ANTEMORTEM, PERIMORTEM, POSTMORTEM. UNUSUAL BURIAL ON THE BEREZAN ISLAND
Keywords:
Berezan Island, Old Rus, mass grave, paleopathology, taphonomy,traumasAbstract
During the 2016 expedition led by V. Krutilov, an unusual object was discovered on the island of Berezan (Mykolaiv region, Ukraine) — a shallow pit from the Old Rus period filled with human remains. 45 individuals were examined under paleopathological and taphonomic programs, with the majority being young males and juveniles. Only three individuals could be identified as female. Based on the development of muscle relief, occupation markers on the skeleton, and healed injuries on the skull and bones, it appears that the men had significant physical stress on their shoulders, spine, and legs during their lives and probably participated in battles. This suggests that they may have been part of a military garrison or a settlement where people of certain professions were grouped together, possibly with their families.
Based on the partially healed injuries on the bones of the skeleton and skulls, it is likely that some of the men had survived the another battle a few weeks before their deaths. Traces of a periosteal reaction on the long bones, the shoulder blades, and the abdominal surface of the sacrum may indicate pre-mortem torture for some individuals. It is possible that they were held captive for several weeks before their deaths. The occurrence of severe signs of relapses in inflammatory processes among children, adolescents, and young adults may point out a worsening in their living conditions in the weeks leading up to their death.
Postmortem injuries were found on the skulls and postcranial skeletons of eight out of the 45 individuals. Furthermore, an arrowhead was discovered among the bones, which had fallen out of the original wound in the ilium, indicating that this group was killed.
The anatomical order and integrity of the skeletons suggest that the individuals were buried shortly after death. The burial arrangements in this site suggest a two-stage burial process. The bodies were placed in two different types of arrangements: randomly in different positions on the stomach, back and side, or prone on the back, orientated according to the Christian rite. The bodies were also stacked on top of each other. The surface condition indicates that they were left uncovered.
By narrowing down the data, it may be possible to reconstruct historical events and determine the causes of the deaths of 45 individuals from the Berezan island.
References
Bogoiavlenskii, I. F. 1976. Patologicheskaia funktsionalnaia perestroika kostei skeleta. Moskva: Meditsina.
Bondarenko, D. V., Smyrnov, O. I., Smyrnov, L. I., Kuzovkov, V. V. 2023. Kolektyvne pokhovannia doslidzhene na Berezani v konteksti serednovichnoi istorii ostrova. Arkheolohiia i davnia istoriia Ukrainy, 4 (49), s. 186-207.
Kozak, O. D. 2008a. Deiaki osteobiohrafichni rysy do portretu kyivskoho hubernatora. Lavrskyi almanakh, 21. Spetsvypusk 8: Pecherska fortetsia ta Kyivskyi Arsenal: novi doslidzhennia, s. 50-63.
Kozak, O. D. 2008b. Do pytannia pro doslidzhennia pohromiv ta poliv bytv v antropolohii. Metodyka ta prohrama vyvchennia antropolohichnoho materialu z zahyblykh davnoruskykh hradiv. In: Motsia, O. P. (ed.). Starodavnii Iskorosten i slov’ianski hrady. I. Korosten: Triada S, s. 226- 236.
Kozak, O. D. 2010. Kyiany kniazhoi doby. Bioarkheolohichni studii. Kyiv: Akademperiodyka.
Kozak, A. D. 2016. Kollektivnoe pogrebenie vozle Desiatinnoi tserkvi. Tafonomiia i paleopatologiia. Stratum plus, 5, s. 75-82.
Kozak, O. D. 2019. Patolohichni oznaky na skeleti yak markery mihratsii. Arkheolohiia, 1, s. 14-27.
Kozak, O. D. 2020. Sanitarne zakhoronennia na Pivdennomu horodyshchi Vozviahelia. Rekonstruktsiia obstavyn za antropolohichnymy danymy. Misto: istoriia, kultura, suspilstvo, 4 (11), s. 156-182.
Kozak, O. D., Kozak, N. S. 2009. Pokhovannia v portali Uspenskoho soboru Kyievo-Pecherskoho monastyria. Do pytannia pro inoslavni pokaianni praktyky v Davnii Rusi. Lavrskyi almanakh, 24, s. 10-19.
