Punctured Human Bones of the Laurel Culture from Smith Mound Four, Minnesota

Michael Torbenson, Arthur Aufderheide, Elden Johnson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Punctured human long bones have been reported at numerous midwestern sites, but none have as large a concentration as Smith Mound Four (21KC3). This northern Minnesota mound was built by the people of the Laurel culture and dates to A.D. 565. Analysis of the bones suggests that they were perforated on the basis of inherited group affiliation for purposes that did not involve marrow extraction and may have related to ideas of spirit release.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)506-514
Number of pages9
JournalAmerican Antiquity
Volume57
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 1992

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • History
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Archaeology
  • Museology

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