A Young Woman From the Fifth Millennium BCE in Chega Sofla Cemetery With a Modified and Hinge Fractured Cranium, Southwestern Iran

Abstract

Excavations at the Chega Sofla Cemetery in southwestern Iran, fifth millennium BCE, revealed intentionally modified skulls, including BG1.12, a young woman with cranial binding and hinge fractures. Cranial bandaging changes the morphology of the skull, which affects biomechanics. Based on these factors, this study investigated fractures and objects involved in trauma. The impact fractured both the left parietal and frontal bones. CT scan images and various sectional slices of BG1.12 were used for analysis. This method obtained detailed insights into changes in cranial bone thickness, the nature of skull fractures, and deposits within the cranial vault. The fractured bones remained connected, and the lack of evidence for bone remodeling and regular deposits within the cranial vault suggests that the fracture occurred perimortem. The severity of the impact can be seen as a triangular fracture along the sagittal border of the left parietal bone. According to CT scan analysis, the fracture was caused by an object that did not penetrate the cranial vault or have sharp edges. According to observations, an object with broad edges severely fractured the cranium of this young woman during the final moments of her life.