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Death by twins: a remarkable case of dystocic childbirth in Early Neolithic Siberia
Angela R. Lieverse, Vladimir Ivanovich Bazaliiskii and Andrzej W. Weber
Antiquity / Volume 89 / Issue 343 / February 2015, pp 23 - 38 DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2014.37, Published online: 30 January 2015
Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0003598X14000374
How to cite this article: Angela R. Lieverse, Vladimir Ivanovich Bazaliiskii and Andrzej W. Weber (2015). Death by twins: a remarkable case of dystocic childbirth in Early Neolithic Siberia. Antiquity, 89, pp 23-38 doi:10.15184/aqy.2014.37
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Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/AQY, IP address: 129.234.252.66 on 02 Feb 2015 nre .Weber W. Andrzej gvn it)i h at(..H (e.g. parturition and past pregnancy the with associated in been have birth) must (giving that mortality high the Despite Introduction Lieverse R. Angela Siberia Neolithic Early in of childbirth case dystocic remarkable a twins: by Death 3 2 1 labour Keywords: 0csso rgato aorn eae ie nerdwt ea remains fetal about with only interred 1970s, (i.e. the females since labouring Indeed, or tissue. pregnant soft record, of preserved archaeological cases of the 20 in absence uncommon the are in childbirth) particularly (obstructed dystocia fatal of cases ANTIQUITY C niut ulctosLd 2015 Ltd, Publications Antiquity eateto nhoooy nvriyo let,Emno,A,TG24 aaa(Email: Canada 2H4, T6G AB, Edmonton, Alberta, [email protected]) of University Anthropology, (Email: of Russia Department 664003, Irkutsk University, State Irkutsk Ethnography, [email protected]) Canada and 5B1, Archaeology S7N of SK, Department Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, of University [email protected]) Anthropology, (Email: and Archaeology of Department Moscow 9(05:2–8doi: 23–38 (2015): 89 akl al elti,tis rehbrh rgac,pruiin obstructed parturition, pregnancy, birth, breech twins, Neolithic, Early Baikal, 0km 3 1 Lokomotiv ldmrIaoihBazaliiskii Ivanovich Vladimir , ogberg ¨ 2000 N tal et 23 . 00yasago. to years 7000 8000 some Siberia southern in Lokomotiv the at woman in cemetery hunter-gatherer twins young Holocene deliver middle a to of attempting died labour burial who the obstructed from for comes earliest evidence The twins. to confirmed attitudes compounded social is past difficulty by that case the births In twin death. of of practices type ritual this is with special associated the childbirth by in obscured often mortality confirmed Maternal few cases. been with likewise in circumstantial, has twins largely record for archaeological evidence the documented The been archaeology. rarely by has it but significant pre-modern societies, and prehistoric a in women was for risk childbirth during Death 1987 Arriaza ; tal et 2 & . 1988 10.15184/aqy.2014.37 ;Slaus nsitu in 2000 have ) ),
Research Death by twins been published in the archaeological literature, the vast majority appearing to represent complications due to childbirth (e.g. Sjovold et al. 1974; Hawkes & Wells 1975; Wells 1978; Owsley & Bradtmiller 1983; Pounder et al. 1983; Persson & Persson 1984;Hogberg¨ et al. 1987;Malgosaet al. 2004;Rascon´ Perez´ et al. 2007; Cruz & Codinha 2010; Willis & Oxenham 2013). The explanation for this apparent contradiction—high maternal and fetal mortality in antiquity but little direct evidence for it—may lie largely in the fact that both the mother and child must have died together, the former being buried with her unborn (or partially born) fetus in utero, in order for the event to be archaeologically visible. In fact, one study of pre-Columbian female mummies from Chile found that not only did 14 per cent of those of child-bearing age die from complications associated with parturition, but of those, only 17 per cent (or 3 out of 18) failed to deliver their infants completely (Arriaza et al. 1988). This archaeological ‘invisibility’, compounded by possible cultural practices to remove fetal remains from the bodies of their deceased mothers (e.g. the Roman Empire’s Lex Caesarea), potential (albeit rare) cases of ‘coffin birth’ (e.g. Schulz et al. 2005;Rascon´ Perez´ et al. 2007; Lasso et al. 2009), and the myriad taphonomic factors differentially affecting the preservation of delicate infant and fetal remains (Guy et al. 1997), can account for the rarity of pregnant and labouring females recovered from archaeological contexts. In a similar vein, although human twins were undoubtedly present in the past, just as they are today, confirmed evidence of them is exceptionally infrequent. Most archaeologically documented twins (e.g. Black 1967; Chamberlain 2001; Einwogerer¨ et al. 2006; Crespo et al. 2011;Halcrowet al. 2012; Flohr 2014) represent possible or probable cases, with twin status being inferred from circumstantial evidence such as physical similarities of the remains themselves or peculiarities of their burial context. In fact, several presumed cases of ancient twins have been subsequently disproved (Hawass & Saleem 2011; Marshall et al. 2011). Only very rarely can twin status actually be confirmed by irrefutable evidence, such as the discovery of dual sets of fetal remains in utero (e.g. Owsley & Bradtmiller 1983). Here we present not only one of the oldest archaeologically documented cases of dystocic death, but also the earliest confirmed set of human twins in the world. The remains are those of a young adult female from the middle Holocene Cis-Baikal cemetery of Lokomotiv (Siberia, Russian Federation), found with the partial skeletons of two full-term fetuses located in her pelvic area and between her thighs. Radiocarbon dates obtained from both the mother and infants place the remains firmly within the Early Neolithic period (8000– 7000/6800 cal BP; Weber et al. 2006). All three individuals appear to have died together from complications associated with childbirth.
