Article2005

‘In this Chambered Tumulus were Found Cleft Skulls …’: an Assessment of the Evidence for Cranial Trauma in the British Neolithic

61 citations0/0 files storedProceedings of the Prehistoric Society

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Archaeological and Geological Studies Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Abstract

Interpersonal violence is a powerful expression of human social interaction. Yet a consideration of violence in the past has done relatively little to inform our discussions of the British Neolithic. Here, we present the results of an examination of some 350 earlier Neolithic crania from mainly southern Britain. Of these, 31 show healed or unhealed injuries suggestive of interpersonal violence. We suggest a conservative estimate of 2% fatal cranial injuries, and 4 or 5% healed injuries. These data are used as a platform to discuss possible contexts for, and consequences of, violence. We argue that, regardless of its actual prevalance, the reality or the threat of interpersonal violence can have an important affect on both the behaviour of individuals and the structure of society.

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References

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Cited by

2012Archaeology of Violence, The: Interdisciplinary Approaches 2011Violence and Society in the Deep Human Past 2023Conflict, violence, and warfare among early farmers in Northwestern Europe 2012A Cut‐marked and Fractured Mesolithic Human Bone from Kent's Cavern, Devon, UK 2007Beyond the Grave: Human Remains from Domestic Contexts in Iron Age Atlantic Scotland 2011Health, Diet and Social Implications in Neolithic Greece from the Study of Human Osteological Material

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