Paleoepidemiology of trauma in a prehistoric California population • 247 



Figure 8. Right femur head, deformed 

 inferiorly and dorsolaterally. Female, 

 21-30 years. 



i_A_5i 



Even in the Old World such high frequencies of unam- 

 biguous projectile wounds is but rarely seen. Bennike ( 1985) 

 in a comprehensive review of basically the entire, prehistoric 

 Danish skeletal collection (including more than 1000 crania 

 as well as thousands of postcranial elements) describes five 

 individuals with six projectile wounds. 



Indeed, the only comparable incidence comes from other 

 prehistoric, central Califomian contexts. Tenney (1986) re- 

 ports 18 projectile wounds in 13 individuals from a detailed 

 survey of more than 2000 skeletons housed at Berkeley's 

 Lowie Museum. However, even here the incidence per site is 

 less, as the material represents skeletal samples from several 

 locations. 



Thus, the Ala-329 population holds a unique position as 

 perhaps the single most afflicted group with this type of 

 deliberately induced lesion. As noted above in Tenney 's re- 

 view, the high frequency of such wounds in central Califor- 

 nia, particularly among San Francisco Bay groups, is not a 

 complete surprise. Indeed, a case of a projectile wound in a 

 cranium was received in the 19th century by the Smithsonian 

 Institution from a doctor in Alameda County, the same area 

 as Ala-329 (Wilson 1901). 



The evidence, clearly, is more than suggestive. Interper- 

 sonal violence at Ala-329 prior to European contact was 

 frequent, deliberate, and often fatal. In fact, the evidence 

 from osseous remains almost certainly underestimates the 

 rate of projectile wounds (and other violence-induced trau- 

 ma), as no doubt a high proportion of wounds affected only 

 soft tissue (see Wilson 1901 for a discussion of projectile 

 wounds in prehistoric and historic contexts). 



An interesting pattern emerges in looking at the skeletal 

 distribution of projectile wounds. All embedded projectile 

 points but one are found low in the body in the vicinity of 

 lower thorax and abdomen (assuming the affected radius was 

 held down at the side when the victim was wounded). While 

 possible, it seems unlikely that such a concentrated cluster 

 would have resulted by chance or even by deliberate aim at 



Zztgreh Paleopathology Symp- l^HH 



distant, moving targets. Therefore, many of the wounds at 

 Ala-329 may have occurred when victims were restrained at 

 close range. Indeed, some of these victims may have been 

 "executed." 



Summary 



1 . Healed fractures in this population are relatively rare, seen 

 in only 36/2047 intact long bones. 



2. Of those elements exhibiting healed fractures, the fore- 

 arm is most often involved (13 radial and 15 ulnar fractures). 



3. Of these forearm fractures, an unusually high incidence 

 (for prehistoric samples) of ununited fractures is seen (five 

 elements in four different individuals). 



4. Frequent interpersonal violence is suggested by many of 

 these forearm ("parry") fractures and even more clearly by 

 nine individuals who have ten embedded obsidian projectile 

 points. 



5. Two cases of traumatically induced hip dislocations are 

 also found; moreover, their differential diagnosis from an- 

 other case that was congenital in origin is made clear. 



Acknowledgments 



For their direct contribution to this research and helpful com- 

 ments on this paper, I am greatly indebted to Lynn Kilgore, 

 Tony Musladen, and Alan Leventhal. Encouragement and 

 assistance with the radiography were provided by Margaret 

 Binns, San Jose State Student Health Service. The analysis of 

 skeletal material could not have been accomplished w ithout 

 the dedication and expertise of students Loma Pierce, Rhon- 

 da Gillett. Charlene Gross, Patricia Rafter, and Sandra 

 Weldon. Grateful appreciation also goes to Bert Gerow for 

 generously allowing access to the collection and to Donald J. 

 Ortncr for his friendship and support. Financial support was 

 provided by San Jose State University, School of Social Sci- 

 ences Research Grant. 



