RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Bioengineering approaches to dynamic impact analysis for cranial fracture interpretation in arcaheology
A1 Rodríguez Iglesias, Daniel
A1 Pantoja Pérez, Ana
A1 De la Rosa, Ángel
A1 Latorre Carmona, Pedro
A1 Sala, Nohemi
K1 Fracture mechanics
K1 Forensic anthropology
K1 Trauma analysis
K1 Interpersonal violence
K1 Depressed fracture
K1 Bone thickness
K1 Fracturas óseas
K1 Fractures
K1 Ingeniería biomédica
K1 Biomedical engineering
AB Cranial fractures are widely documented in archaeological contexts, yet the application of fracturemechanics to differentiate traumatic events remains limited. This study analyses a dataset of 234human cadavers subjected to 329 experimentally controlled blunt-impact tests, examining mechanicalvariables and fracture patterns that could be relevant to archaeological interpretation. The resultsshow substantial methodological variability across the analysed studies. Analysis of these studiesindicates that impact energy is the most reliable parameter for assessing fracture severity, suggestinga preliminary fracture threshold of around 2000 N, and that bone thickness is a major determinantof cranial resistance. Clear differences in fracture morphology according to impact surface were alsoobserved: focal surfaces frequently produce depressed and comminuted fractures, whereas broadsurfaces predominantly generate linear fractures. These data provide a framework for archaeologicalanalysis: bone thickness, fracture morphology, and the presence and distribution of secondaryfractures offer indirect but informative proxies for impact energy and surface characteristics, whichcould help to distinguish violent from non-violent events. This study emphasizes the need for dynamicfracture-mechanics approaches and targeted experimental work to better characterise archaeologicalimpacts.
PB Springer Nature
SN 2045-2322
YR 2026
FD 2026-02
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11861
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11861
LA spa
NO This research was conducted within the framework of the DEATHREVOL project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 949330) and the Ramón y Cajal grant RYC2020-029656-I, funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future”. It is also supported by the projects PID2021-122355NB-C31 and PID2021-122355NB-C33, funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU, and by the Fundación Sabadell through the “Ayudas a la Investigación 2024”.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 18-jun-2026