Sorry for the delay in responding...
 
On Wed, 25 Oct 1995, Richard Wright wrote:
 
> The crania are generally well-preserved but have single
> "depressed fractures" on the cranial vault. The
> historical context does not lead us to believe that the
> individuals died violent deaths and we suspect other
> causes of these puzzling traumas.
 
Although it doesn't really sound like it, could these be examples of
"coffin wear"? From Ubelaker's "Human Skeletal Remains":
 
"The left side of the face of the Palmara cranium shows a type of
flattening sometimes termed "coffin wear", because it develops over long
periods of time from small movements of the bone against a hard surface,
such as the floor or side of a coffin" (p. 103)
 
I'd be interested to hear what the outcome of your investigations is!
 
Regards,
Megan Springate
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