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Punctured Human Bones of the Laurel Culture from Smith Mound Four, Minnesota

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael Torbenson ,
Arthur Aufderheide  and
Elden Johnson
Michael Torbenson
Affiliation:
Paleobiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812
Arthur Aufderheide
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812
Elden Johnson
Affiliation:
Institute for Minnesota Archaeology, Minneapolis, MN 55414
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Abstract

Punctured human long bones have been reported at numerous midwestern sites, but none have as large a concentration as Smith Mound Four (21KC3). This northern Minnesota mound was built by the people of the Laurel culture and dates to A.D. 565. Analysis of the bones suggests that they were perforated on the basis of inherited group affiliation for purposes that did not involve marrow extraction and may have related to ideas of spirit release.

Resumen

Resumen

Huesos largos humanos perforados han sido encontrados en numerosos sitios del medio oeste de los Estados Unidos, pero ninguno de ellos ha producido tantos como Smith Mound Four (21KC3). Este montículo del norte de Minnesota fue construído por gente de la cultura Laurel y data del año 565 D.C. El análisis de los huesos sugiere quefueron perforados en base afiliaciones grupales hereditarias con fines que no involucraban la extracción de la médula y que podrían estar relacionados con ideas sobre la liberación del espíritu.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 57 , Issue 3 , July 1992 , pp. 506 - 514
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1992 

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References

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