Legalized trauma

In the past, criminals were executed by a variety of means, including beheading or hanging, and both these methods may leave signs on the skeleton. It is not difficult to recognize individuals who have been beheaded because one or other of the cervical vertebrae will show evidence of the fatal blow, and there may also be cut marks on the base of the skull or the back of the mandible. Death from hanging, however, often leaves no marks on the skeleton, especially when carried out with a running noose and no drop. With a drop, dislocation of the sutures at the base of the skull may be noted and the classic ‘hangman's fracture’, which is a fracture dislocation of the second cervical vertebra, may be present. When there is no evidence of trauma, death from hanging may have to be inferred in skeletons which are found with the hands tied or with other signs that are discussed here.     

Limits to interpretation of skeletal trauma — Two case studies from Medieval Abingdon,England

Two adult male skeletons from the Medieval lay cemetery at Abingdon show multiple trauma to the upper limbs and torso. Although this in itself is not uncommon in this cemetery the two skeletons in question stand out by virtue of the near-identical distribution of their injuries. The skeletons are used as examples to discuss the difficulties facing the palaeopathologist in deciding whether to attribute particular examples of trauma to violence. This is particularly relevant to Abingdon, where at least one major episode of civil conflict is documented historically. It was concluded that although the number of skeletons displaying signs of trauma may show the level of violence and high-risk occupations in a society, skeletal evidence rarely can distinguish between the two in individual cases.     

Applying forensic techniques to interpret cranial fracture patterns in an archaeological specimen

This paper presents some of the basic principles of bone fracture physics and outlines characteristics used by forensic anthropologists to distinguish gunshot trauma from blunt trauma. The fracture pattern of a cranium from a historic cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee provides an example of how the mechanism of trauma could be misinterpreted. The pattern of the perimortem fractures is indicative of gunshot trauma with a bullet entering one side of the vault and impacting the opposite side. Identification of radiating fractures, concentric heaving fractures, and observation of the direction of bevel on the fractured surfaces are essential for interpretation of the mechanism that produced the injury.     

Remains of the Dead: Exploring a Human Anatomical Collection from Brazilian Amazon

Osteological lesions can be important to positively identify human remains in forensic contexts, as well as contribute to past population studies. However, their analysis requires training and appropriate research conditions, which may be lacking in certain geographic areas as, for example, the northern region of Brazil. Emphasising existing resources, such as anatomical collections, may help to address this issue. This study explores the anatomical collection of Professor Dr. Manuel da Silva Braga of the Federal University of Pará (Brazil), introducing the traumatic lesions identified in seven crania (13.7%; 7/51) of male (four) and female (three) individuals. The sample profile and the cases identified are in accordance with the pattern of violent victims in the region. This study is the first of its kind in the Pará State, contributing with case studies and examples, to the disciplines of biological anthropology, paleopathology, and bioarchaeology and forensic discipline. It also highlights the significance that anatomical collections may have in the development of those disciplines, suggesting a need for reappraisal and reevaluation of existing resources, as these may be of use for training and research. Lastly, this study builds a bridge towards the social and cultural context of the collection, reinforcing the value of an interdisciplinary approach to human remains. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the shock of civil war: cultural trauma and national identity in Finland and Ireland

What role does national identity play after civil war? Is reconstruction possible on the basis of an existing identity, or does a new identity have to be found? Much depends on whether narratives of conflict are unifying. I use the tools of cultural sociology to explain why the Finnish Civil War of 1918 has become a unifying ‘cultural trauma’ for the Finns, whereas the Irish Civil War of 1922–23 never became the dominant referent in Irish national identity. The difference is explained by the greater shock civil war posed to Finnish national identity.     

Democratic ambivalence in post mortem

Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of films has broken new ground in Chilean cinema by offering a new perspective on realities of the Pinochet dictatorship, the outbreak of the coup, and the dissolution of Pinochet’s power. This article explores Larraín’s use of banality, which, I claim, realizes a democratic ambivalence that is latent in historical representation and History proper. Rather than accusing Larraín’s films of conservatism or apathy, I argue that these films seek to destabilize the known categories of identification: a radical gesture against any form of establishment. Paying particular attention to Larraín’s aesthetics, I claim that the radical gesture of Post mortem (2010) lies in its innovations at the level of mise-en-scène and editing. Drawing on philosophical insights in Jacques Rancière’s and Gilles Deleuze’s writings on historical representation and ambivalent representations, I argue that Larraín avoids conventional forms of historical fiction and Latin American political cinema.     

