Radiographic and Tomographic Evidence from Human Remains (Catamarca, Argentina)

ROLDÁN, J.; C. E. ROLDÁN; M. M. SAMPIETRO VATTUONE

Jordania

Conferencia; The Third International Conference on Science & Technology in Archaeology & conservation; 2004

We analyzed human osseous remains from Condorhuasi-Alamito Formative Culture (II-IV AD), Northwest Argentina. These remains came from tombs and ritual contexts.  Our objetive was to identify paleopathologies and reasons of death in this population. We used radiographic and/or tomographic techniques when it was necessary. Twenty one individuals composed the sample: eleven of which were just skulls, five of them trophy skulls that showed important injuries made by a weapon (could be the cause of death). Eight of them had cranial and postcranial skeleton`s fragments, the rest had just postcranial skeleton`s fragments. Five “trophy skulls” seemed to be healthy in other aspects (their good mastoid pneumatization). The rest of the individuals showed important degenerative changes at their axial skeleton, three of them have serious degenerative changes in lumbar vertebraes and a minor scoliosis in toraxic and cervical vertebraes. One of them showed serious degenerative changes in all its axial skeleton. And the last one showed minor degenerative changes. Three individuals hand’s bones showed cured fractures. We conclude that the five individuals (trophy skulls) were killed by a weapon in a ritual context. The degenerative changes of axial skeleton in the rest of the sample plus the presence of cured fractures in hands could be associated to strong physical efforts as a result of agricultural and metallurgical practices.