Bioarchaeology of Violence: Traumas in Female Skeletons at El Palmillo, Oaxaca

Abstract

From a bioarchaeological perspective, we examine the incidence of traumatic lesions present on skeletons of the inhabitants of the ancient city of El Palmillo, during the Classic period (AD 250-850). El Palmillo was a Zapotec settlement in the Valley of Oaxaca, located in the municipality of Santiago Matatlán. The study sample (n = 16) is composed of 10 females, 5 males, and 1 indeterminate individual. We compare the location of the traumatic lesions, the archaeological context, and the observed significant differences between the sexes. Based on the osteological evidence, we seek to explain why the female skeletons of this site present more facial traumas than do the male skeletons. The texts written about pre-Hispanic Zapotec populations are limited, as are archaeological studies focused on women, so a specific consideration of this sector of the population is important to establish a historical reference. The variation in the presence and location of traumatic lesions between males and females indicates different types and degrees of violence across genders in this historical population.