Fatal Injuries in a pre‐Hispanic Canary Mummy: Violence,Accident or Ritual Suicide?

Perimortem traumas have been identified in a pre‐Hispanic Canary mummy (fifth–sixth centuries cal AD). The location and nature of the fractures in the cranium, cervical vertebrae, ribs and both legs indicate a fall from a considerable height, which would have been the cause of death. Supported by forensic anthropology criteria and historical information about the population of origin, the circumstances in which the fatal injuries might have occurred are discussed. Given the pattern of the injuries, it is debated whether they were the result of an accident or a ritual suicide, as aggression is thought to be a less likely scenario. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comment on the Analysis of Two Skeletons from Terqa,Syria

Recently, a report on two human skeletons from an Early Bronze Age tomb excavated at Tell Ashara, Syria has been published in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. One individual was identified as a warrior following these criteria: (i) size and robustness of bones, (ii) cut marks on the humerus, (iii) reduction of the ulnar styloid process, both interpreted as healed weapon‐related trauma, (iv) well‐developed muscle insertions, and (v) degenerative joint disease. Actually, none of these five criteria support the conclusion because of the following reasons: (i) not necessarily all tall and robust men become warriors, (ii) the post mortem origin of cut marks on the humerus is more likely than sharp force trauma, (iii) there are several possible causes of the unusual ulnar styloid shape other than weapon‐related trauma, (iv) the interpretation of musculoskeletal stress markers and (v) degenerative joint disease lacked control for age, sex and body size. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Murder or mortuary behaviour? An Iron Age enigma from Northeast Thailand

During the excavation of the Iron Age site of Noen U-Loke, in the Mun River Valley, northeast Thailand, in 1998 an unusual case of possible fatal cranial trauma in an elderly woman was recovered. Her skull was cleaved across the centre from side to side. The woman was buried with her head inside a ceramic pot, which is unusual for the site, but with jewellery similar to that in other burials. She was interred in a large cluster of graves, with a high proportion of infants and children. Her burial treatment suggests that she was not being treated punitively. The position of the mandible shows that the cleavage is not a postmortem artifact but it is not possible to determine the reason for it or whether it was the cause of her death or occurred immediately afterward. It is an unusual and intriguing enigma. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Further aspects of fur trade life depicted in the skeleton

Osteobiographies were reconstructed from the skeletal remains of four adults from Fort Edmonton, a 19th century trading post of the Canadian fur trade. Three males were Caucasoid and probably ethnic Scots, given the usual origin of fur traders in this region. The lone adult female in the sample was Mongoloid, either Indian or Métis, and likely the ‘country wife’ of a fur trader, since she was buried in the European tradition in the fort cemetery. The cause of death is not discernible from any of the skeletal remains and none of these individuals exhibit any evidence of chronic infectious disease, malnutrition or neoplasia. Trauma, arthritis and other indicators of physical stress do appear, however, and present an opportunity to expand our understanding of the effects of fur trade life on the skeleton. Viewed in the context of historical accounts of life at the fort in the early 19th century, stress markers on the skeletons of three males have led to the conclusion that they were voyageurs who engaged in trading trips by canoe or boat. Lesions of the capsule attachment area at the proximal tibio‐fibular articulation appear unilaterally in two males and may be associated with ‘mushing’ or driving a dog sled in winter. The musculoskeletal lesions on the one preserved female skeleton are consistent with the arduous domestic activities documented at the fort, which include milking cows, churning butter, stirring lye soap, and harvesting grain and root vegetables by hand. Since specific occupations or behaviours cannot be precisely determined from muscular attachment and other stress markers, these interpretations are made cautiously and only in the culture‐historical context of the skeletal sample. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.