RESUMEN
Despite their ubiquity, Mesolithic lithic tools given as funerary offerings have rarely been studied in detail. Whereas personal ornaments (e.g. beads, pendants) are commonly interpreted as markers of social identity and status, archaeologists have struggled to understand the stone tools, commonly regarded as "utilitarian" items. As a result, this class of grave goods has not received the same level of attention, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of Mesolithic mortuary behaviours. Our research challenges long-lasting perceptions of lithic tools as strictly utilitarian objects and draws on studies of one of the most substantial stone axe funerary collections from one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe-Zvejnieki, Latvia. Evidence suggests the selection of unused axes as grave offerings, while unusual wear traces on an axe found in a female grave (no 57) raises questions about its use in the burial rites. Using a multi-proxy approach, we compare life histories of axes placed in burials to those recovered from contemporary, nearby settlement contexts. Finally, a strong correlation between axes and women and children at Zvejnieki challenges gendered stereotypes of stone tools, historically regarded as possessions of the adult male members of Stone Age societies.
Asunto(s)
Arqueología , Humanos , Femenino , Historia Antigua , Cementerios/historia , Masculino , Entierro/historia , LetoniaRESUMEN
In the period between 5,300 and 4,900 calibrated years before present (cal. BP), populations across large parts of Europe underwent a period of demographic decline1,2. However, the cause of this so-called Neolithic decline is still debated. Some argue for an agricultural crisis resulting in the decline3, others for the spread of an early form of plague4. Here we use population-scale ancient genomics to infer ancestry, social structure and pathogen infection in 108 Scandinavian Neolithic individuals from eight megalithic graves and a stone cist. We find that the Neolithic plague was widespread, detected in at least 17% of the sampled population and across large geographical distances. We demonstrate that the disease spread within the Neolithic community in three distinct infection events within a period of around 120 years. Variant graph-based pan-genomics shows that the Neolithic plague genomes retained ancestral genomic variation present in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, including virulence factors associated with disease outcomes. In addition, we reconstruct four multigeneration pedigrees, the largest of which consists of 38 individuals spanning six generations, showing a patrilineal social organization. Lastly, we document direct genomic evidence for Neolithic female exogamy in a woman buried in a different megalithic tomb than her brothers. Taken together, our findings provide a detailed reconstruction of plague spread within a large patrilineal kinship group and identify multiple plague infections in a population dated to the beginning of the Neolithic decline.
Asunto(s)
Agricultores , Genómica , Linaje , Peste , Dinámica Poblacional , Yersinia pestis , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Cementerios/historia , Agricultores/historia , Genoma Bacteriano/genética , Historia Antigua , Filogenia , Peste/epidemiología , Peste/historia , Peste/microbiología , Peste/mortalidad , Países Escandinavos y Nórdicos/epidemiología , Factores de Tiempo , Factores de Virulencia/genética , Yersinia pestis/genética , Yersinia pestis/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Justinian plague and its subsequent outbreaks were major events influencing Early Medieval Europe. One of the affected communities was the population of Saint-Doulchard in France, where plague victim burials were concentrated in a cemetery enclosure ditch. This study aimed to obtain more information about their life-histories using the tools of isotope analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dietary analysis using carbon and nitrogen isotopes was conducted on 97 individuals buried at Le Pressoir in Saint-Doulchard, with 36 of those originating from the enclosure ditch. This sample set includes all individuals analyzed for plague DNA in a previous study. Mobility analysis using strontium isotope analysis supplements the dietary study, with 47 analyzed humans. The results are supported by a reference sample set of 31 animal specimens for dietary analysis and 9 for mobility analysis. RESULTS: The dietary analysis results showed significantly different dietary behavior in individuals from the ditch burials, with better access to higher quality foods richer in animal protein. 87Sr/86Sr ratios are similar for both studied groups and indicate a shared or similar area of origin. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that the ditch burials contain an urban population from the nearby city of Bourges, which overall had a better diet than the rural population from Saint-Doulchard. It is implied that city's population might have been subjected to high mortality rates during the plague outbreak(s), which led to their interment in nearby rural cemeteries.
