Biocultural interpretations of trauma in two prehistoric Pacific Island populations from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Abstract

Two Pacific Island skeletal samples originating from the inland site of Nebira, Papua New Guinea (1230-1650) and a coastal site on the small island of Taumako, Solomon Islands (1530-1698) were examined for evidence of skeletal trauma using a biocultural approach. The types of trauma identified were cranial trauma, postcranial fractures, and piercing and sharp force trauma. Both samples exhibit trauma (Nebira, n = 9/28, 32.1%; Taumako, n = 17/133, 12.8%). Postcranial fractures are significantly higher in males from Nebira (Fisher Exact P value = 0.025). The prevalence of cranial trauma (n = 6/28, 21.4%) is significantly higher in Nebira individuals (Fisher Exact P value = 0.007). There is no conclusive evidence of piercing trauma at Nebira unlike Taumako, which has four individuals with evidence of piercing or sharp force trauma. Both samples show evidence of interpersonal violence and warfare. The results suggest the environment may have contributed to the pattern of trauma at these sites. These patterns are discussed within their cultural and environmental contexts.

Prehistoric migration at Nebira, South Coast of Papua New Guinea: New insights into interaction using isotope and trace element concentration analyses

“…Six of the skeletons (five men and one woman) had healed cranial fractures consistent with sharp-force and blunt-force trauma. Scott and Buckley (2010) note that the level of trauma in the Nebira skeletal sample is relatively high compared with other skeletal studies of trauma worldwide and suggest that it may reflect tribal warfare in the area during the hilltop occupation of Nebira.…”

“…pressure in the area as a possible response to land warfare. Recent research on the skeletal evidence of trauma in the Nebira individuals by Scott and Buckley (2010) found that nine of the 28 sampled individuals from Nebira had evidence of skeletal trauma. Six of the skeletons (five men and one woman) had healed cranial fractures consistent with sharp-force and blunt-force trauma.…”

“…Age and sex data from Pietrusewsky (1976). Trauma data from Scott and Buckley (2010 a range of other shell and stone artefacts (Fig. 4).…”

Traumatic Injuries in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Population from Łekno, Poland

“…contribution of osteoporosis in increased frequency of fractures in postmenopausal females (Mensforth, Latimer 1989), reduced bone mass due to inactivity, poor health predisposition, geographic location (Kilgore et al 1997;Lovell 1997;Scott, Buckley 2010), or even the climate also play an important role in trauma etiology. the biocultural (Scott, Buckley 2010) and sociocultural context and historical records also need to be taken into consideration in the interpretation of traumatic events (lovell 1997).…”

Below the Callus Surface: Applying Paleohistological Techniques to Understand the Biology of Bone Healing in Skeletonized Human Remains

“…As nowadays, injury has also played a significant role in past human societies, a role that can be accessed through a careful analysis of the skeletal remains [2]. Bone injury, resulting from interpersonal violence or associated with the hazards of daily life, is frequently reported in the paleopathological literature as a useful tool to decipher past behaviors and health conditions [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. The prevalence and distribution of fractures constitute the marker most commonly investigated [15,16,17,18,19,20].…”