Violence in paradise: Cranial trauma in the prehispanic population of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

Abstract

Objectives This paper addresses the prevalence and pattern of physical violence in the prehispanic society of Gran Canaria and discusses its link with the social structure and insular context in which that people lived. Materials and Methods 347 prehispanic crania from Guayadeque Ravine (575–1415 AD) have been examined in order to determine the frequency, types, location, and timing of trauma. Results Craniofacial injuries are present in 27.4% of the crania examined. Only 2% display perimortem trauma. Most of the injuries (84.3%) correspond to depressed blunt force trauma, with an ellipsoidal or circular shape. Most of these are in the anterior aspect of the cranium. Males are significantly more affected than females. Discussion The aboriginal population of Gran Canaria show a high frequency of traumatic injuries to the skull compared to other archaeological groups. Their frequent location in the anterior aspect suggests regular face‐to‐face confrontations. However, the lethal injuries typically occurring in large‐scale combat are scarce. Practices such as ritualized combat, mentioned in ethnohistorical sources, would help to channel and mitigate inter‐group conflict. The predominance of depressed blunt force trauma is in accordance with the weapons used by those populations: hand‐thrown stones, clubs and sticks. The higher frequency in males indicates that they took part in direct violence more than females did. The hierarchical organization of their society may have led to frequent situations of conflict. The insular nature of a territory barely 1,500 m2 in size was a determining factor in competition for access to food resources, especially at times of climate crises or population growth.