Citation

Nagaoka T, Uzawa K, Hirata K. Anthropol. Sci. 2010; 118(2): 129-140.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Anthropological Society of Nippon)

DOI

10.1537/ase.091007

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Seiyokan site is located in Kamakura, Japan, and has yielded 91 human skeletons belonging to the 14-15th centuries AD. The purposes of this study are to examine the human crania from the archeological site at Seiyokan, to analyze the presence, distribution, and variability of their weapon-related traumas, and finally to better understand violence in medieval Japan from osteological evidence. The results demonstrate that the traumas on the crania have morphological features consistent with human-induced cut marks. The presence of cut marks on the Seiyokan crania, which strongly suggests the prevalence of violence in medieval Japan, is in accord with the historical background--that a militarily organized society was founded by force and that the rise to political power of the warrior class and the establishment of a military government resulted in continuous disturbances, armed conflicts, and violent death.