Trauma in the upper limb of an Upper Paleolithic female from Caviglione cave (Liguria, Italy): Etiology and after-effects in bone biomechanical properties

Abstract

The impact of injury on the health and activities of human foragers is of great interest for understanding the adaptability of past populations to their environments. For the Gravettian female of Caviglione 1, a violent blow has been suggested as the origin of the left radial fracture, and abnormal body asymmetry has been observed. Access to high resolution CT-scans of the upper limb allows us to address new etiologic considerations and assess the after-effects of trauma on bone biomechanical properties by focusing on cortical and trabecular bones and conducting a comparative analysis of cross-sectional geometric properties in an Upper Paleolithic context. This originally right-dominant female, who became left-handed, was mainly affected by severe bone modifications on the proximal right humerus due to secondary changes following a traumatic event. The left radial fracture is very well consolidated with thick and homogeneous cortical bone. Etiological considerations point to a Galeazzi fracture for the left forearm occurring during a fall. The bone structure and robusticity of the left arm probably prove the lack of strong and enduring dependency of this female on her group for the usual cultural tasks despite the strongly limited function of the right arm.