Frequencies of blunt force trauma (BFT) by sex and time period are listed in Table 40, whereas features are listed in Table 41. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between time periods. All trauma was antemortem. The Early Woodland group and Post-Contact samples had significantly fewer cases of BFT than the Monongahela groups (Table 42). In the Middle Monongahela sample, males had significantly higher presence of BFT than females (Table 43). Only one case of BFT was identified in the Early Woodland sample: an old adult male (FC# 1250, B20) sustained an oblique fracture of the right distal humerus.
In the Early Monongahela sample, 6 cases of BFT were observed. Among subadults, an antemortem depression fracture was identified on the left posterior parietal of an adolescent (FC#2159) (Figure 38). Three males and 2 females sustained fractures. One middle-aged male (FC#4561) had an antemortem facial fracture involving the nasals (Figure 39), an older adult male (FC#4691) had a transverse antemortem fracture of the distal 4th
metatarsal, and an antemortem dislocation fracture was noted on the right proximal 2nd metatarsal of another
middle aged individual (FC#2158). An early adult female (FC#2155) (Figure 40) had an antemortem depression fracture along the midline of the frontal of, and a middle-aged female (FC#4451) (Figure 41) had an avulsion fracture on the anterior body of the 5th lumbar vertebra.
Six individuals from the Middle Monongahela had antemortem BFT injuries, with 2 of these individuals exhibiting multiple injuries. FC#5072 was an adult male with an avulsion fracture on the posterior body of S1 and a crush fracture of an intermediate foot phalanx (Figure 42). An older adult male (FC# 5159) sustained a dislocation fracture of the right glenoid with associated traumatic myositis ossificans on the proximal articulation of the right humerus (Figures 43-45). Three additional males displayed BFT, including a young adult male (FC#C-475) with a comminuted fracture of the medial right clavicle, a young adult male (FC#5161) with an avulsion fracture on the right distal ramus of the mandible, and an old adult male (FC#5163) with an avulsion fracture of a proximal foot phalanx. One old adult female (FC#5070) suffered a transverse fracture on the left distal 3rd metatarsal.
In the Late Monongahela period, two females and one male had BFT. A young adult female (FC#4827) had a depression fracture on the left parietal, and an old adult female (FC#9635) had a healed parry fracture on the left ulna. One individual had multiple injuries. FC#E134 was an old adult male with a dislocated right mandibular condyle with associated osteoarthritis of the mandibular fossa, as well as a right parietal depression fracture (Figures 46-48).
Table 40: Frequencies of blunt force trauma by sex and time period
Males Females Subadults Unknown Total
Group N n % N n % N n % N n % N n % Early Woodland 17 1 5.8 21 0 0 16 0 0 51 0 0 105 1 1 Early Monongahela 9 3 33.3 11 2 18. 1 21 1 4.7 9 0 0 50 6 12 Middle Monongahela 20 5 25 18 1 5.6 26 0 0 10 0 0 74 6 8.1 Late Monongahela 10 1 10 16 2 12. 5 14 0 0 3 0 0 43 3 6.9 Post-Contact 5 0 16 16 0 0 18 0 0 19 0 0 58 0 0 TOTAL Sample 61 10 16.3 82 5 6.1 95 1 1.1 92 0 0 330 16 4.8
Table 41: Features of BFT Time
Period Context Sex Age Bone Side Timing Description
EW 1250,
B20 M Old Adult Humerus Right Antemortem Distal right humerus, oblique fracture, well- healed, no apposition, no angulation, no rotation EM 2159 S Adolescent Parietal Left Antemortem Depression fracture,
posterior, 15.81 mm diameter
EM 4561 M Middle-
Aged Nasals Mid Antemortem Oblique fracture to distal nasals, causing a flattening of the nasal profile, well- healed
EM 4691 M Old Adult MT4 Right Antemortem Transverse, distal, no apposition, no angulation, no rotation
EM 2158 M Middle-
Aged MT2 Right Antemortem Proximal surface, dislocation EM 2155 F Early Adult Frontal Mid Antemortem Depression fracture,
12.59mm diameter
EM 4155 F Middle
Aged L5 Mid Antemortem Avulsion fracture, anterior vertebral body
MM 5072 M Adult S1, Foot
Phalanx Mid Antemortem Avulsion fracture on S1, crush fracture intermediate foot phalanx
MM 5159 M Old Adult Scapula,
Humerus Right Antemortem Dislocation fracture with false joint surface and subsequent OA (32mm in height), traumatic myositis ossificans of teres major on proximal humerus (fibers severely ossified – 61mm in length)
MM C-475 M Young
Adult Clavicle Right Antemortem Comminuted fracture, medial clavicle, 13.48mm in length, 115 degree
angulation
MM 5161 M Young
Adult Mandible Right Antemortem Avulsion of distal ramus, posterior MM 5163 M Old Adult Foot Phalanx Unknown Antemortem Avulsion, proximal foot
phalanx, distal articulation MM 5070 F Old Adult MT3 Left Antemortem Distal portion, transverse
fracture, no apposition, no angulation, no rotation
LM 4827 F Young
Adult Parietal Left Antemortem Mid-parietal, depression fracture, 27.23mm diameter
Table 41: (continued) Time
Period Context Sex Age Bone Side Timing Description
LM 9635 F Old Adult Ulna Left Antemortem Parry fracture, oblique,
healed, no apposition, no angulation, no rotation LM E-134 M Old Adult Mandible,
Parietal Right Antemortem Mandible – dislocation of right coronoid process, false joint surface and associated OA, Parietal – healed depression fracture, 14.92 mm in diameter
Table 42: Comparison of mean BFT presence by time period*
Time Period Mean Kruskall-Wallis
Early Woodland .01 .007 Early Monongahela .12 EM > EW (p=.003), EM > PC (p=.004) Middle Monongahela .08 MM > EW (p=.028), MM > PC (p=.032) Late Monongahela .07 .784 Post-Contact .00 .007
*significant p-values bolded (p≤.05)
Table 43: Comparison of mean BFT presence by time period and sex*
Time Period Male Female Subadult Kruskall-Wallis
Early Woodland .06 .00 .00 NA
Early Monongahela .33 .18 .00 .093
Middle Monongahela .28 .06 .00 .001
Late Monongahela .10 .13 .00 .548
Post-Contact .00 .00 .00 NA
Figure 38: Depression fracture, antemortem, left parietal, posterior – FC# 2159, adolescent, Early Monongahela
Figure 40: Depression fracture, antemortem, frontal – FC#2155, early adult female, Early Monongahela
Figure 42: Crush fracture, Intermediate foot phalanx – FC#5072, adult male, Middle Monongahela
Figure 43: Dislocation of glenoid, right affected, left normal, antemortem – FC#5159, old adult male, Middle Monongahela
Figure 44: Dislocation fracture, right humerus with associated traumatic myositis ossificans, left unaffected, antemortem – FC#5159, old adult male, Middle Monongahela
Figure 45: Glenoid dislocation fracture, articulation, right, antemortem – FC#5159, old adult male, Middle Monongahela
Figure 46: Dislocation of mandible, right mandibular fossa, false joint- FC#E-134, old adult male, Late Monongahela
Figure 48: Depression fracture, antemortem, right parietal, posterior – FC#E-134, old adult male, Late Monongahela