Asunto(s)
Isótopos de Carbono , Dieta , Isótopos de Nitrógeno , Peste , Peste/historia , Peste/epidemiología , Peste/mortalidad , Humanos , Isótopos de Carbono/análisis , Femenino , Historia Medieval , Masculino , Isótopos de Nitrógeno/análisis , Francia/epidemiología , Adulto , Animales , Dieta/efectos adversos , Dieta/historia , Adolescente , Niño , Adulto Joven , Persona de Mediana Edad , Preescolar , Cementerios , Isótopos de Estroncio/análisis , LactanteRESUMEN
Spain suffered a Civil War between 1936 and 1939 that ended with the victory of the National Forces led by General Franco. Once the Spanish Civil War ended, 2238 subjects were executed and buried in several mass graves in the Cemetery of Paterna, one of Spain's largest mass grave sites. Efforts to locate and identify all the victims of the mass graves of the Paterna cemetery are ongoing, but the actual data of the percentage of DNA identifications remains uncertain. Following this, we conducted a meta-research study including 15 mass graves and 933 subjects to determine the DNA identification rates in the mass graves of the Paterna cemetery. We found that the total proportion of identified subjects in the mass graves was 15.9â¯% (95â¯% CI: 10.0-22.9). Moreover, we found that the model between the identification success rate (ISR) and the number of relatives that donated DNA (NRTDD) in the mass graves of the cemetery of Paterna was ISR = NRTDD-0.424. Results obtained about the proportion of identified subjects and the model between the ISR and the NRTDD imply the need for a scientific reflection between all the research groups involved in the identification tasks to modify deficiencies and update identification protocols to obtain better future results.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Dermatoglifia del ADN , Humanos , España , Entierro , Historia del Siglo XX , Guerra , ADN/análisis , Antropología Forense , MasculinoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The skeleton embodies an individual's environment and lived experiences. Studying childhood growth disruption can, therefore, aid in understanding the experiences of children in the past. This study evaluates growth disruption in a medieval Toulousian subadult sample to explore factors that may have influenced childhood growth and mortality at this site and to assess the utility of Harris line (HL) interpretations in bioarchaeology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Femoral growth disruption was assessed in n = 71 subadults (0.125-12.42 years) from the 10th-13th century St. Étienne cemetery of Toulouse, France, using femoral length, total area, cortical area, and relative cortical area. Femoral radiographs were assessed for HLs. To determine the prevalence of growth disruption, z-scores were calculated using data from the Denver growth study. RESULTS: The majority of subadults in this sample suffered from femoral growth disruption. Young children (1.0-3.99 years) were the most affected, with >65% experiencing reduced appositional growth and linear growth stunting at time-of-death. Additionally, while many individuals presented with observable HLs, linear and appositional growth did not significantly differ between individuals with and without HLs. DISCUSSION: Maternal malnutrition and inadequate complementary feeding practices likely contributed to the high prevalence of growth disruption among the youngest individuals in the study. The older children and adolescents buried at St. Étienne experienced an amelioration in growth deficits, indicating an improvement in nutrition and/or disease load. The results of this study suggest that more consideration is required when interpreting the presence/absence of HLs, and that studies assessing HLs may benefit from using a more individualistic approach.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Fémur , Humanos , Niño , Francia/epidemiología , Preescolar , Fémur/diagnóstico por imagen , Masculino , Femenino , Lactante , Historia Medieval , Trastornos del Crecimiento/historia , Trastornos del Crecimiento/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
