The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered
in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard

J 2015

The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard

JURDA, Mikoláš, Petra URBANOVÁ and Miroslav KRÁLÍK

Basic information

Original name

The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard

Authors

JURDA, Mikoláš (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Petra URBANOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Miroslav KRÁLÍK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Wiley, 2015, 1047-482X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10700 1.7 Other natural sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 1.212

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/15:00114951

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.2321

UT WoS

000358018700014

Keywords in English

craniofacial variability; Old Slavs; plastic deformation; post-mortem pressure distortion; taphonomy of human remains

Abstract

ORIG CZ

V originále

Post-mortem distortion resulting from the pressure of overlying sediments (i.e. grave backfill) is one of the taphonomic factors capable of altering the geometry of buried and subsequently recovered skeletal remains. If pressure distortion is a frequent occurrence, it could systematically flaw the outcome of an anthropological examination. To study the patterns of post-mortem distortion in buried crania and shape alterations associated with a specimen's in situ position, 46 male crania recovered from an Old Slavic graveyard (Pohansko, Czech Republic) were analysed together with control specimens from four modern European osteological collections (N = 207) using geometric morphometrics. The results indicate a common pattern of shape change in buried skulls associated with their in situ orientation. However, as the overall shape variation between the Old Slavic crania (which, with their tendency towards longer, narrower shapes differed markedly from the modern Czech crania) oriented in situ on their back and side reflects the duality of dolichocranial and brachycranial forms, it seems likely that the in situ positioning of the crania stemmed from their original morphology. The lack of substantial effect of the in situ orientation on the cranial morphology is associated with a larger cranial size and a tendency for sturdiness in the Old Slavic subsample. Both of these characteristics are likely to be contributing to the resistance of these crania to taphonomic alterations.

In Czech

Článek se zabývá studiem tafonomické deformace pohřbených lebek vlivem tlaku, kterým na lebky působí hrobový zásyp. Vztah mezi tvarovou variabilitou a polohou uložení v hrobové jámě je studován za pomoci geometrické morfometrie.

Links

MUNI/A/0988/2009, interní kód MU

Name: Aplikace metod analýzy obrazu a tvaru ve výzkumu biologie člověka

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

JURDA, Mikoláš, Petra URBANOVÁ and Miroslav KRÁLÍK. The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. Wiley, 2015, vol. 25, No 4, p. 539-549. ISSN 1047-482X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.2321.

@article{1107534,
   author = {Jurda, Mikoláš and Urbanová, Petra and Králík, Miroslav},
   article_number = {4},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.2321},
   keywords = {craniofacial variability; Old Slavs; plastic deformation; post-mortem pressure distortion; taphonomy of human remains},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1047-482X},
   journal = {International Journal of Osteoarchaeology},
   title = {The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard},
   url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oa.2321/abstract},
   volume = {25},
   year = {2015}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1107534
AU  - Jurda, Mikoláš - Urbanová, Petra - Králík, Miroslav
PY  - 2015
TI  - The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard
JF  - International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
VL  - 25
IS  - 4
SP  - 539-549
EP  - 539-549
PB  - Wiley
SN  - 1047482X
KW  - craniofacial variability
KW  - Old Slavs
KW  - plastic deformation
KW  - post-mortem pressure distortion
KW  - taphonomy of human remains
UR  - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oa.2321/abstract
L2  - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oa.2321/abstract
N2  - Post-mortem distortion resulting from the pressure of overlying sediments (i.e. grave backfill) is one of the taphonomic factors capable of altering the geometry of buried and subsequently recovered skeletal remains. If pressure distortion is a frequent occurrence, it could systematically flaw the outcome of an anthropological examination. To study the patterns of post-mortem distortion in buried crania and shape alterations associated with a specimen's in situ position, 46 male crania recovered from an Old Slavic graveyard (Pohansko, Czech Republic) were analysed together with control specimens from four modern European osteological collections (N = 207) using geometric morphometrics. The results indicate a common pattern of shape change in buried skulls associated with their in situ orientation. However, as the overall shape variation between the Old Slavic crania (which, with their tendency towards longer, narrower shapes differed markedly from the modern Czech crania) oriented in situ on their back and side reflects the duality of dolichocranial and brachycranial forms, it seems likely that the in situ positioning of the crania stemmed from their original morphology. The lack of substantial effect of the in situ orientation on the cranial morphology is associated with a larger cranial size and a tendency for sturdiness in the Old Slavic subsample. Both of these characteristics are likely to be contributing to the resistance of these crania to taphonomic alterations.
ER  -

JURDA, Mikoláš, Petra URBANOVÁ and Miroslav KRÁLÍK. The Post-Mortem Pressure Distortion of Human Crania Uncovered in an Early Medieval Pohansko (Czech Republic) Graveyard. \textit{International Journal of Osteoarchaeology}. Wiley, 2015, vol.~25, No~4, p.~539-549. ISSN~1047-482X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.2321.

Detailed Information on Publication Record