Kozak, O. D., Mohylov, O. D., Poltavets, V. I. 2018. Dosvid arkheoloho-antropolohichnoho doslidzhennia masovoho zakhoronennia: yama z cherepamy na Zamkovii hori u m. Chyhyryni». In: I Vseukrainskyi arkheolohichnyi z’izd: Prohrama roboty ta anotatsii dopovidei (Nizhyn, 23—25 lystopad 2018 r.). Kyiv: IA NAN Ukrainy, s. 160.
Kozintsev, A. G. 1988. Etnicheskaia kranioskopiia. Leningrad: Nauka.
Nazarova, T. O., Rudych, T. O. 2023. Kraniolohichnyi material z rozkopok kolektyvnoho pokhovannia doby serednovichchia z ostrova Berezan. Arkheolohiia i davnia istoriia Ukrainy, 4 (49), s. 208-221.
Pankovskii, V. B., Ianish, E. Iu. 2018. O proiskhozhdenii otverstii i uglublenii na kostiakh zhivotnykh iz Aleksandropolskogo kurgana. In: Polin, S. V., Alekseev, A. Iu. Skifskii tsarskii Aleksandropolskii kurgan IV v. do n. e. v Nizhnem Podneprove. Kiev; Berlin: O. Filiuk, s. 741-755.
Rusakov, A. V. 1959. Patologicheskaia anatomiia boleznei kostnoi sistemy. Vvedenie v fiziologiiu i patologiiu kostnoi tkani. Moskva: Medgiz.
Ushkova, Yu. V. 2020. Do pytannia pro oznaky vershnytstva na antropolohichnomu materiali. Istorychna antropolohiia ta bioarkheolohiia Ukrainy, 2-3, s. 140-153.
Shultts, M., Kozak, A. 2008. Morfologiia i klassifikatsiia sledov meningealnykh reaktsii na drevnikh cherepakh (problemy diagnostiki na primere srednevekovykh populiatsii Kieva). Opus: Mezhdistsiplinarnye issledovaniia v arkheologii, 6, c. 276-299.
Yahodynska, M., Ilchyshyn, V., Kozak, O. 2023. Deviantne zakhoronennia ХII—ХIII st.: zlochyn chy katastrofa. In: Myska, R. H. (ed.). Doslidzhennia, interpretatsiia ta muzeiefikatsiia nerukhomoi spadshchyny ta kulturnykh landshaftiv. Materialy VI Mizhnarodnoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii. Lviv, Urych, 12—13 zhovtnia 2023 r. Lviv, s. 22-24.
Brooks, S. T., Suchey, L. M. 1990. Skeletal Age Determination Based on the Os Pubis: A Comparison of the Acsбdi-Nemeskйri and Suchey-Brooks Methods. Human Evolution, 5, p. 227-238.
Brothwell, D. R. 1981. Digging Up Bones. 3rd ed. New York: Cornell University Press.
Buikstra, J. E., Ubelaker, D. H. (eds.). 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains: Proceedings of a Seminar at the Field Museum of Natural History. Arkansas Archeological Report Research Series, 44. Fayetteville: Arkansas Archeological Survey.
De Boer, H. H., van der Merwe, A. E., Hammer, S., Steyn, M., Maat, G. J. R. 2012. Assessing Post-traumatic Time Interval in Human Dry Bone. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 25 (1), p. 98-109.
Duday, H. 2009. The Archaeology of the Dead: Lectures in Archaeothanatology. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Eshed, V. Gopher, A., Galili, E., Hershkovitz, I. 2004. Musculoskeletal Stress Markers in Natufian Hunter- Gatherers and Neolithic Farmers in the Levant: The Upper Limb. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 123, p. 303-315.
Kozak, O. Anthropology of the Ostriv cemetery of 11th c. on the Ros’ river: Migration Effects. In: Jonaitis, R., Kaplűnaitл, I. (eds.). From Paganism to Christianity. Burial Rites During the Transition Period. Vilnius (in press).
