Pages: 237-250

The paper presents the results of the study of a paleoanthropological sample from the Late Neolithic Corded Ware Culture burial ground in Ardu, Estonia. A number of cranial features from Ardu I and Ardu II graves, associated with elongated skull, high and wide face, long and wide nose, and a good horizontal profile, which may indicate the European ancestry, have been identified. Morphological analysis of the postcranial skeleton revealed a relative elongation of the tibia in both individuals, as well as a well manifested saber-like flattening of the tibiae. The reconstructed intravital stature of men turned out to be 164.1 and 180.2 cm. On the cranium from Ardu II, marks of some blunt force trauma with evidence of healing process were found, and possible battle wounds were identified on the postcranial skeleton. Grave goods buried with that man included a battle stone axe and a flint knife. A description of other injuries and pathologies is also offered.

Keywords: Eastern Baltic region, Late Neolithic, Corded Ware culture, Ardu, palaeopathology, combat traumas, craniology, osteology

Information about authors:

Sergey Vasilyev (Moscow, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. N. N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences. Lenin Ave., 32-A, Moscow, 119334, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Aivar Kriiska (Tartu, Estonia). PhD (archeology). Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu. Ülikooli, 18, Tartu, 50090, Estonia
E-mail: [email protected]
Svetlana Borutskaya (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. Lomonosov Ave., 27-4, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Liivi Varul (Tallinn, Estonia). Master of Archaeology. School of Humanities, Tallinn University. Narva mnt., 25, Tallinn, 10120, Estonia
E-mail: [email protected]