Professional paper
A Case of Sharp Force Trauma to the Skull of Female Buried Within a Neolithic Rondel, Kolín (Czech Republic)
Hana Brzobohatá
orcid.org/0000-0002-4609-6402
; DNA Forensic Service, Prague, Czech Republic
Radka Šumberová
; Institute of Archaeology, Prague, Czech Republic
Jitka Votrubová-Dubská
; DNA Forensic Service, Prague, Czech Republic
Daniel Vaněk
; DNA Forensic Service, Prague, Czech Republic
Abstract
In this paper we describe a case of non-healed sharp force trauma to the skull of a young female who was buried
within a Neolithic circular enclosure (rondel) dated to the Stroked Pottery Culture (encompassing the period between 5100
BC and 4400 BC) at Kolín (Czech Republic). The girl was buried in a stretched position with her face directed right and
her arms folded in the same direction, richly equipped with ornaments made from both freshwater and sea shells. This
body arrangement diverges from the style for dead bodies that is typical of this region and time period. The exceptional
grave location combined with unusual funerary treatment could reflect a foreign origin or special role in society. In the
absence of additional conflict mortality data at the settlement, we conclude that this girl may have died as the result of
inter- or intra-group conflict or non-specified homicide, possibly with ritual connotations.
Keywords
sharp force trauma; paleopathology; Neolithic; rondel; atypical burial; skull; violence
Hrčak ID:
200351
URI
Publication date:
6.10.2017.
Visits: 799 *