244 • Robert D. Jurmain 



TabLH 2. Fracture incidence by element 



Sources: Libben, Lovejoy and Heiple 1981; Danish, Bennike 1985; 

 Great Lakes, Pfeiffer 1985 (pers. comm.). 



The average age for individuals with ulnar fractures is 41 

 years at Libben and 39 years at Ala-329. For radial involve- 

 ment the average age is 42 years at Libben and 4 1 at Ala-329. 



It could be asked, then, if the Libben sample represents an 

 older population. Here also, no clear differences appear, as 

 the demographic profiles are generally quite similar. At Lib- 

 ben 26% of adults lived past age 40, while at Ala-329 28% of 

 adults survived into the fifth decade. 



It can be concluded, then, that age differences in these two 

 populations do not adequately account for the differences in 

 fracture incidence. Further systematic and thus comparative 

 data on fracture frequency are available from a few other 

 studies. In particular, Bennike (1985) has carefully com- 

 puted incidence for a Danish skeletal series (Neolithic- 

 Medieval) by element, and Pfeiffer (pers. comm.) has re- 

 cently done likewise on archaic North American skeletal 

 samples from the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada. 

 The results of these two studies as well as from the Libben 

 series are compared with fracture incidence at Ala-329 in 

 Table 2. 



The frequency of forearm midshaft injuries suggests inter- 

 personal violence (i.e., parry fractures), which is further 

 indicated by the predilection mentioned earlier for left side 

 involvement. Arguing against intergroup fighting is the simi- 

 lar incidence of female involvement in the forearm as that 

 seen among males (13 male, 14 female). This observation 

 does not of course preclude violence directed at women with- 

 in the group. 



However, there is more direct evidence of interpersonal 

 violence in this group: nine individuals have embedded pro- 

 jectile f)oints, and a tenth has evidence of a healed wound 

 also probably from a projectile. 



The first case is the healed wound, seen in the distal left 

 femur of an adult male, 20-30 years of age. The lesion is an 



Figure 4. Radiograph, distal left femur showing 

 healed lesion in center, superior to medial con- 

 dyle. Male, 20-30 years. 



ovoid defect superior to the medial femoral condyle and 

 showing hypertrophic formation both ventrally (entrance) 

 and dorsally (exit), indicating the wound completely pierced 

 the bone. On x-ray, the lesion appears quite "nonphysiologi- 

 cal" in origin, given the nonregular shape of the canal (Figure 

 4). Obviously, considerable healing occurred following the 

 injury. Interestingly, at the time of excavation, spent projec- 

 tiles were found in the mouth of this individual. 



The second case is a young adult female aged 19-21 years 

 with a large obsidian projectile point embedded in the ventral 

 body of the 5th lumbar vertebra (Figure 5). X-ray and CT 

 scan analysis revealed no remodeling (healing) around the 

 wound (Figure 6). Indeed, it would not be expected that this 

 victim survived the injury, as soft tissue trauma due to hemor- 

 rhaging and intra-abdominal infection would have been un- 

 avoidable. 



The next two cases are also vertebral wounds, but both of 

 these are from the back. A teenager (14-18 years old) of 

 indeterminate sex also has an obsidian point in the 5th lumbar 

 vertebra embedded in the right dorsoinferior portion of its 

 body. Under magnification a "nick" is also apparent along the 

 lateral edge of the right pars interarticularis. Potential in- 

 volvement of the right first sacral nerve root is thus sug- 

 gested. No evidence of healing is apparent. The other indi- 

 vidual "shot in the back" is a 25-35-year-old male with a 

 small obsidian fragment embedded in the 1st lumbar vertebra 

 dorsally on the left side of the neural arch lateral to the left 



Zagreb Paleopathology Symp. I9SS 



