Injury characteristics from the Poláky-Dolany site: patterns, prevalence and violence-related trauma in a small early medieval Bohemian village

Abstract

The Poláky-Dolany (Chomutov district) site represents one of a few villages in Bohemia that have been archaeologically studied based on the discovery of an early mediaeval cemetery. According to archaeological evidence, the settlement existed in the 11th century. Nevertheless, in the late 1960s the whole village was demolished due to the construction of the Nechranice Reservoir. Subsequently, the surrounding area was flooded, which significantly hampered research on the site. The archaeological excavation took place during the very dry years of 2015 and 2018, when the water level in the reservoir dropped so much that a large part of the burial site could be explored. Archaeological data indicates that the Dolany inhabitants were farmers benefiting from the nearby river, and they ran a local smithy. This study, conducted on individuals buried in the cemetery of the above-mentioned village based on skeletal trauma seeks to supplement the information about daily life and the dangers that the individuals buried on the Poláky-Dolany site had to face. Signs of trauma were found in 20/119 individuals; the majority of them were accident-related. However, the trauma that was probably associated with violence also occurred.

The Poláky-Dolany (Chomutov district) site represents one of a few villages in Bohemia that have been archaeologically studied based on the discovery of an early mediaeval cemetery. According to archaeological evidence, the settlement existed in the 11th century. Nevertheless, in the late 1960s the whole village was demolished due to the construction of the Nechranice Reservoir. Subsequently, the surrounding area was flooded, which significantly hampered research on the site. The archaeological excavation took place during the very dry years of 2015 and 2018, when the water level in the reservoir dropped so much that a large part of the burial site could be explored. Archaeological data indicates that the Dolany inhabitants were farmers benefiting from the nearby river, and they ran a local smithy. This study, conducted on individuals buried in the cemetery of the above-mentioned village based on skeletal trauma seeks to supplement the information about daily life and the dangers that the individuals buried on the Poláky-Dolany site had to face. Signs of trauma were found in 20/119 individuals; the majority of them were accident-related. However, the trauma that was probably associated with violence also occurred.Lokalita Poláky-Dolany (okr. Chomutov) představuje jednu z mála vesnic v Čechách, která byla archeologicky zkoumána především díky objevu raně středověkého pohřebiště. Podle archeologických nálezů poblíž existovala osada již v 11. století. Nicméně koncem 60. let 20. století byla celá vesnice Dolany zbořena kvůli výstavbě Vodní nádrže Nechranice. Následně bylo okolí zatopeno, což značně ztížilo výzkum lokality. Záchranný archeologický výzkum zde probíhal v průběhu velmi suchých let 2015 a 2018, kdy hladina vodní nádrže klesla natolik, že bylo možné velkou část pohřebiště prozkoumat. Archeologické údaje naznačují, že obyvatelé Dolan byli zemědělci, čerpali užitek z nedaleké řeky a provozovali místní kovárnu. Tato studie se na základě kosterních úrazových změn u jedinců pohřbených na hřbitově výše zmíněné vesnice snaží doplnit informace o každodenním životě a nebezpečích, kterým museli jedinci pohřbení v Dolanech čelit. Známky úrazu byly nalezeny u 20 jedinců; většina z nich souvisela s nehodami. Vyskytla se však i zranění pravděpodobně spojená s násilím.