[Healed war injuries of the cranium in the osteologic collection from the Broumov Ossuary (13th-18th century)].

Abstract

Traumatic bone lesions form an important part of the study of human paleopathology. Injuries of the skull are frequent in the history of the human race. 647 adult dry skulls of both sexes from the "Broumov Ossuary" (13th-18th century) were examined for the incidence of cranium injuries. In this paper, an extensive collection (n=122) of healed dry skull injuries is presented. In the neuro- and splanchnocranium of skulls (n=78), linear and depressed fractures, slash and stab wounds have been seen but no gunshot wound. In part of the skulls (n=29), multiple injuries have been observed. Many detected traumatic lesions seem to have been caused by traditional weapons of the last centuries: war swords, axes, or pole-arms with metal spikes. All the skull injuries show clear signs of well-healing with bone remodelling that indicates the survival of victims for a long period after the cranial trauma.