Three Ancient Skulls with Mechanical Injuries

Abstract

Three cases of mechanically injured skulls from ancient sites in Japan are reported.
1) A senile male skull excavated from the shellmounds of Hobi, Atsumi Peninsula, Central Japan, a prehistoric site of the latest Jomon Period (Figs. 1-3). The upper mesial incisor of the left side, which is the only tooth remained, is artificially filed and 4 incisors of the lower jaw are also artificially extracted. The intended tooth-filing with dental knocking out is regarded as the indication of the authority of those days. Eight perforations of different sizes and forms were observed on the skull vault. The senile authority was attacked probably by at least two or three enemies with arrows and stone axes from behind.
2) An adult female skull excavated from the protohistoric tombe at Sokoji, Tagata-Gun, Shizuoka Prefecture (Fig. 4). The right temporal region of the skull was perforated in oval form. The margin of the broken part shows an indication of attack by an obtuse weapon from the right side.
3) An adult male skull excavated from a medieval site at Gokurakuji, Kamakura City near Yokohama (Fig. 5).
The skull is regarded as one of a great number of victims of the medieval battle in 1333. The skull is pierced by an iron arrowhead comming from an anterior direction. The tip of the arrowhead is projected about 45mm long on the outer surface of the skull, but it's root remained about 35mm long inside of the skull.