Were some individuals more vulnerable than others in the Late Neolithic society? Osteobiography of an elderly female with multiple fractures

Abstract

A skeleton of a Late Neolithic elderly female (aged 50+) from the Lengyel site of Svodín-Busahegy (4,900-4,700 cal BC) showed multiple injuries in various stages of healing. Even though the precise cause of the injuries cannot be determined, apparently, she had been facing repeating situations resulting in injuries, or possibly also mistreatment. The elderly female may thus represent a vulnerable member of society, possibly related to her appearance linked to a likely plagiocephaly.