cohen et al 2014;Lewis 2008;Strong and Fibiger 2023;Moreno-Ibànez et al, 2024).…”

Section: Sm) Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal trauma in an Iron age context: new insight into the Etruscan population from Spina (Ferrara, Italy)

Manzon,

Rinaldo,

Gualdi-Russo

2024

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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The analysis of traumatic injuries in human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts offers important challenges for the reconstruction of past populations’ behaviors. In this study, a sample of 303 buried skeletons retrieved from the Etruscan necropolis of Spina (Ferrara, Italy) and dated back to the 5th to the 3rd century BC, were macroscopically analyzed for traumatic injuries. The sample consisted of 38% males, 22% females, and 40% undetermined individuals. Subadults represented 25% of the entire sample. The aim of this study was to collect and describe new data on antemortem and perimortem injuries in the Spina Etruscans, bringing a new perspective to the understanding of social behaviors in this population. In the sample of Etruscans examined 16 individuals showed evidence of one injury and two individuals of two injuries. The analysis revealed 18 cases of antemortem trauma and 2 cases of perimortem trauma. No traumatic injuries were detected among subadults, while men and women presented different types of traumas: women were more prone to stress fractures involving the spine, whereas men were affected by antemortem and perimortem inflicted traumas, suggesting a division of labor and a major exposition of the latter to interpersonal violence. The reduced presence of sharp force traumas found exclusively in males (3 cases, 1.3% of the adult sample) is basically consistent with archaeological and historical data that described this site as a free port without an explicit history of violence.

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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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An experimental investigation of cutmark analysis of sharp force trauma in the Bronze Age

Cited by 4 publications

References 56 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)

Skeletal trauma in an Iron age context: new insight into the Etruscan population from Spina (Ferrara, Italy)

Investigating trauma in mummified remains using finite element analysis

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