Osteological consequences of scalping.

Abstract

SCALPING cultural significance has long been for those recognized performing as a custom the scalping which held operation great cult ral significan e for those performing e calpin operation and critical or acute significance for those persons being scalped. In the central and eastern United States, where scalping was a prominent feature of warfare between various American Indian tribes, there have been a number of studies dealing primarily with the cultural aspects (Friederici, '07). The possible consequences of scalping manifested in the victim, however, have been relatively ignored (Reese, *40). Aside from the obvious paucity of materials the delay in investigating such consequences has perhaps been most closely related to two common assumptions concerning the practice. First, the evidence of scalping was transitory in that only soft part morphology was affected, i. е., the scalp alone was removed and preserved as a trophy. Second, the victim was killed or mortally wounded prior to the scalping or died soon after and therefore no characteristic secondary changes in the cranial vault were to be seen in the osseous remains. While generally true there have been sufficient exceptions to provide material for study which may accomplish the twin objectives of an understanding of the osteological consequences of scalp removal, and of eventually determining the historical depth of the practice. It is likely that significant specimens are now lying unnoticed in laboratory collections. The number of cases available for study will always remain small in view of the fact that most victims died immediately before or after the scalping, thus obviating any secondary alterations in the vault such as exfoliation of the outer table and replacement with new bone. Nevertheless, scalping like trephining, offers a unique contribution to paleopathology for it is only in these two practices that the scalp was systematically removed or reflected. This set in motion the physiological consequences attendant upon deprivation of normal blood supply to the surface of the cranial vault.

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