Rissech et al. / Heritage
The medieval knight’s skull was exceptionally long and narrow
Spanish archaeologists have identified a genetic anomaly in the DNA of a medieval knight whose remains had an extremely elongated skull, which points to a possible rare disease.
The skull of a medieval knight, whose remains were found during excavations in the castle of Zorita de los Canes, in Spain, caught the attention of researchers due to its shape unusually elongated. Apparently, the warrior belonged to the Order of Calatrava, active between the 13th and 15th centuries.
An analysis of the skeleton’s DNA allowed a team of researchers from the University Rovira i Virgili, in Tarragona, to conclude that the knight had a rare genetic disease — possibly, crouzon syndrome.
O , recently published in the magazine Heritagedetails that this warrior was part of the Order of Calatravaactive between the 13th and 15th centuries.
Investigators located dozens of graves with military injuriesbut this individual stood out immediately for presenting a cranial morphology which did not correspond to no usual pattern known from medieval remains.
The study authors determined that the man had about 45 years old when he died and that his skeleton displayed muscle marks normally associated with a very active lifestyle.
Furthermore, it presented puncture wounds to the head and a strong blow to the leg, signs compatible with a death in combat.
Only a few bones of the medieval knight survive
The skeleton had been found in the castle of Zorita de los Canes, in central Spain, which was occupied from the 13th to the 15th century by the Order of Calatrava, a group of knights and monks who assumed military responsibilities.
As revealed to the anthropologist Carme Rissechlead author of the study, three of the cranial sutures — joints between the bones of the skull — had closed prematurely, causing deformation.
“I was extremely surprised. I’ve never seen a skull like that“, says the researcher. The early fusion of these unions, known as craniossinostoseis associated with mutations that can lead to crouzon syndrome — a hypothesis reinforced by the fact that only the medieval knight’s skull was affected, and the rest of his skeleton was not.
This pathology causes a abnormal skull growthwhich, in medieval times, was especially dangerous due to the absence of surgical interventions capable of preventing brain damage and fatal complications.
Despite the medical limitations of the time, the remains reveal that the knight managed to survive for decades. The combination of such a serious pathology with such a long life trajectory is extremely rare in the medieval context.
The study authors highlight the uniqueness of the case, as most archaeological records of this disease correspond to children who did not reach adulthood. Definitive confirmation of this hypothesis will require the completion of genetic analysis.
