ArticlePublisher preview available

The woman from the Dolní Věstonice 3 burial: a new view of the face using modern technologies

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

June 2019
11(4)

DOI:10.1007/s12520-018-0698-3

Authors:

Zdeněk Tvrdý

Moravské zemské muzeum

Show all 6 authorsHide

South Moravia (Czech Republic) has provided numerous Upper Palaeolithic—Gravettian sites (33–22 kyr BP) with a great deal of human skeletal remains. One such site is the well-known burial of a gracile, 36- to 45-year-old female, found in Dolní Věstonice I in 1949. Palaeopathological examination of the female’s skull showed extensive pathological damage with significant asymmetry of the facial area as a result of a traumatic injury in childhood. The goal of this article is to summarise all information and make a virtual reconstruction of the original skull including a facial reconstruction. The condition of the skull from grave DV 3 was generally very poor and fragmentary; it was restored in the 1950s. We used computer tomography (CT) analysis and a 3D scan of the skull. For the 3D reconstruction of the face, we used a method based on prediction rules by G. Lebedinskaya. The results of the new CT analysis confirm an irregular formation of the braincase. For the first time, we can compare the original state of the skull with the reconstruction. On the basis of the results of artistic facial reconstruction, we can present the “real” face of a woman who is 25,000–27,000 years old. This combination of CT and 3D data allowed us to create a new 3D virtual model. Though the facial reconstruction took into account the post-traumatic condition of the woman’s face and the asymmetry of the bones is obvious, the degree of asymmetry is subjective.

The original photographic documentation of the female burial Dolní Věstonice 3 from 1949. Skeleton covered by two mammoth scapulas (a). A view of the fragmented state of the woman’s skull after transport into the lab of the Moravian Museum in Brno (b). The grave after the preservation and reconstruction in the lab at the beginning of 1950 (c). Note the difference between original (b) and restored (c) position of the upper and lower dental arc on the skull. The unique views of the restored skull before addition of plaster, varnishing and colouring red (d, e). The left side was not photographed before completing the restoration. Archives of the Anthropos Institute, Moravian Museum

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The original skull (a–c) after the laboratory reconstruction undertaken in 1949. Some parts of the skull were completely reconstructed with plaster, with the addition of a wire framework in the zygomatic arch. The reconstruction does not allow the lower jaw to be properly articulated with the skull (b, c—black arrows). Photo J. Cága, Moravian Museum

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The modified model (plastic copy) of the skull excluding the original reconstruction inaccuracies. The lower jaw is in right position with the skull (a, b). Photo J. Cága, Moravian Museum

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The detailed view of the mandible with contoured facets (a–c), CT scan. The articular surface of the left condyle consists of three separate facets. When the mouth is closed, the contact is between the secondary fossa and facet “a”. When opening the mouth into a position that we would consider to be a physiological maximum, the left condyle moves slightly forward. At this point, the maximum opening of the mouth between the front teeth is 38 mm. The lower jaw could move further from the upper jaw, to a position that we consider beyond the usual physiological maximum in a healthy individual. The head moves even further forward by about a half of its surface. In the final phase of the mouth opening, the facet “c” comes into the contact with the fossa. The right head remains in the fossa. The female could open her mouth to the final 49 mm

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Axial section of the skull showing plagiocephaly (a). Frontal section showing traumatic changes, which affected the development of the skull since childhood and reconstruction deformities (b). Axial (c) and lateral (e) section of the mandibular teeth with the retained left third molar. A detailed view of all teeth with arrows indicating circular constriction of the lower left third molar root (d), 3D model of the mandible (f). a–c, e–f, CT scan; d, data extraction from CT. Data sources: Kyjov Hospital and FAVU

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ORIGINAL PAPER

The woman from the Dolní Věstonice 3 burial: a new view

of the face using modern technologies

Zdeňka Nerudová

&Eva Vaníčková

&ZdeněkTvrdý

&JiříRamba

&Ondřej Bílek

&Petr Kostrhun

Received: 20 March 2018 /Accepted: 30 August 2018 /Published online: 14 September 2018

#Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018

Abstract

South Moravia (Czech Republic) has provided numerous Upper Palaeolithic—Gravettian sites (33–22 kyr BP) with a great deal

of human skeletal remains. One such site is the well-known burial of a gracile, 36- to 45-year-old female, found in Dolní

Věstonice I in 1949. Palaeopathological examination of the female’s skull showed extensive pathological damage with signif-

icant asymmetry of the facial area as a result of a traumatic injury in childhood. The goal of this article is to summarise all

information and make a virtual reconstruction of the original skull including a facial reconstruction. The condition of the skull

from grave DV 3 was generally very poor and fragmentary; it was restored in the 1950s. We used computer tomography (CT)

analysis and a 3D scan of the skull. For the 3D reconstruction of the face, we used a method based on prediction rules by G.