Lajeunie, E., Le Merrer, M., Bonaпti-Pellie, C., Marchac, D., Renier, D. 1996. Genetic Study of Scaphocephaly. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 62 (3), p. 282-285.
Lloveras, L., Moreno-Garcнa, M., Nadal, J., Maroto, J., Soler, J., Soler, N. 2010. The Application of Actualistic Studies to Assess the Taphonomic Origin of Musterian Rabbit Accumulations from Arbreda Cave (North-East Iberia). Archaeofauna, 19, p. 99-119.
Lovejoy, C. O., Meindl, R. S., Pryzbeck, T. R., Mensforth, R. P. 1985. Chronological Metamorphosis of the Auricular Surface of the Ilium: A New Method for the Determination of Adult Skeletal Age of Death. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 68, p. 15-28.
Lovell, N. C. 1997. Trauma Analysis in Paleopathology. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 104, p. 139-170.
Luna, L., Aranda, C., Santos, A. L. 2017. New Method for Sex Prediction Using the Human Non-Adult Auricular Surface of the Ilium in the Collection of Identified Skeletons of the University of Coimbra. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 27, p. 898-911.
Mays, S. 2007. The Archaeology of Human Bones. London; New York: Routlledge; Taylor & Francis Group.
Ordoňez, С. A., Puyana, J. C. 2006. Management of Peritonitis in the Critically ill Patient. Surgical Clinics of North America, 86, p. 1323-1349.
Scheuer, L., Black, S. 2000. Developmental Juvenile Osteology. New York: Elsevier Academic.
Schour, I., Massler, M. 1941. Development of Human Dentition. Journal of the American Dental Association, 20, p. 379-427.
Schultz, M. 1988. Palдopathologische Diagnostik. In: Knussmann, R. (Hrgb.). Anthropologie: Handbuch der vergleichenden Biologie des Menschen, I (1): Wesen und Methoden der Anthropologie. Stuttgart: Fischer, S. 480-496.
Schultz, M. 2011 Palдobiographik. In: Jьttemann, G. (Hrsg.). Biographische Diagnostik. Lengerich: Pabs, S. 222-236.
Sjшvold, T. 1984. A Report on the Heritability of Some Cranial Measurements and Non-Metric Traits. In: Van Vark, G. N., Howells, W. W. (eds.). Multivariate Statistical Methods in Physical Anthropology. Dordrecht: Springer, p. 223-246.
Spekker, O., Hunt, D. R., Paja, L., Molnбr, E., Pбlfi, G., Schultz, M. 2020. Tracking Down the White Plague: The Skeletal Evidence of Tuberculous Meningitis in the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection. PLoS one, 15 (3), e0230418. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230418.
Steen, S. L., Lane, R. W. 1998. Evaluation of Habitual Activities Among Two Alaskan Eskimo Populations Based on Musculoskeletal Stress Markers. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 8 (5), p. 341-353.
Templin, O., Schultz, M. 1994. Evidence of Tuberculosis in the Medieval Infant Population from Bettingen (Switzerland). Homo, 45, Supplement, p. 130.
Tihanyi, B., Rйvйsz, L., Tihanyi, T., Nepper, I., Molnбr, E., Kis, L., Paja, L., Pбlfi, G. 2015. The Hungarian Conquest Period Archery and Activity-Induced Stress Markers — A Case Study from the Sбrrйtudvari-Hнzуfцld 10th Century AD Cemetery. In: Gбl, S. (ed.). The Talking Dead: New Results from Central- and Eastern European Osteoarchaeology. Proceedings of the First International Conference of the Tцrцk Aurйl Anthropological Association from Tвrgu Mureş: 13—15 November 2015. Cluj-Napoca: Mega Publishing House, р. 117-127.
Vega, R. A., Opalak, C., Harshbarger, R. J., Fearon, J. A., Ritter, A. M., Collins, J. J., Rhodes, J. L. 2016. Hypophosphatemic Rickets and Craniosynostosis: A Multicenter Case Series. Journal of Neurosurgical Pediatrie, 17 (6), p. 694-700.
Waldron, T. 2009. Palaeopathology. Cambridge: University Press.
