Fracture treatment in Iron Age and Roman Britain

Katy Meyers

Medical treatment, despite our own Western perspective of science, is a cultural trait. How we choose to treat different forms of trauma, the methods of recovery, and the beliefs surrounding medicine are all culturally dictated.

There have long been debates over the changes that occurred to the general health of a population with the occupation or Romanisation of an area. Examination of skeletal remains have shown both improvement and decline in overall health.
Katy Meyers has examined a recent study by Redfern (2010) which took a different approach and looked at the cultural change in medical beliefs and practices through physical remains.
Examination was carried out for ante mortem fractures and surgical practice of 270 adults and 190 sub adults from 21 cemeteries around the Dorset region.
The goal was to assess changes in treatment from the Iron Age (5th c. BCE to 1st c. CE) to the Romano-British period (1st c. to the end of the 4th c. CE).
The assumption had always been that the Romans brought some semblance of scientific progress to barbarian cultures, but analysis is suggesting this may not be entirely true.

In order to assess healthcare and changes in both time periods, Redfern examined 64 males, 51 females and 80 sub adults from the Iron Age and 96 males, 59 females, and 110 sub adults from the Romano-British period.
In this study, she recorded fractures based on location, type of fracture, healing and whether it resulted in deformity or associated degenerative problems like arthritis. Surgical treatment was identified based on the type of trauma, presence of cut-marks, and presence of surgical artefacts.
The results tell a new story about care and medicine in Britain both pre and post Roman occupation.
Read full article: Break a Leg! Fracture Treatment in Iron Age and Roman Britain
Redfern, Rebecca (2010). A regional examination of surgery and fracture treatment in Iron Age and Roman Britain International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 25 (4)
Katy Meyers is an anthropology PhD student who specializes in mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology at Michigan State University. She also writes regularly on bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology news at her site www.bonesdontlie.com
 http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/12/2012/fracture-treatment-in-iron-age-and-roman-britain