The death of Xom Den woman 3,500 years ago

The excavated skeleton is at Xóm Rền

Forensic archeology is a emerging term associated with the strong development of criminal science and forensic science in recent years. In the most recent international conference on criminal science meeting in Hong Cong (August 2004), forensic archeology was formed as an independent topic.

On a cloudy day, without rain in December 2005, young archaeologist Nguyen Manh Hung of the excavation team of the Vietnam History Museum is watching every poke of the public in the first hole in the ancient village. Xom Den (Xom Roi is an archaeological site belonging to Phung Nguyen culture, 3,500 - 4,000 years ago, currently famous in Gia Thanh commune, Phu Ninh district, Phu Tho province), suddenly discovered a soil There are white streaks different from reddish-brown hills. He stopped the hoe and used the professional flight of archaeologists more carefully than that land.

Under the gentle, clever flight, the skull gradually appeared. The skull is cleaned of sticky patches that show every detail: the skull is tilted slightly to the right. Due to compression, the right cheekbone collapses and inserts into the right eye socket. The left half of the face is quite intact. The jaw is below white teeth with wear and tear, indicating that people die at the age of 25-30. Bones are burrowed, the jaw is smooth and the size of the small bones suggests that the dead is a woman. The archaeologists in the group were happy to confirm: we have yet another true representative of our ancestors at the time of the Hung Kings' opening.

It was the fifth excavated skeleton in this location and probably the best preserved skeleton. The creases of the ribs still remain intact, the bones of the limbs and the vertebrae are sufficient, only minor damage is left on the right foot and arm. The dead when buried, placed on their backs by their loved ones, their heads are neat, hands are let go, the hands are placed close to the buttocks, and the hip bones are overlaid, the legs are stretched out, showing a thoughtful and solemn consciousness. Coffins and objects buried by wood or organic substances have long been destroyed by underground with high pH.

The most remarkable thing here is that when studying the detailed skeleton, archaeologists discovered that the right knee and knee wounds on the dead could be considered as the cause of the victim's death. Forensic archaeologists participated in the study of these wounds.

Forensic archeology is a emerging term associated with the strong development of criminal science and forensic science in recent years. In the most recent international conference on criminal science meeting in Hong Cong (August 2004), forensic archeology was formed as an independent topic. Modern medicine and criminal science branches pay attention to collecting and analyzing the remaining traces of phenomena and artifacts related to cases. In some respects, archaeological science has similar characteristics. Archaeologists also have a duty to gather evidence to restore true historical facts that have been buried deep in the ground. The application of the experiences and means of criminal science to archeology has yielded many interesting discoveries, such as the discovery of the process of bone healing in the rounded capes of the Neolithic skulls. 6,000 - 7,000 years ago proved that the ancients were able to remove the skull cap for healing, then cover the patient still alive. Surgical instruments are only equal to the sharp edges of the stone plates.

Forensic archaeologists still operate and determine the cause of the death of ancient mummies in Egypt, China or non-decomposing bodies in swamp in England, Denmark, North America . The Tay Han noble woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago buried in Ma Wang Doi (China) was excavated and anatomically determined her death due to gallstones. The search for the cause of the young death of the Roman Emperor Alexander as well as his father is now attracting many studies of forensic archaeologists.

The skeleton of Xom Den woman died 3,500 years ago was also studied by forensic archaeological method. The entire skeleton is cleaned without deformation and in its original position as it has been from more than 3,000 years in the ground. The fracture fractures on the skeleton are all taken close-up and analyzed in the magnified digital laboratory of the Southeast Asia Prehistoric Center. Evidence of an abnormal death appeared on the screen in the presence and confirmation of Vietnamese, British and Japanese scientists: Two fractures on the bone and especially a bone-extinguishing area. very heavy on the right femur on the knee. It seems that a rather heavy object that suddenly fell into this woman's right leg knee caused that bone to break into pieces. Perhaps due to this tremor or due to the rescue efforts afterwards, the upper part of the thigh bone of the knee appears two new fractures, the femur bone must show signs of stretching about 2 cm more than the femur. The fruit is not broken. The woman did not die immediately due to these fractures. Evidence is the appearance of ridges that reflect the healing process that occurs after the fractured bone corresponds to the interval of 1-3 months after the accident. The process of bone healing is ongoing but not yet complete, the woman dies.

Vietnamese archeology is entering a period of vigorous application of achievements of natural science to build its own independent and new scientific disciplines. The discovery and system of traces of staining black teeth, extraction of incisors, canines as a custom as well as bundles of bones and cuts and bundles on the skull of the dead in Dong Xa 2,000 years ago all have great scientific value as typical examples of true restoration and vividness of the life and death of our ancestors in ancient times and the gathering of experiences for the formation of a new science - Forensic archeology.

Nguyen Viet - Nguyen Manh Thang