Healed bone around an amputated nose gives an imperial Chinese punishment its first skeleton

Survival is where the two named specialists in the account differ. Qian Wang of Texas A&M University said her recovery implies caregivers who controlled bleeding, prevented infection and probably managed her pain ^[19]. David Shaye of Harvard University, who was not involved in the study, described a lower requirement. "If initially bleeding was controlled, the wound would slowly heal on its own over several months," Shaye said ^[20]. The bone supports both readings; the difference is how much nursing each one implies.

Radiocarbon dating of her right femur put her death between 1298 and 1404 ^[14]. The window is 106 years wide, and it extends 36 years past 1368, when the Yuan dynasty ended ^[1]. The Yuan attribution comes from the design of the tomb, not from the date ^[15]. It was late Yuan law that prescribed nasal amputation mainly for the theft of high-value livestock, or for repeated thefts of less valuable animals ^[7].

Pelvis and skull features identified her as a woman, and tooth wear and other skeletal indicators put her age at 40 to 45 ^[13]. Isotope analysis pointed to a diet of mostly millet with little animal protein, consistent with relatively low socioeconomic status ^[16]. Small bone spurs had formed around the nasal opening, which could reflect chronic inflammation or pressure from an artificial nose ^[21]. "This woman had a normal diet for a commoner and might have worn a nasal prosthesis to cover the scar - indicating that she tried to get back to normal life," Wang said ^[22].

Wang said disease, accident and even self-mutilation remain possible explanations for the injury, and the researchers found no telltale signs of any of them ^[26]. The authors state the conclusion conditionally: if their interpretation is correct, the skeleton is the first physical evidence of punitive nasal amputation in ancient China ^[27].

The grave itself is one out of 299 tombs at the site ^[2]. Face-down burial is sometimes associated with punishment in the Yuan period, and Wang suspects she was buried apart from family or community, possibly face down to hide her disfigurement ^[24]. "We believed there was a discriminatory attitude," he said. "It could be a decision of disapproval" ^[25]. Shaye put the social reading in more general terms. "Facial deformities can profoundly affect identity, social interaction and a person's place within a community. In this sense, this archaeological finding connects very directly with challenges that people continue to face today," he said ^[5]. The work is published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports ^[29].