Contribution
Four cases of beheading from 14th–17th century Lithuania
Kozakaitė, Justina; Girčius, Rokas; Dementavičienė, Jūratė; Jankauskas, Rimantas; Piombino-Mascali, Dario
Anthropologischer Anzeiger Volume 75 No. 3 (2018), p. 243 - 249
publié: Aug 27, 2018
publication en ligne: Jun 11, 2018
manuscrit accepté: May 3, 2018
revision du manuscrit reçu: Apr 23, 2018
révision du manuscrit demandée: Mar 31, 2018
manuscrit reçu: Feb 14, 2018
DOI: 10.1127/anthranz/2018/0864
ArtNo. ESP140007503007, Prix: 29.00 €
Abstract
Skeletal evidence of beheading in early modern Lithuania has been scarce, despite historical documentation indicating it as a popular practice. This study presents the first bioarchaeological cases of decapitation in early modern Lithuania, with four adult male individuals from the 14th–17th centuries A.D. that reveal evidence of perimortem lesions in the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. The osteological and radiological study of the affected bones suggests that the individuals might have been victims of episodes of interpersonal violence, rather than subjected to capital punishment.
Mots-clefs
bioarchaeology • anthropology • paleopathology • violence • beheading