Results of Paleostomatological Analysis of Material From the Cave Near Gornji Vakuf (South-West Bosnia)

Abstract

Among explored speleological objects near the Krupa village, close to Gornji Vakuf, the most interesting cave from paleocultural aspect, is the cave named “Cave number 5”. In the internal part of that cave, besides ceramic fragments and one metal needle, rich anthropological material have been found, compounds of numerous humans bones and teeth. Anato-morphological analysis of the one part of material showed that this site is a prehistoric crypt with remains of at least 13 people. Radiocarbon 14C bone analysiss results showed that those people lived 2765 ± 75 before presence. The fact that anthropological material includes some remains which belonged to children shows some characteristics of burial culture of that period on area of Uskoplje. This cave crypt is the one of the biggest on this region. Paleostomatological analysis of teeth and jaw fragments gave us clear evidence about therapeutic interventions performed in this period. X-rays analysis showed presence of the metal body inside the bone in one mandibular fragment. It’s supposed that this metal is broken part of instrument used for tooth extraction.