Ancient Patagonian hunter-gatherers took care of their injured and disabled

Summary

Models of Care examples. "Mild" in A, B and C and "Moderate" in D and E. A) Fracture of the nasal bone. B) Depressions on the skull. C) Rib fracture. D) Humerus fracture. E) Ulna Fracture. Credit: Romano et al. 2025 In a study published in the International Journal of Paleopathology, Dr. Victoria Romano and her colleagues analyzed the bones of 189 hunter-gatherers who lived during the Late Holocene (~4000 to 250 BP) in Patagonia. Their aim was to determine the social implications of traumatic injuries experienced in non-sedentary hunter-gatherers. To do this, 3,179 skeletal elements from 25 archaeological sites were analyzed. They found that around 20% of individuals experienced some form of bone trauma from mild to severe. Interestingly, both males and females exhibited a similar number of injuries, while more adults experienced trauma compared to children. The majority of these injuries were the result of accidents, although Dr. Romano highlights the difficulty in determining the cause of such injuries, saying, "It is difficult to determine whether the injuries were accidental or the result of interpersonal violence. We opted to consider that most injuries are likely attributable to accidents, as it is challenging to distinguish between fractures caused by falls or by conflict without additional evidence. "Two injuries were potentially linked to violence, as they involved arrowheads embedded in the bone; however, it is also possible that these individuals were accidentally struck." The injuries were categorized into three types: Mild Care, Moderate Care, and Intensive Care. Mild Care represented the majority of injuries and were typically characterized by injuries that required only moderate care without substantial changes to the group dynamic. These included cranial and nasal fractures, as well as clavicle and rib injuries, which would typically heal in a few weeks. Moderate Care injuries affected around 18% of cases and included injuries that required between t...