An Arrowhead Injury in a Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Human Cuneiform from the Rockshelter of La Peña de Marañón (Navarre, Spain)

Abstract

AbstractThe current paper describes a projectile injury found among human remains recovered from La Peña de Marañón, a small natural rockshelter located in a limestone cliff hanging over the Ega River (Navarre, northern Spain), very close to other well‐known sites with similar evidence (San Juan ante Portam Latinam, Longar, Las Yurdinas II). The site was used as burial place during the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic, and comprises a burnt bone assemblage of at least 28 individuals in a commingled state. In the process of re‐examining the anthropological collection a small fragment of flint was found embedded in a right lateral cuneiform. Both macroscopic and microscopic analysis and computer tomography confirm the presence of signs of healing. No other indications of trauma were observed in the human bone sample. The finding represents the first Spanish example of a prehistoric arrowhead wound on a foot and adds to the very few other archaeological case descriptions available in Europe. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.