‘Peculiar marks’ on centuries-old bones reveal morbid practices of the past, study finds
Researchers recently unearthed a collection of bones from a centuries-old burial site, shedding light on the medical practices of the past.
Five skulls were discovered in an 18th century underground cemetery in Vercelli, a city in northern Italy.
They were then scrutinized for scrapes, cuts and other markings in order to better understand early autopsy and dissection procedures, which are typically not differentiated, according to a study published on Feb. 9 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Both procedures have long histories in Italy, dating back to the Middle Ages, researchers said.
The first known dissections — which serve an educational purpose — were carried out over the course of a four-day human anatomy lesson in 1316.
“On the first day the abdominal viscera were extracted; on the second the neck and chest cavity were studied; during the third day the cranium was investigated, with special regard to the brain and nerves; and finally, on the last day the four limbs were dissected,” researchers said.
Autopsies — which are less invasive and are undertaken to determine cause of death — date back even further.
Pope Innocent III, who reigned from 1198 to 1216, authorized some of the first known autopsies for legal purposes.
The newfound skulls showed signs of both medical practices — including scalpel grooves and saw cuts — reinforcing their common use in past centuries, researchers said.
At least one of the skulls, which could not be dated, contained markings compatible with a hand saw, which leave a “series of peculiar marks.”
“The study of the (skull) leads us to hypothesize that it was subjected to the practice of dissection, considering the countless inaccuracies of the cut,” researchers said.
One skull also contained numerous pastel and pencil markings, researchers said.
It’s possible that a local medical school used these skeletal remains from the cemetery for such procedures.
Another skull, found in a wooden box in an underground chapel, was able to be dated back several centuries.
It was buried sometime between the 17th and 19th centuries and is believed to have been subjected to a post-mortem autopsy based in part on the apparent use of minimally invasive techniques.
Further studies will be required to fully demystify past medical practices and to better delineate the difference between autopsies and dissections, researchers said.
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