CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The study investigates the oldest instance of interpersonal violence in a non-native individual from mission cemeteries in Southern Patagonia. The focus is on the re-examination of the remains of a male, aged between 25 and 45 years, unearthed from the late 19th to early 20th-century cemetery of the Salesian mission "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" in Río Grande, Argentina. Isotopic and ancient DNA analyses, along with the burial context, suggested European origin (haplogroup T2b3) and a non-local upbringing for this individual. Previous paleopathological analysis had identified porotic hyperostosis, ante-mortem fractures, and caries. In a subsequent examination, lesions consistent with cranial fractures were detected, notably transverse fractures in both nasal bones, displaying a leftward deviation. These fractures exhibited slight bone remodeling. Additionally, a perimortem longitudinal fracture was present on the frontal process of the right maxilla, with plastic deformation of the frontal process of the left maxilla, the left orbit, and the glabella. These observed pathological features imply that the injuries resulted from a lateral, high-energy impact. Fractures in the facial skeleton often correlate with interpersonal violence or accidents, with a higher prevalence among subadult and young adult males in epidemiological studies. The presence of such lesions in this case potentially suggests involvement in a violent episode, although the precise cause cannot be determined conclusively. Notably, this represents the oldest recorded instance of interpersonal violence in a non-native individual within Southern Patagonia, shedding light on historical dynamics and potentially significant events within the region's context.

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