Materials and methods Lokomotiv is a middle Holocene hunter-gatherer cemetery located in the Cis-Baikal, the vast mountainous region north and west of Lake Baikal in south-eastern Siberia. The cemetery is situated on the west bank of the Angara River, at its confluence with the Irkut (Bazaliiskii 2010); today, it is located within the modern city of Irkutsk (Figure 1). Due to its present urban setting, Lokomotiv has yet to be completely excavated. However, a considerable portion of it—that situated within a large municipal park—was excavated between 1980 and 1997. During this period, 59 graves, representing 101 individuals (including the C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015
24 ogret.LR1. a ietyrdoabndtdt 7573 a P(TO-10189: BP cal 7725–7630 to dated affixed radiocarbon accessories directly 6750 in decorative was found represented 11.1 being probably LOR region, goods, and garments. the grave to graves, common in sub-adult were interments and cemetery), teeth EN female the Marmot of male, (within particular. typical location in all its Lokomotiv with goods of way, grave and any and in orientation unusual positioning, or body unique not was burial The neeysneo h od oiefrgr ussigpeoiatyo aehunting, game on predominantly subsisting foragers arrow mobile (Weber and word, sealing bow the were, and Cis-Baikal fishing and of the ground-stone of sense inhabitants and every Holocene pottery, middle in other of and introduction EN archaeology the the Siberian Indeed, technology. in by agriculture, characterised and sedentism is implies it ‘Neolithic’ term the West the in msl ntergtsd) n v utifro otelwrrgtrb (Figures ribs right lower ribs the the to among inferior seven just cranium, five the and of side), side Angara right right the the the of on on bank (mostly three the teeth: (towards marmot east The (decorative) a the position. towards was supine cranium 11.1, (Figures and the LOR River) extended with individual, an orientated anatomical main in was the The skeleton by body well-preserved burial. indicated and main as complete interment, the relatively primary of a articulation represents and It 1997. positioning in Raisovet, as to et siaeo 02 er a ae nteiicarclrsraeadeihsa fusion epiphyseal and surface auricular iliac the at on age based conservative (Moorrees was A years method). 20–25 [1984] of Smith the estimate using with death 4–5 erupted, and stages complete superior formed (i.e. A fully wear recovered, and good. dental also moderate thorax was generally dentition was the mandibular and preservation of maxillary skeletal of those set fragmented, particularly quite were bones, vault, some cranial While elements. vertebral and oooi uil ersn h i-aklsEryNoihc(N cuain aigto dating occupation, (EN) Neolithic (Weber Early BP Cis-Baikal’s cal 8000–7000/6800 the Savelyev represent & burials (Bazaliiskiy recovered Lokomotiv were paper), this of subjects ot rw)wr iie otepli ie oae ntelf n ih sacxeadthe and coxae ossa right and left the all on deciduous located formed skeleton, Figure (i.e. partially main see pelvis a the sacrum; the and to of corpus limited area were mandibular crown) abdominal left vertebral tooth a the ribs, (including in remains bones, located fetal long were cranial (fragmented 11.1). fragments) LOR coxal bones of and femora fetal arch the arches postcranial between vertebral (i.e. other and area while bones uterine the Furthermore, long of fragmented outside specifically situated were remains, fragments, fetal postcranial only that 1989 rmgaeR1 hs eersrce oteadmnladpli eino h female’s (Figures the thighs of her region between pelvic area and the abdominal to the as to well restricted as were skeleton, These R11. grave pathological from dental or skeletal no molar, first Ubelaker mandibular observed. right were & conditions the Buikstra on by lesion outlined carious small (as indicators pelvic and rv 1 a xaae rmtesuhr oto fteLkmtvcmtr,referred cemetery, Lokomotiv the of portion southern the from excavated was R11 Grave O 11wsrpeetdb l ao ibbnsadms aul ea,cail costal cranial, pedal, manual, most and bones limb major all by represented was 11.1 LOR nadto otemi niiuldsrbdaoe ea ean eeas recovered also were remains fetal above, described individual main the to addition In − + let&Maples & Albert ; 0B) lcn ti h al ato h N(Weber EN the of part early the in it placing BP), 70 tal et neaR ivre ldmrIaoihBzliki&AdzjW Weber W. Andrzej & Bazaliiskii Ivanovich Vladimir Lieverse, R. Angela . 2 1963 & 3 .Asml fftlbn rget a ietyrdoabndtdto dated radiocarbon directly was fragments bone fetal of sample A ). oel&Brodie & Powell ; 3 .Gaeacmaiet eerpeetdecuieyb fifteen by exclusively represented were accompaniments Grave ). 1995 tal et .Tesxwsceryidctda eaeb o-erccranial non-metric by female as indicated clearly was sex The ). . 2002 tal et . , 2006 2011 1963 Bazaliiskii ; 25 ). eb&Suchey & Webb ; 2010 2 .I utb tesdta,while that, stressed be must It ). tal et 1994 & C 2003 niut ulctosLd 2015 Ltd, Publications Antiquity 3 . 1985 .I sipratt note to important is It ). 2006 62) te hna than Other 16–21). : Bazaliiskii ; enl&Lovejoy & Meindl ; ). 2010 2 .The ). & 3 ).
Research Death by twins
Figure 1. Map of Cis-Baikal, showing the location of the Lokomotiv cemetery.