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Interpersonal violence in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt: evidence of craniofacial traumas from the tomb of Pwinre (TT39) (fifteenth century BC), Luxor

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Abstract

Skull 39-S1, from the tomb of Pwinre (TT39) the second prophet of Amun during the Middle Kingdom, was macroscopically and radiologically analysed. The skull presents a consolidated fracture of the nasal bones with displacement and tripod fracture, which caused a collapse of the floor of the left orbit, a thrusting of the maxilla over the zygomatic and left zygomatic-maxillary suture and zygomatic arch fracture with overthrusting of the fragments. These two fractures, independent of each other, are consistent with one or more episodes of interpersonal violence, whose ultimate origin may be found in impacts of a fist or a blunt object. The border situation of Thebes (ancient Luxor) and sports/ritual practices of Nubians put us in a possible scenario of interpersonal violence as the formal practice of stick-fighting or wrestling combat typical of this geographical area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Ciencias de la Vida. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH), Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Herrerín

  2. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Policiales (IUICP), Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Herrerín

  3. Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

    Francesco Maria Galassi

  4. Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

    Francesco Maria Galassi

  5. Departament de Diagnòstic per la Imatge, Hospital General de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Rosa Dinarès

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  1. Jesús Herrerín
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  2. Francesco Maria Galassi
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  3. Rosa Dinarès
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Correspondence to Jesús Herrerín or Francesco Maria Galassi.

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Herrerín, J., Galassi, F.M. & Dinarès, R. Interpersonal violence in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt: evidence of craniofacial traumas from the tomb of Pwinre (TT39) (fifteenth century BC), Luxor. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 14, 197 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01639-7

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