Head injuries of Roman gladiators

Kanz, Fabian; Grossschmidt, Karl

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.10.010

Cited by 57 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Despite the trauma, it is thought that the bulging area was preserved because of the cohesive properties of bone. Thus, this finding indicates that the injury was made perimortem (Kanz & Grossschmidt, 2006;Murphy et al, 2010). The dark coloration observed in the upper portion of the injury is caused by sand adhering to the area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Stab Marks Possibly from a Spear (Yari) on a Skull Excavated from the Mediaeval Zaimokuza Site, Kamakura City

Fujita

2011

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Ancient human skeletal remains with stab injuries were excavated from the Zaimokuza site in Kamakura City, Japan. These excavated remains are considered to be those of warriors who died in action during the fall of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333. The specimen in the present study was most likely a male soldier (bushi) of early middle age. In this manuscript, the possible circumstances of injury and weapons that may have been used to inflict the injury are discussed. The size, shape and angle of the wound strongly suggested that it was caused by a spear (yari) rather than a sword, dagger or arrow. In Japan, spears (yari) were used beginning in the late Kamakura period. Computed tomographic scans revealed that the injury extended into the intracranial cavity, and it likely penetrated the dura mater and damaged the frontal lobe. Studies of injury marks in ancient skeletal remains can reveal details about ancient wars and what types of weapons were used. This field should be advanced with the collaboration of physical anthropology and philological history.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Stab Marks Possibly from a Spear (Yari) on a Skull Excavated from the Mediaeval Zaimokuza Site, Kamakura City

Fujita

2011

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…After the death, on the other hand, the bone becomes harder and more brittle with time, and as a result shatters into small, more regular fragments. 35,54 However, the bones retain 'fresh' properties for a considerable time after death. 21,55,56 Therefore caution should be exercised when determining the timing of fractures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal cranial injury in an individual from Messina (Sicily) during the times of the Roman Empire

Messina

Colella

Miccichè

et al. 2013

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

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a b s t r a c tForensic and archaeological examinations of human skeletons can provide us with evidence of violence. In this paper, we present the patterns of two cranial lesions found on an adult male (T173) buried in a grave in the necropolis 'Isolato 96', Messina, Sicily, dating back to the Roman Empire (1st century BC -1st century AD). The skull reveals two perimortem traumatic lesions, one produced by a sharp object on the right parietal bone and the other one on the left parietal bone, presumably the result of a fall. The interpretation of fracture patterns found in this cranium are an illustration of how forensic approaches can be applied with great benefit to archaeological specimens.

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“…A second and third surgical intervention may have taken place, because no improvement of symptoms was obtained after the first. The smaller elongated lesion might lead to the suggestion that the trepanation had a therapeutic background and was performed to treat an earlier trauma (Kanz and Grossschmidt, 2006;Müller and Lüscher, 2004).…”

Section: Skull A53mentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival after trepanation—Early cranial surgery from Late Iron Age Switzerland

Moghaddam

Mailler-Burch

Kara

et al. 2015

International Journal of Paleopathology

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Trepanation is defined as the intentional perforation of the cranial vault with removal of a piece of skull bone. In Europe, trepanation is known to have been practiced at least since the Neolithic, and it can still be found today in East African native tribes. Two skulls with lesions from the Late Iron Age site Münsingen-Rain (420-240 BC) were investigated. The aim of this study was to analyse the lesions and to determine whether they were caused by surgical interventions. Both individuals were analysed by current morphologic-anthropological methods and radiological examinations were performed with a multislice CT-scanner. Additionally, this work surveys trepanations reported in Switzerland and calculates survival rates. In Switzerland, 34 individuals with trepanations have been published. As a tendency, the survival rate appears to be relatively high from the Neolithic to Late Antiquity but then decreases until Pre-Modern times. The 78% survival rate in Late Iron Age Switzerland indicates that the surgery was often performed successfully. Skull injuries sustained in conflicts could have been a reason for trepanation during the Iron Age.

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Head injuries of Roman gladiators

Cited by 57 publications

References 8 publications

Stab Marks Possibly from a Spear (Yari) on a Skull Excavated from the Mediaeval Zaimokuza Site, Kamakura City

Stab Marks Possibly from a Spear (Yari) on a Skull Excavated from the Mediaeval Zaimokuza Site, Kamakura City

Fatal cranial injury in an individual from Messina (Sicily) during the times of the Roman Empire

Survival after trepanation—Early cranial surgery from Late Iron Age Switzerland

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