Lebedinskaya. The results of the new CT analysis confirm an irregular formation of the braincase. For the first time, we can

compare the original state of the skull with the reconstruction. On the basis of the results of artistic facial reconstruction, we can

present the Breal^face of a woman who is 25,000–27,000 years old. This combination of CTand 3D data allowed us to create a

new 3D virtual model. Though the facial reconstruction took into account the post-traumatic condition of the woman’sfaceand

the asymmetry of the bones is obvious, the degree of asymmetry is subjective.

Keywords Upper Palaeolithic .Burial .Paleopathology .Facial reconstruction .Moravia

Introduction

The Pavlovian—a local culture of the Upper Palaeolithic

Gravettian—has provided a great deal of human skeletal re-

mains (Sládek et al. 2000; Svoboda 2016; Trinkaus and

Svoboda 2006a), many of them with various abnormalities,

degenerative or pathological changes (Formicola et al. 2001;

Sládek et al. 2000; Trinkaus 2015). One of the most significant

discoveries was the burial (marked as DV 3) of a gracile, 36-

to 45-year-old female (Hillson et al. 2006), found in 1949 in

the Dolní Věstonice I site (Jelínek 1954; Klíma 1950,1963;

Vlček 1992;FranciscusandVlček 2006; Fig. 1). The age of

Dolní Věstonice I varies between 25 and 27 ka

CBP

(Trinkaus and Jelínek 1997; Svoboda 2016). The OxA-

36176 sample was taken from small post-cranial fragments

of DV 3 and represents the first direct dating of this fossil.

The date 25,870 ± 220

C BP matches very well with the

charcoal sample GrN-8189 (25,950 ± 630

580

C BP) that was

collected from the cultural layer during the excavation of the

upper part of the site in 1990 (Damblon et al. 1996).

The first anthropological and palaeopathological examina-

tion of the female’s skull showed extensive pathological dam-

age, resulting in significant asymmetry of the facial area

(Jelínek 1954;Ramba1988a). The skull had a deformed

shape, as did the left half of the face, and a damaged tempo-

romandibular joint. This should have affected (after

archaeological interpretations; see Klíma 1983) the appear-

ance of the soft tissues and functionality of the facial nerve

after healing. The asymmetry of the face, along with the spe-

cific burial rite, suggests that the woman had a significant

Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0698-3) contains supplementary

material, which is available to authorized users.

*Zdeňka Nerudová

znerudova@mzm.cz

Moravian Museum, Centre for Cultural Anthropology, Zelný trh 6,

659 37 Brno, Czech Republic

Moravian Museum, Anthropos Institute, Zelný trh 6, 659

37 Brno, Czech Republic

Praha, Czech Republic

Pardubice, Czech Republic

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2019) 11:2527–2538

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0698-3

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

Virtual reconstruction, interests and contribution to the paleobiological studies of fossil humans

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Jun 2020

Rebeka Rmoutilova

Preservation is a major obstacle in paleoanthropological studies. Since 1990s virtual methods have become an important part of anthropological research helping to overcome preservation problems in two principle ways: they improve extraction of information from a fragmentary material, and they permit a more objective reconstruction of fragmentary and incomplete remains. This thesis has focused on the virtual reconstruction of two fossil specimens: the modern human cranium from the Upper Paleolithic site of Zlatý kůň (ZK; Czech Republic) and the Neandertal Regourdou 1 (R1) pelvis (France). The reconstruction of the ZK cranium allowed us to revise sex attribution and analyze morphological affinity. Based on the secondary sex diagnosis, the ZK individual was most probably a female and exhibits a great affinity to Early Upper Paleolithic population. The R1 pelvis shows considerable asymmetry that was first analyzed on the sacrum in comparison with healthy modern humans and Neandertals. The asymmetry exceeds normal variation observed in the extant population and could have related to asymmetrical load dissipation. Therefore, the asymmetry was considered in the subsequent preliminary pelvic reconstruction which allowed us to assess sex of the individual and to analyze transverse dimensions of the pelvic canal and orientation of the sacrum in the pelvis. Based on the newly available sexually dimorphic traits, the R1 individual was probably a male. Transverse canal diameters indicate slightly wider outlet than in modern males, but they show similar relationship as in other archaic humans. Regarding the high degree of correlation between sacral orientation and lumbar lordosis, R1 had slightly higher lumbar lordosis angle (close to modern mean) than has been proposed for most of other Neandertals. This slightly extends the previously suggested Neandertal range of variation, which, however, still remains in the lower portion of modern human variation. In other presented studies, we focused on sex estimation from fragmentary remains and compatibility of 3D data digitization techniques. Specifically, we proposed a method for sex estimation from the posterior ilium and adjusted the visual method of Brůžek (2002) to the use on fragmentary material. Finally, we compared two different 3D scanners and their outcomes. They did not significantly differ with regard to subsequent anthropological analyses (sex and age estimation), but they may provide differential results in highly structured areas.

