Prehistoric trepanation in the Iberian Peninsula: A new case from the province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain)

Alves, Rute V.; Garcia, Susana J.; Marques, Antônio Carlos; Wasterlain, Sofia N.

doi:10.14195/2182-7982_32_4

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…Over the last few decades, a renewed interest in the study of skeletal remains of Prehistoric burials has emerged when their informative potential was recognized (Evangelista 2019;Fernández-Crespo 2015;Silva 2002;Silva, Ferreira 2016. Thus, the comprehensive analysis of these assemblages from the Iberian Peninsula in the last two decades has revealed valuable details with regard to burial practices (Boaventura et al 2014;Carvalho et al 2012;Evangelista 2019;Fernández-Crespo 2015;Silva et al 2015;, demographic profile (Cunha et al 2015;Fernández-Crespo 2015;Fernández-Crespo, De-la-Rúa 2015;Silva, Ferreira 2007), population affinities (Irish et al 2017;Martiniano et al 2017;Olalde et al 2018;2019;Szecsenyi-Nagy et al 2017), mobility (Carvalho et al 2016;Waterman et al 2014;Valera et al 2020), diet and daily behaviours (Bonilla et al 2019;Carvalho et al 2019;Cubas et al 2020;Fontanals-Coll et al 2016;González-Rabanal et al 2020;Guiry et al 2016;Silva et al 2012;Waterman et al 2016), and the types of diseases and injuries these prehistoric individuals underwent (Silva 2003b;Silva, Ferreira 2008a;2008b;Silva, Marques 2011;Silva, Wasterlain 2010;Tomé et al 2017), as well as their medical skills (Silva 2003b;…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Funerary Practices in the Dolmen of Cabecinha (Figueira da Foz, Portugal)

Silva¹

2021

Doc. praeh.

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The dolmen of Cabecinha in the region of Figueira da Foz (Coimbra, Portugal) was excavated at the end of the 19th century by António dos Santos Rocha. This tomb belongs to a Megalithic necropolis of c. 21 dolmens in Western-Central Portugal and was explored and published between 1880 and 1909. The aim of this contribution is to present the human bone collection of the Megalitho da Cabecinha, cross-referencing this data with the original available documentation from the excavation and the chronology obtained from direct radiocarbon dating of a human bone fragment. This approach is adopted to get insights into the funerary practices, and the biological and pathological profiles of the individuals deposited in the dolmen. The most relevant information obtained pertains to the mortuary behaviour, where a unique funerary practice for this Megalithic necropolis was identified. In each corner of the irregular polygonal chamber, an adult individual was deposited in crouching or squatting position in sandy sediment and surrounded by small flat limestone slabs. All but one individual was associated with votive items.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Funerary Practices in the Dolmen of Cabecinha (Figueira da Foz, Portugal)

Silva¹

2021

Doc. praeh.

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“…Domenec Campillo analysed 141 trepanations in 100 crania from prehistoric times in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands (Campillo, 1977, 1984, 1986, 2007, 2011). In this paper, we have been able to document 184 cases of trepanation in 135 crania (Barras de Aragón, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1938; Basabe & Bennasar, 1983; Campillo, 1977, 1984, 1986, 2007, 2011; Campo, Cambra‐Moo, & González, 2019; Etxeberria, 1986; Etxeberria & Herrasti, 2007; Fusté, 1965; García‐Ruíz, 1996; Jiménez & Alcolea, 2001; Jiménez‐Brobeil, Botella, & Alemán, 1996; Liesau & Pastor, 2003; Rihuete, 2002; Roca de Togores & Soler, 2010; Silva, 2003; Silva, Soares, & Da Silva, 2016; Tomé, Silva, & Giraldo, 2016); 53 of them are dated in the Neolithic (39.3%), 26 in the Copper Age (19.3%) and 56 in the Bronze Age (41.5%) (Figure 8).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new case of prehistoric trepanation and scalping in the Iberian Peninsula: The tomb of La Saga (Cáseda, Navarre)

Díaz‐Navarro

2020

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Trepanation is considered one of the oldest surgical procedures in the world, of which the earliest evidence goes back to the Mesolithic. Over 130 cases of trepanated crania have been documented in the recent prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, one of the areas with the highest number of cases. This paper analyses and discusses a new case from northern Spain. The cranium was found in the site of La Saga, Cáseda, Navarre, a small tomb where nine individuals were simultaneously placed at the end of the Bronze Age. It belongs to an adult female and displays a pentagonal hole in the central area of the cranial vault over the sagittal suture. The pentagonal shape of the injury, its regular outline, and the presence of 10 fusiform and two rounded grooves suggest that the bone was intentionally removed by means of cutting and leverage, a technique documented in another example from the Iberian Peninsula. Neither cranial lesions nor pathological evidence have been identified to justify the surgical procedure. Furthermore, the case is exceptional due to the presence of superficial and parallel cut marks in longitudinal and transversal directions across the parietal and temporal bones, unequivocally associated with scalping practice, and which would be performed prior to the trepanation in order to facilitate it. The absence of any kind of healing or bone regeneration points towards the death of the individual during the procedure. Together with the presence of marks of violence and manipulation of the skeletal remains of some individuals buried in the same grave, this leads us to propose that the trepanation was possibly performed to heal a previous trauma resulting from a violent conflict that caused the death of this and eight other individuals from the community.

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“…We will focus on SUs [10] to [20], which were considered together for this study. SUs [10][11][12][13][14] are a funerary use, comprising human remains of at least six individuals without anatomical connections (Tomé, 2011;Tomé et al, 2016), accompanied by a macrolithic industry in quartzite, schist, and sandstone, with a few geometric microliths in flint, and a pair of limestone plates with incised decoration. This initial use of the cave presents radiocarbon dates of long-life samples of charcoal and short-life samples of a human tooth (Table 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who's to blame? The Mesolithic non‐anthropic leporids from Cueva de los Postes (Badajoz, Spain)

Almeida

Giraldo

Domínguez

et al. 2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The Mesolithic faunal assemblage from Cueva de Los Postes (Badajoz, Spain) is presented and discussed. The faunal remains from different stratigraphic units spatially associated with the Mesolithic funerary use of the cave or preceded them were analyzed. The zooarchaeological record is dominated by leporids, generally rabbit but also hare, scarce mustelids, and undetermined birds. Results indicate that these animals are not associated with the human use of the cave. The relevance of carnivore damage points to an exogenous origin for leporid accumulation. It is inferred that this mixed deposit of scats and non‐ingested remains results from foxes' activity.

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Prehistoric trepanation in the Iberian Peninsula: A new case from the province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain)

Cited by 3 publications

References 14 publications

Insights into the Funerary Practices in the Dolmen of Cabecinha (Figueira da Foz, Portugal)

Insights into the Funerary Practices in the Dolmen of Cabecinha (Figueira da Foz, Portugal)

A new case of prehistoric trepanation and scalping in the Iberian Peninsula: The tomb of La Saga (Cáseda, Navarre)

Who's to blame? The Mesolithic non‐anthropic leporids from Cueva de los Postes (Badajoz, Spain)

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