Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1998, Page 146

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
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Pathology. Second edition. (Churchill Livingstone: Ediburgh).
Toft, A., CampbeU, I. & Seth, J. 1981. Diagnosis and Management of Endocrine Disease.
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Þorkell Grímson. 1966.Tveir kumlafundir. Arbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags 1965: 78-86.
Summary
On July 5th 1962 construction workers unearthed a human skeleton in Skarðsvík north
of Öndverðarnesskagi in Snæfellsnes. Two days later Þorkell Grímson, then archaeologist
at the National Museum of Iceland, went to investigate the find, which turned out to be
a single human burial with elaborate grave goods (including a sword, a spearhead, a
shield-boss, a knife and a bone pin), dated by the typology of the sword and the spear-
head to the 1 Oth century. The hurnan remains, which were exceptionally well preserved,
were initially studied by professor Jón Steffensen, who concluded that they belonged to a
14 year old boy.
Subsequent studies of the human remains from Öndverðarnes have provided a differ-
ent picture. When the individual is aged using epiphyseal fusion and union of primary
ossification centres, the resulting age at death is between 10-12 years old. However, most
of the secondary dentition has erupted, with the exception of the third molars of the
maxilla, which are partially erupted, ageing the individual at between 19-21 years. In
addition the measured living stature is 176,9±2,7cm, which is alrnost lOcm taller than
the estimated average height (168,8cm) for adult males in that period, as calculated by
Jón Steffensen.
The height of the individual suggests that the age given by the dentition is more
accurate than that suggested by epiphyseal fusion, suggesting that the discrepancy is
caused by some sort of disturbance in the maturation of the skeleton. It is the opinion of
the author that this is caused by hypogonadism, reduced, or even the lack of, testosterone,
which stimulates the growth of cartilage and maturation of the skeleton. Hypogonadism
can be caused by various genetic causes, for exanrple Kleinfelters syndrome, or males
born with an extra X-chromosome and anorchia, rnales born without testicular tissue. It
can also be caused by castration at a young age. lf the hypogonadism is not treated it
results in eunochoidism; above average height, as skeletal growth continues longer than
normal as the epiphyses and primary centres of ossification fuse later than normal, but
usually very delicate bones. Puberty is not achieved, which means that facial and pubic
hair does not grow, the genitalia does not mature and some may develop female breasts
(gynaecomastia). In the cases of genedc hypogonadism, in particular Kleinfelters
syndrome, sociopathic behaviour, mental deficiency, homosexuality and transvestitism is
not uncommon.
A palaeopathological diagnosis of this kind raises rnany questions, for exantple, how
were an individuals grave goods determined, was it based on his or her life achievements
or heredity, and were men deliberately castrated in Viking age Iceland? The author does
not attenrpt to answer these questions, but merely use the case study as an example as to
the possibilities offered by palaeopathological research in archaeological studies.