The hole was so precise it was initially mistaken for an anatomical variant.
pertain to a developmental anomaly of sternal foramen, but to a multilevel mechanically caused orifice, one that had been sustained by a through-and-through [lower breastbone] injury." A seven-sided entry wound could be seen, clearly suggesting a type of penetrating trauma, and there was no evidence of healing.
The man had been stabbed. To shed some light on the mechanics of the injury, I asked Patrick Randolph-Quinney, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Central Lancashire, to weigh in."In my considered opinion, Agelarakis has a case," he says."Penetrating peri-mortem trauma is consistent with some of the skeletal defects displayed." While he is not fully convinced of the seven-sided entry wound, Randolph-Quinney notes that the exit wound, or the back side of the sternum, is of particular interest. This exit wound has sharp bone edges, which rules out both post-mortem damage and a sternal foramen. Flat bones like the sternum react differently to trauma compared to bones like the skull and long bones of the arms and legs."In cases of arrow or crossbow wounds," Randolph-Quinney says,"it's my experience that they 'punch' their way through flat bone, leaving sharp margins on both entrance and exit surfaces, similar to the photos in Agelarakis' article. I think he's right about the injury -- but maybe for the wrong reasons." Not content to simply diagnose this ancient Thasian man with a stab wound, Agelarakis set out to figure out what kind of weapon made the odd, seven-sided mark on the bone. To do this, he and his colleagues extrapolated the shape of the weapon from the injury, created a 3D model reconstruction in wax, and then generated mold from that in order to cast the weapon in bronze. Once this process was completed, Agelarakis was able to suggest that the weapon was a , or the spike at the lower end of a spear-shaft. He and his colleagues then used their reconstructed weapon on a ballistic model of a human in order to approximate force and direction of the fatal blow.A. Agelarakis / Adelphi University Given the identification of the weapon, Agelarakis hypothesizes that this was a close-encounter sharp force injury, in which the man was immobilized, perhaps with his hands tied behind his back,"in order to receive a contact thrusting of an accurately anatomically calculated, precisely positioned, and well-delivered striking into the inferior mediastinum region of the thorax." Essentially, the deadly aim of the person wielding the spear caused a fatal wound to the Thasian man's chest, which put him into cardiac arrest as he bled out. Agelarakis suggests that this was almost certainly"a prepared execution event." This older Thacian man was buried in an individual grave among clusters of family graves, without any indication that he was treated differently than others in death. Because of his simple burial, Agelarakis thinks that he was not condemned to capital punishment because he was a traitor or conspirator. Rather,"it may be postulated that his untimely and violent death could have been the result of a political-military turmoil or reprisals, possibly during forceful regime changes" that occurred during the Hellenistic era. Although this man was stabbed to death, he was likely of high standing and, as Agelarakis concludes,"would have been recognized as a worthy opponent."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Greek parliament calls on Germany to pay WW2 reparationsThe Greek parliament voted on Wednesday to launch a diplomatic campaign to press...
Read more »
Pakistan militants execute 14 bus passengersMilitants wearing security force uniforms stopped two buses in southwest Pakistan on Thursday and killed 14 passengers after ordering them out of the vehicles, police said.
Read more »
PAOK crush Levadiakos to clinch Greek league title after 34 yearsUndefeated PAOK secured their first Greek league title in 34 years with a game t...
Read more »
Why Elon Musk wants his employees to use an ancient mental strategy called 'first principles'Why Elon Musk wants his employees to use an ancient mental strategy called 'first principles.' via CNBCMakeIt
Read more »
Ex-U.S. Navy officer: How to write emails with military precision and commandEx-U.S. Navy officer: How to write emails with military precision and command via CNBCMakeIt
Read more »
How terror detonated with precision across Sri LankaA series of coordinated bombings — and the fear of more to come — has convulsed Sri Lanka since Sunday morning. This is how the attacks unfolded.
Read more »
Saudi Arabia executes 37 citizens for terrorism crimesTheir government publicly pinned two of the bodies to a pole as a warning to others.
Read more »
Saudi Arabia executes 37 people, crucifying one, for terror-related crimesSaudi Arabia has executed 37 men convicted of terror-related crimes, the kingdom's official news agency says
Read more »
Saudi Arabia Executes 37 Citizens, Drawing Fire from Rights GroupsSaudi Arabia on Tuesday executed 37 citizens accused of terrorism-related crimes, drawing fire from human rights groups who said the executions targeted the restive Shia Muslim minority.
Read more »