152 • Miroslav Prokopec and Graeme L. Pretty 



Figure 1 . Healed fracture of femur with over- 

 ride and slight angulation of humerus and ulna. 

 All photographs, with the exception of Figure 2, 

 by M. Prokopec. 



Roonka was about 24 years , of males over 20 years of age 36 

 years, and of females 32 years. The mean stature of males 

 was 1 67.4 cm (SD 6.1 cm), andof females was 156.5 cm (SD 

 5.4 cm). The difference in the mean height between both 

 sexes amounted to 10.9 cm. The greatest mortality was in 

 early childhood and in the adult group between 20 and 30 

 years of age. The least represented age groups in the sample 

 were children of approximately 10 years and those of the 

 senile group over 60 years of age. 



HEALTH STATUS 



Conclusions on general health of people once living at Roon- 

 ka may be drawn from the age at which people died, from 

 stature, from size and shape of bones, and from traces of 

 disease on teeth, jaws and bones (Smith ct al. 1988). The 

 presence of some diseases in the past population can be only 

 assumed using a present day population, living in a similar 

 environment, as a model. 



Fractured bones and skull vaults and depressions in the 

 skull vaults are evidence of trauma (Figures 1 ,2), though 

 habits such as preventing the dead man or woman from re- 

 turning to life by throwing stones into the grave may explain 

 some traumatic changes which might have been inflicted 

 after death. 



A woman was buried at the moment of childbirth. A de- 

 pression across her forehead was considered a fatal blow — 

 the most probable reason being euthanasia (Pounder et al. 



Figure 2. Skull of adult female. No. 1 10, in situ 

 in grave from trench A, Roonka, showing de- 

 pression over frontal bone following a blow by a 

 narrow object causing fracture. Photograph by 

 Lloyd Chilman. 



Figure 3. Skull of 5-year-old child with cra- 

 niosynostosis and fracture of right temporal 

 bone. Fine pitting on parietal and occipital 

 bones. Grave No. 77, Roonka. 



1983). Various pathological changes were found, such as an 

 osteoma in the mandible in an old person, premature closure 

 of all skull sutures (Simpson et al. 1983-1984; Prokopec et 

 al. 1985) (Figure 3), arthritic changes in joints, signs of 

 inflammatory processes on bones, an open sacral canal, and 

 yaws or other trepanarid infections (Figures 2-7). It may be 



Zagreb Faleupulhology Symp IVSS 



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