Eine Frage der Trennschärfe – zur Problematik der Bestimmung artifiziell deformierter Schädel am Beispiel der frühmittelalterlichen Schädel aus Altheim (Lkr. Landshut)

Abstract

Trautmann et al. (2017) published a morphological and osteometrical examination of skulls from Bavarian burial sites of the Migration Period, among them some specimens which show artificial cranial modification. From 26 skulls previously classified as artificially deformed, 14 were assigned as non-deformed or intermediate, among them the three skulls from Altheim. In a later paper, Grupe et al. (2018) presented evidence in an attempt to prove an artificial modification of the Altheim skulls. At the same time they criticized the approach taken in Trautmann et al. (2017). With the help of X-ray and CT-scanning they tried to diagnose characteristics of intracranial pressure and present these as criteria to indicate the presence of artificial deformations. In the current paper, the authors respond to the criticism voiced in Grupe et al. (2018) and offer a critical evaluation of the methods described there to examine the Altheim skulls as well as their conclusions drawn based on those methods, because neither the methodology nor diagnostic indications made are as straightforward as suggested.