Lidé od šibenic. Přínos antropologie při výzkumu kosterních pozůstatků popravených osob a sebevrahů
People from gallows. Anthropology and its contribution to research of skeletal remains of executed persons and suicide

Author(s): Robin Pěnička
Subject(s): Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: gallows; Anthropology; skeletal remains; sites of execution; suicide; South Moravian region;
Summary/Abstract: Human skeletal remains are important source in exploring past populations. As a part of our research in places of executions in South Moravian region, four comprehensive archaeological excavations were conducted. Numerous anthropological skeletal material was obtained there. A total number of 5 405 human bones have been examined, which have been preserved in various ways (from only a piece of bone to complete bones and skulls). Anthropological examination focused on assessing the state of bone preservation, estimating the minimum number of individuals (MNI), estimating basic demographic determinants (sex, age and stature), pathological changes, and traces of violence related to punishment. The largest group consists of skeletal remains from Ivančice gallows site (2 761 fragments of bones, MNI 18 persons), from Křenovice/Slavkov u Brna gallows site (1 772 fragments of bones, MNI 15 persons) and from Tišnov gallows site (786 fragments of bones, MNI 13 persons). From other sites the number of bones is limited to isolated findings of human bones. The assessed skeletal remains belonged mostly to adult males, some bones belonged to juveniles and quite exceptional is the finding of an infant’s femur. On several bones some pathological conditions were observed (like fractures or inflammations). These conditions were rather chronic in character and probably affected the individuals’ social positions (for example social exclusion or social marginality). Traces of direct violence were represented by perimortal fractures, which can be related to the execution by wheel.

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