engleski

Bone Fractures in the Late Medieval Bribirska glavica Site

The Bribir archaeological site is well-known for its rich past, material heritage and large number of skeletons that were excavated from it. The cemetery contains numerous individual graves as well as collective, possibly family graves. A comparative analysis was conducted in order to determine trauma frequencies and distribution in the recovered skeletal series, and to ascertain how values from Bribirska glavica correspond to those recorded in other eastern Adriatic sites. A sample of 48 skeletons from individual graves consisting of 31 males and 17 females was analyzed for the frequency and patterning of bone traumas. Data were collected for the complete skeleton, individual long bones, the craniofacial region and by type (perimortem vs. antemortem) of injury. The results show that the Bribir sample exhibits significantly higher trauma frequencies when calculated by skeleton than those recorded in a composite Late antique (2 =10.76 ; P= 0.001), and a composite Early medieval (2 =3.72 ; P= 0.005) series, as well as higher fracture frequencies than those recorded in a composite Late medieval series (37.5% vs. 24.9% ; 2 =2.96 ; P= 0.08) without, however, achieving statistical significance. The results also indicate high frequencies of craniofacial injuries in the Bribir series and a high frequency of perimortem fractures: 6, 25% of all skeletons exhibit perimortem fractures. Analysis conducted by sex and age show higher trauma frequencies in males and a clear positive correlation between overall trauma frequencies and advanced age in both sexes. Collectively, the data from the Bribir series confirms the previously noted trend of increasing violence on the eastern Adriatic coast and its hinterland from the Late antique to the Late medieval period with the Bribir series exhibiting the highest trauma frequencies recorded in the Late Medieval period. Further osteological, archaeological and historical research is needed to determine the cause of these elevated trauma frequencies.

bioarchaeology ; trauma ; perimortem injury ; Bribir

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