Beheaded and displayed signs on skeletal remains recovered in Japan

本文介绍了一个有多个方形骨折的颅骨。该头骨是在日本的Nagoe-Kiritoshi遗址（神奈川县祖师，距东京西南约50公里）发现的。该遗址是一个路边区域，考古遗迹很少，但有许多时期。头骨是从14世纪早期到中期的地层中发现的。颅骨被酸性土壤侵蚀，几乎只剩下一个有寰椎的脑壳，在基质中发现了几颗解剖位置的牙齿。没有找到其他部分。根据乳突、额粗隆大小、骨缝状况及牙齿磨损程度判断，该颅骨为中老年女性。头骨上有四处大约5毫米乘5毫米的方形骨折。一个在额骨上，两个在顶骨上，还有一个在枕骨上。这些骨折是在她死后不久发生的骨折的形状、大小和位置看起来几乎完全像世纪晚期卷轴上公开展示的断头图片。虽然没有明确的证据表明她被斩首，但间接证据（即没有发现尸体，地点是路边，头骨的典型部位有四个方形骨折，她的头骨在她死后不久被钉死）表明，该人被斩首并公开展示。这是日本第一次有斩首和展示头颅的记录。

This paper introduces a skull with several square shaped fractures. The skull was recovered from Nagoe-Kiritoshi site, Japan (Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 50 kilometres southwest from Tokyo). The site is a road side area with poor archaeological remains but many periods. The skull was recovered from a layer of early to mid 14 century. The skull was eroded by acid soil and almost only brain case remained with atlas, and several teeth found in anatomical position in matrix. There was no other part recovered. The skull was middle to old age female, according to size of mastoid process and frontal tuberosity, condition of sutures, and degree of dental wear. The skull had four square shaped fractures of about five by five millimetres. One was on the frontal bone, two were on the parietal bones, and one was on the occipital bone. These fractures occurred shortly after her death. The shape, size and position of fractures looked almost exactly like a picture about public display of severed head on late 13 century scrolls. Although there was no clear evidence of her beheaded, circumstantial evidences (i.e. there was no body recovered, the site was a road side area, four square shaped fractures was on typical parts of the skull, her skull nailed shortly after her death) showed that the person was beheaded and displayed in public. This is the first record of beheaded and displayed head in Japan.