Antemortem Cranial Trauma in Ancient Mesopotamia

Abstract

As a result of a review of the available literature and some unpublished sources, data on ante mortem cranial trauma have been gathered for 25 archaeological sites from Mesopotamia, dated from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to the modern period. In total, 31 healed cranial lesions have been noted in 28 out of 1278 individuals, and the general frequency of this condition was 2.2%. Both men and women were affected, with no clear preference noted, and sharp-force trauma was rare; therefore, intra-group violence and accidents were more likely causes of most lesions than military activities. The frequency of ante mortem trauma was higher in earlier periods (before the end of the third millennium BCE); the size of lesions increased with time, and healed lesions were more common in the northern periphery of Mesopotamia than in the core area. All this may be the consequence of early state formation and the establishment of professional armies, which made most farmers and city dwellers less involved in violent conflicts than in other parts of the Near East where the observed frequency of violence-related injuries was much higher than in Mesopotamia.

Paleopathology of Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex and Some Adjacent Territories. A Short Overview

“…Они наиболее представительны для Гонур-депе в Южном Туркме-нистане, но достаточно отрывочны для населения территорий, непосредственно входивших в зону активных контактов с оазисами Бактрии и Маргианы (за некоторым исключением -Хараппа, Тепе-Гиссар, Хасанлу). Следует оговориться, что данные по палеопатологии Месопотамии (территория Сирии и Ирака) здесь нами не рассматриваются, так как относительно недавно их обобщение и систематизацию осуществил А. Солтысяк [Sołtysiak, 2012]. Соответственно в нашей работе обсуждаются и анализируются материалы с территории бывшей советской Средней Азии, Иранского плато и долины Инда (табл.…”

The birth of neurotrauma: a historical perspective from the Academy of Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology (AMN)

“…The data from Neolithic reveals insightful patterns in neurotrauma, including equal affection of men and women, the rarity of sharp-force trauma (suggesting intra-group violence and accidents as causes, rather than inter-group violence), a higher frequency of antemortem trauma in earlier periods, increasing size of the lesion with time, as well as a more common occurrence of healed lesions in the northern Mesopotamia [ 12 ]. The discrepancy in prevalence is hypothesized to root in early state formation leading to decreased violent conflicts.…”

“…The discrepancy in prevalence is hypothesized to root in early state formation leading to decreased violent conflicts. Moreover, the lower frequency of cranial trauma in the later times is generally accompanied by the larger average size of the lesion, suggesting a transition towards stone missiles and sling stones [ 12 ]. In most adult cases, antemortem cranial trauma was attributed to interpersonal violence and stands as the most reliable indicator of violence in anthropological research [ 12 ].…”

“…The papyrus also documents the ancient practice of trephination, discussed in the first article of the series. Historically, head trauma has been a good indicator of violence, with anthropological evidence revealing a decrease in violence with the establishment of states and professional armies, progresses which made farmers and city dwellers less prone to involvement in violent conflicts [ 15 , 18 , 19 ].…”