Survival to amputation in pre-antibiothic era: a case study from a Longobard necropolis (6th-8th centuries AD

The Longobard necropolis of Povegliano Veronese dates from the 6th to the 8th centuries AD.\r\nAmong the 164 tombs excavated, the skeleton of an older male shows a well-healed amputated right forearm.\r\nThe orientation of the forearm fracture suggests an angled cut by a single blow. Reasons why a forearm might\r\nbe amputated include combat, medical intervention, and judicial punishment. As with other amputation\r\ncases reported in literature, this one exhibits both healing and osteoblastic response. We argue that the forelimb\r\nstump morphology suggests the use of a prosthesis. Moreover, dental modification of RI2 shows considerable\r\nwear and smoothing of the occlusal surface, which points to dental use in attaching the prosthesis to the\r\nlimb. Other indications of how this individual adjusted to his amputated condition includes a slight change\r\nin the orientation of the right glenoid fossa surface, and thinning of right humeral cortical bone. This is a\r\nremarkable example in which an older male survived the loss of a forelimb in pre-antibiotic era. We link\r\narchaeological remains found in the tomb (buckle and knife) with the biological evidence to show how a\r\ncombined bioarchaeological approach can provide a clearer interpretation of the life history of an individual.