TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Evidence for weapon-related traumas in medieval Japan: observations of the human crania from Seiyokan
JO  - Anthropological science
A1  - Nagaoka, Tomohito
A1  - Uzawa, Kazuhiro
A1  - Hirata, Kazuaki
SP  - 129
EP  - 140
VL  - 118
IS  - 2
N2  - The Seiyokan site is located in Kamakura, Japan, and has yielded 91 human skeletons belonging to the 14-15th centuries AD. The purposes of this study are to examine the human crania from the archeological site at Seiyokan, to analyze the presence, distribution, and variability of their weapon-related traumas, and finally to better understand violence in medieval Japan from osteological evidence. The results demonstrate that the traumas on the crania have morphological features consistent with human-induced cut marks. The presence of cut marks on the Seiyokan crania, which strongly suggests the prevalence of violence in medieval Japan, is in accord with the historical background--that a militarily organized society was founded by force and that the rise to political power of the warrior class and the establishment of a military government resulted in continuous disturbances, armed conflicts, and violent death.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 0918-7960
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1537/ase.091007
ID  - ref1
ER  -