Di Maio D&V - Forensic patology

[Mitra]

I'm making for the SISMA a article concerning the white weapons wounds, so i'm searching all the possible sources of informations.

This book has been very precious for the different death causes and for the human fisiology. It is organizated in different chapters, one for each death or trauma typology (important for me have been the chapters "Stab and blade wounds", "blunt injuries and trauma", "skull trauma" ).

If you are sensible people don't read this book (photo with man half behead, with the face destroyed by stabbing aren't a good vision).

PS: all the battlefield medice scan articles (greek,roman,medieval,renaissance) you can send me are very appreciated.

[Alexandr K]

Hi Davide,
here you can download the books "Armour from the Battle of Wisby" I and II (1361). Chapter IV. of the first book deals with battle injuries found on the skeletons.
I hope it will help you.
Greetings
Alexandr

[Mitra]

Already taken , but also the other books are very interesting.

Thanks Alex

[Dan Diffendale]

For ancient Italy:


"A bronze javelin point in a femur from the Necropolis of Pontecagnano (Salerno, southern Italy, IV Century BC)"
Luisa Di Domenicantonio,Aida D'Alessandro, Caterina Scarsini, and Luigi Capasso
Anthropological science : journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon
Vol. 107, No. 2, 1999, pp. 123-127
(similarly, "A bronze javelin point in a femur from the necropolis of Pontecagnano (Salerno, Southern Italy)," in Homo 45, 1990, p. 530)


"Cranial trauma in iron age Samnite agriculturists, Alfedena, Italy: implications for biocultural and economic stress."
Paine RR, Mancinelli D, Ruggieri M, Coppa A.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2007 Jan;132(1):48-58
Abstract:
The Samnites are an Iron Age protohistoric people from the central region of Italy. The skeletal remains are from the Alfedena necropolis, 6th through 5th centuries B.C. Macchiarelli et al. (Antropologia Contemporanea 4 (1981) 239-243) were the first to report on cranial trauma for this population, presenting four cases with extreme injuries. We re-examined this well documented skeletal population for additional examples of trauma. Previously unexamined remains from Alfedena, excavated at the turn of the 20th century, are also included in our analysis (Mariani. 1901. "Aufidena", ricerche archeologiche e storiche del Sannio settentrionale. Roma: Acc Naz Dei Lincei). Of the 209 adult crania examined, 12.9% of them exhibited trauma. Analysis of location and frequency of cranial trauma revealed that cranial injuries to the head appear to originate from all directions. The high rate of cranial trauma underscores the violent circumstances experienced during the Iron Age protohistoric period of central Italy. Males are much more likely to exhibit cranial injury than females (P = 0.009). We conclude that the injuries received by Samnite male farmer-warriors occurred while defending pastoral-agricultural resources. Trauma rates are similar for some Iron Age populations and not for others. Behavior associated with violence during the Iron Age period can not be generalized for all populations found in Italy.

"Traumatic events and life-style in ancient Italian populations."
Brasili P, Bianchi E, Ventrella AR.
Coll Antropol. 2004 Jun;28(1):179-91.
Abstract:
Traumatic lesions are commonly found in archaeological skeletal samples and provide useful information about various behavioral and cultural aspects of the populations. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the distribution and types of skeletal traumatic lesions and the different life-styles of past populations. We examined three necropolises in central Italy. Pozzilli (VI-IV century BC) and Quadrella (I-IV century AD) are from the same geographical area (Molise) but belong to different periods; Novilara (IX-VI century BC) is located in Marche but belongs to the Iron Age like Pozzilli. The lesions observed at Pozzilli seem not to be accidental, whereas the traumas observed at Quadrella can be attributed to occasional, unintentional events. Cranial injuries observed at Novilara strengthen the hypothesis that the population was composed, at least in part, of warriors. Our results suggest the presence of a relationship between skeletal traumatic lesions and life-styles of populations.

"Paleotraumatologia. cranio-cerbrale nella comunita` protosorica di Alfedena (VI-V. sec. a.C., area medio-Adriatica)"
Macchiarelli R, Salvadei L, Dazzi M
Antropologia Contemporanea. 1981 4:239–243.

[Mitra]

The bronze javelin in the femur is very interesting confirm to various descriptions in ancient world of javelins or missiles which fall short and hit the legs.

[Celer]

Salve,

You might seriously consider getting 'Blood Red Roses - The Archaeology of a Mass Grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461' (ISBN 1 84217 025 2), published by Oxbow books in 2000. Everything you need is there, from the site records, to a study of the weapons used at the time, and an attempt to match those weapons with the wounds found on the bodies.

Also, consider the Gladiator remains at Ephasus.

There are remains at Maiden Castle here in England dating from the Roman invasion which have weapons trauma.

Hope this helps,

Celer.

[Mitra]

Thanks Celer

The Maiden Castle has been the first choice, and i have found the original Wheeler descriptions of skeletons, but now some of his conclusions are disputed, but for my study have little relevance if the skull wounds come from a roman o celtic weapon.

[Martin Moser]

Gurdjian, Elisha Stephens. Head injury from antiquity to the present with special reference to penetrating head wounds. Springfield/III., 1973

Majno, Guido. The healing hand: Man and wound in the ancient world. Cambridge/Mass., 1975

Salazar, Christine F. The treatment of war wounds in Graeco-Roman antiquity. Leiden, 2000

[Mitra]

Thanks Martin

I have Majno; i have searched Salazar time ago but both Amazon and BOL don't have copies of this, but Mitchell book has been a good substitute also if in Medieval period (is it arrived to you? I remember you have purchased after my review).

The objective of my article is little different from that of Salazar book, i can resume on this:

where the man are hit (archeological, literary, artistic) and why some zone are hits more frequently (with consideration about the weapons and combat techniques used)
|
v
what happen to the body when hit in the various zones (mechanical effect of weapons), with a strong explanations why some men hits to death can survive the time necessary to kill their killers (like man who walk for 100 meters with a 2 cm hole in the left ventricle, another with 1,3cm hole survived 4 days) .
|
V
Indirect effect of wounds (infections,ecc) and possible treatments of pre-modern medicine (shorter of previous, i dont want make a history of medicine).

[Mitra]

If you remember interesting and descriptive passages in the sources (greek, roman, medieval ,renaissance) about war wounds, that woulds be very useful. If have found many but without doubt i have lost many.

[Alexandr K]

Hi,
some info about battlefield injuries and medicine is also in
Metz, K.S. - Gabriel, R.A.: From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies, New York, 1991.

Greetings
Alexandr