Injury and Trauma in Bioarchaeology
Interpreting Violence in Past Lives

Explores how bioarchaeological evidence of violence and trauma sheds light on the hierarchies and social relationships of past societies.

Rebecca C. Redfern (Author)

9780521133043, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 18 June 2020

343 pages, 20 b/w illus. 12 tables
17 x 24.5 x 2 cm, 0.6 kg

'Elegantly written and immensely interesting, this book may be of interest to readers from a wide range of disciplines, including social scientists, sociologists, bioarchaeologists, medical anthropologists, forensic scientists, psychologists and historians.' Sue Howarth, The Biologist

The remains of past people are a testament to their lived experiences and of the environment in which they lived. Synthesising the latest research, this book critically examines the sources of evidence used to understand and interpret violence in bioarchaeology, exploring the significant light such evidence can shed on past hierarchies, gender roles and life courses. The text draws on a diverse range of social and clinical science research to investigate violence and trauma in the archaeological record, focussing on human remains. It examines injury patterns in different groups as well as the biological, psychological and cultural factors that make us behave violently, how our living environment influences injury and violence, the models used to identify and interpret violence in the past, and how violence is used as a social tool. Drawing on a range of case studies, Redfern explores new research directions that will contribute to nuanced interpretations of past lives.

Foreword Debra L. Martin
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Approaches to understanding and interpreting violence in the past
3. Violent behaviour in humans and human societies
4. Environmental factors and violence
5. Trauma in life course perspective
6. Violent happenings: intentional injury patterns
7. Living with the consequences of injury
8. Conclusions
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Human biology [PSX], Life sciences: general issues [PSA], Biology, life sciences [PS], Mathematics & science [P], Anthropology [JHM], Sociology & anthropology [JH], Society & social sciences [J], Archaeological science, methodology & techniques [HDW], Archaeology [HD], Humanities [H]