Provider: Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic

TY  - JOUR
JO  - Anthropologie (Brno)
TI  - Decapitations in the Medieval hospital cemetery from Znojmo, Czech Republic
AU  - Pechníková M
AU  - Drozdová E
AU  - Èižmáø Z
Y1  - 2009
VL  - 47
IS  - 3
PB  - Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic
SN  - 0323-1119
SP  - 265
EP  - 271
KW  - Decapitation
KW  - Middle Age
KW  - Znojmo
KW  - Cut marks
N2  - 
N2  - The rescue archaeological research of a defunct hospital cemetery in Znojmo uncovered 147 graves with 149 individuals dated into 13th-16th century. In exhumed skeletal collection were, besides a large number of skeletons affected by diseases, four men and one woman with cut marks on cervical vertebras caused probably by decapitation were revealed. The bodies of three males were buried in single graves, young female and older male were found in double grave. The positions of the bodies in graves were almost uniform but the location of the heads varied. Basic osteological examination was made to determine sex, age and stature of these individuals and detailed paleopathological analysis was undertaken with focus target on pathological changes in vertebras. Lesions were located in lower part of cervical spine. All vertebras show similar cut marks made by sharp and heavy instrument, probably sword. The reason of beheading seems to be judicial execution.
ER  -