Craniofacial pathologies in an early adolescent from the Funnel Beaker site of Modřice, Czechia

Abstract

Several craniofacial pathologies are present in an early adolescent from a cemetery (n = 22) associated with a Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture in Modřice, Czechia. The objective of the study was to document anomalies on the Modřice 3871 cranium, with an emphasis on investigating whether the mid-sagittal suture exhibited synostosis or bridging to account for the visible scaphocephaly. All available cranial and postcranial elements of the Modřice 3871 early adolescent were examined macroscopically. The cranial vault was subjected to radiography and compared to macroscopic views. Modřice 3871 is estimated to age to 12–14 years. Macroscopic examination and radiography support a diagnosis of mid-sagittal bridging rather than synostosis for this slender and anteroposteriorly elongated cranium. In comparison, the anterior sagittal, coronal and lambdoidal sutures are completely unfused. Craniofacial asymmetry, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis of the temporal and the presence of multiple wormian bones indicate additional maturational disruptions. The scaphocephaly observed in Modřice 3871 is not severe compared to modern clinical manifestations of craniosynostosis. Radiocarbon dated to 3,700–3,600 years BCE, Modřice 3871 presents one of the oldest recorded cases of scaphocephaly. The elongated vault is probably not the result of head-binding given the dearth of anthropogenic cranial reshaping in the Neolithic of Europe. This study adds to the growing recognition of prehistoric and historic craniofacial anomalies which will likely continue as additional human remains are excavated. In addition, the study increases the understanding of the lived experience of prehistoric individuals experiencing visible craniofacial pathologies such as cranial asymmetry and scaphocephaly.