Multi-headed (bifid and trifid) mandibular condyles in archaeological contexts: Two posttraumatic cases

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Nov 2021
ARCH ORAL BIOL

Bifid and trifid mandibular condyles are infrequent morphological alterations of the mandibular condyle. With the aim of better identifying its possible causing factors in the past and provide clues on the potential types and severities of joint dysfunction that may occur if clinical intervention is not undertaken, two archaeological cases of multi-headed mandibular condyles are presented, and their possible aetiology and pathogenesis are discussed. Design In this study, 143 adult mandibles recovered in the northwest of Spain were examined: 91 exhumed from San Juan Bautista church (Guardo, Palencia; 16th-19th centuries), and 52 from San Salvador de Palat de Rey church (León, 13th-19th centuries). All mandibles were observed macroscopically for the presence of any morphological and/or pathological alterations. When justified, the mandibles were also scrutinized through computed tomography. Results Two isolated mandibles (n = 1, Palencia; n = 1, León) with multi-headed mandibular condyles (bifid and trifid) were identified. The computed tomography scan of the affected mandibles revealed alterations compatible with traumatic events, namely line fractures and deformations at the angle of the mandible. Conclusions Both the bifid and trifid mandibular condyles here described probably result from traumatic events during childhood leading to a posttraumatic deformation. Although no severe impairment of mandibular use was identified, some asymmetries probably resulted in some sort of malfunction, with TMJ-OA and gonial angle eversion as supporting evidence. Nevertheless, the degree of bone remodelling observed indicates that both individuals lived long after the traumatic occurrence. https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1eBBqwAR3dkC

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In March 2022, an auction house in Zurich sold two female figurines made from mammoth ivory, along with other prehistoric artefacts. This is a rare occurrence because the scarcity and value of Paleolithic figurines have limited their presence in the international art market. Researchers from the Archaeological Museum Hamburg and the University of Tübingen subsequently undertook in situ and non-destructive investigations to illuminate the authenticity of the two figurines. We conducted a comprehensive analytical study that included detailed microscopic optical observations and spectroscopic investigations. This methodological approach, combined with a thorough comparison to contemporary ivory figurine replicas, proved effective and clearly demonstrated that the specimens were forgeries. Research efforts of this kind are crucial, as they significantly help reduce the spread of intentional fakes posing as genuine artefacts in the art market. By doing so, we foster collaboration between academic institutions and the art market to preserve and protect the integrity and value of authentic archaeological and cultural heritage.

Middle Gravettian of Moravia, regionalization, chronology, and behavioral complexity of Pavlovian groups?

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During the Upper Paleolithic, the geomorphologically rugged territory of Central Europe, creating natural barriers and refuges, represented a complex area occupied by several human groups with different cultural and social behavior. Discoveries of new sites as well as revisions of historical collections over the last two decades has revived discussions about the chronology of Gravettian and about an existence of different chrono-cultural groups inhabiting the territory of Moravia and surrounding areas. During the Middle Gravettian, in relatively short period of time (28,500-25,500 BP uncal) there were two groups with an advanced social and economic system in the Moravian Corridor and in the adjacent Krems-Wachtberg area – a group with microsaws and a group with geometric microliths. Settlement of the group with microsaws has been identified in areas situated approximately every 50 kilometers along the entire Moravian Corridor: in the Dolní Věstonice-Pavlov-Milovice settlement area, in the area of Předmostí sites and in the Uherské Hradiště microregion (on the middle course of the Morava river). They are followed by mthe Krems-Wachtberg site in Lower Austria, which is, however, atypical in many respects. There are several sites in each settlement area with different function. Their lithic industries are systematically tied to the import of high-quality raw materials from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (southern Poland), supplemented by “erratic flints” from glacial and glaciofluvial deposits in northern Moravia and Silesia. The raw material was usually supplied in the form of blocks, indicating a special feature of this group. Only two sites are outside out of this stable strategy - the settlement units on the top of Dolní Věstonice II site and the site of Krems-Wachtberg. Their raw material usage with different composition is atypical, what consequently affects the character and typological composition of their lithic assemblages.There is a question, how these individual settlement areas worked. Whether there was a hierarchy of sites with different character and function in each of them (base camps with dwellings, hunting stands, killing sites etc.), or there existed aggregated sites (such as Pavlov I or Dolní Věstonice I) where various groups of people could meet together. According to currently available radiocarbon dates, the territory of Moravia was occupied by also another group of Pavlovians at about the same time - the group with geometric microliths. This group is characterized by different strategies of raw material acquisition as well as by different lithic production system and typological composition in tool assemblages, what points to its different behaviour and standards. In addition, its settlement strategies seem to be different and there are known only few sites settled by this group - the sites of Pavlov I, Předmostí I, Předmostí III and Milovice IV. The goal of our contribution is twofold: - to reflect on the chronology of the Middle Gravettian in Central Europe and especially Pavlovian, whether the groups with two different technical traditions could occupy the territory in same time and interact with each other, or, on the contrary, there were two highly-developed groups that interchanged in the same place in rapid succession; - to think about functioning of a such Upper Paleolithic comprehensive system, with advanced behavioral complexity of the both groups, what raises the question of whether the individual settlement areas coexisted together at the same time, with direct contacts between their residents, or they gradually shifted along the Moravian Corridor and the adjacent Krems-Wachtberg area.

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Oct 2021

Jennifer C. French

In this book, Jennifer French presents a new synthesis of the archaeological, palaeoanthropological, and palaeogenetic records of the European Palaeolithic, adopting a unique demographic perspective on these first two-million years of European prehistory. Unlike prevailing narratives of demographic stasis, she emphasises the dynamism of Palaeolithic populations of both our evolutionary ancestors and members of our own species across four demographic stages, within a context of substantial Pleistocene climatic changes. Integrating evolutionary theory with a socially oriented approach to the Palaeolithic, French bridges biological and cultural factors, with a focus on women and children as the drivers of population change. She shows how, within the physiological constraints on fertility and mortality, social relationships provide the key to enduring demographic success. Through its demographic focus, French combines a 'big picture' perspective on human evolution with careful analysis of the day-to-day realities of European Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer communities—their families, their children, and their lives.

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Adolescence is a stage of development unique to the human life course, during which key social, physical, and cognitive milestones are reached. Nonetheless, both the experience of adolescence and the role(s) of adolescents in the past have received little scholarly attention. Here we combine a broad interpretative framework for adolescence among prehistoric hunter-gatherers with direct bioarchaeological (burial) data to examine the lives of teenagers in the European Mid-Upper Paleolithic or Gravettian (∼35–25,000 years ago). Comparisons of the burial practices of individuals of different age classes (infant, child, adolescent, adult), as well as between adolescents who died at different ages, reveal some patterns related to adolescence in these communities, including 1) fewer distinctions based on sex among adolescents compared to adults; 2) differences between the sexes in age-at-death within our ‘adolescent’ age class—with females disproportionally dying later—potentially indicating high risks associated with first pregnancy; 3) distinctions in grave goods and diet among adolescents of different ages-at-death which we tentatively interpret as providing an emic perspective on the beginning of adolescence as defined by Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. Nonetheless, our analysis supports long-standing models of a distinct, continent-wide European Mid-Upper Paleolithic funerary tradition, with the burial data expressing social cohesion, rather than social distinctions, between age classes.

Dolní Věstonice I female grave (DV3). Red colourants and other components of the burial fill up and grave floor

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Red powdery and crusty concentrations from the fill-up and bottom of a female burial DV3 from the Dolní Věstonice I site, representing Pavlovian culture, as well as some red raw material from the site were examined. Burial floor and fill-up is composed of marly substrate mixed with bone powder, charcoal ash and red, rounded, relatively hard particles, composed of burnt iron bearing aluminosilicates. Red crusts, present on it (maybe also within it), applied probably as suspension, are composed of unburnt iron bearing aluminosilicates. The raw material for powders is assumed to come from the site hearths red ash. Red iron artifacts, macroscopically almost identical, occur on the site also as an assemblage of loose red lumps. They are petrographically inhomogeneous and their sources are localized up to 150 km from the site. Raw material similar to the one of some of red lumps may have been used for burial ceremony.

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