The "princely" barrows of Leki Male, Greater Poland are the oldest such monuments within the distribution area of Únetice societies in Central Europe. While in the Circum-Harz group and in Silesia similar rich furnished graves under mounds have appeared as single monuments as early as 1950 BC, Leki Male represents a chain of barrows constructed between 2150 BC and 1800 BC. Of the original 14 mounds, only four were preserved well enough that their complex biographies can now be reconstructed. They included ritual activities (before, during, and after the funeral), and also subsequent incursions, including robberies. The long lasting barrow cemetery at Leki Male can be linked to a nearby fortified site, Bruszczewo. Together, Leki Male and Bruszczewo represent a stable, socially differentiated society that existed for no less than 350-400 years. Therefore, it can be argued that the Early Bronze Age societies of Greater Poland were extremely sustainable in comparison to those of other Únetice regions.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Polonia , Cementerios/historia , Humanos , Arqueología , Historia Antigua , Europa (Continente)RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Oral status is an important indicator of past lifestyles. Determining the presence and extent of oral pathologies helps reconstruct average oral health, paramasticatory activities and diet of ancient and historical populations. DESIGN: In this study, the dental remains from the early medieval cemetery of Früebergstrasse in Baar (Canton of Zug, Switzerland) and the high medieval Dalheim cemetery (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) were analyzed. Caries, periodontal condition, periapical lesions, antemortem tooth loss, and enamel hypoplasia were assessed in 654 teeth (993 observable loci) from 68 individuals (Baar: n = 36; Dalheim: n = 32). RESULTS: The oral status of both populations was affected by age with higher values of tooth wear in advanced age individuals. High tooth wear values in both populations point towards the consumption of abrasive foods. Pronounced anterior tooth wear in Baar may also be due to non-masticatory tooth usage. Finally, possible nutritional deficiencies were hypothesized for the Baar population. A higher caries prevalence was observed in the Baar group, probably due to differences in carbohydrate intake. The oral conditions observed in the two studied populations exhibited several analogies, suggesting comparable lifestyles despite their separation in space and time. The only differences observed are related to the use of teeth as "tools" and are thus determined by behavioral choices rather than diverse socioeconomic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Using multiple dental parameters to examine the oral health of premodern individuals can provide useful insights into the interactions between humans and their environment, from dietary patterns to paramasticatory activities.
Asunto(s)
Paleodontología , Humanos , Historia Medieval , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Suiza , Alemania , Persona de Mediana Edad , Población Rural , Adolescente , Salud Bucal , Caries Dental/historia , Caries Dental/epidemiología , Desgaste de los Dientes/historia , Pérdida de Diente , Niño , Cementerios , Dieta/historia , Hipoplasia del Esmalte Dental/historia , Estilo de VidaRESUMEN
Medieval Iberia witnessed the complex negotiation of religious, social, and economic identities, including the formation of religious orders that played a major role in border disputes and conflicts. While archival records provide insights into the compositions of these orders, there have been few direct dietary or osteoarchaeological studies to date. Here, we analysed 25 individuals discovered at the Zorita de los Canes Castle church cemetery, Guadalajara, Spain, where members of one of the first religious orders, the Order of Calatrava knights, were buried between the 12th to 15th centuries CE. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses of bone collagen reveal dietary patterns typical of the Medieval social elite, with the Bayesian R model, 'Simmr' suggesting a diet rich in poultry and marine fish in this inland population. Social comparisons and statistical analyses further support the idea that the order predominantly comprised the lower nobility and urban elite in agreement with historical sources. Our study suggests that while the cemetery primarily served the order's elite, the presence of individuals with diverse dietary patterns may indicate complexities of temporal use or wider social interaction of the medieval military order.
Asunto(s)
Isótopos de Carbono , Isótopos de Nitrógeno , Humanos , España , Historia Medieval , Isótopos de Carbono/análisis , Isótopos de Nitrógeno/análisis , Huesos/química , Arqueología , Personal Militar/historia , Dieta/historia , Masculino , Femenino , Clase Social/historia , Cementerios/historia , Colágeno/análisis , Teorema de BayesRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This project seeks to create a differential diagnosis for lesions found on the skeletal remains of two children as a means to explore the presence of viral disease in 16th- century Peru. MATERIALS: Extremely well-preserved human remains of two children who died between the ages of 1-2 years old, recovered from the circum-contact (â¼1540 CE) cemetery in Huanchaco, Peru. METHODS: Macroscopic and radiographic analysis. RESULTS: Both individuals present with cortical thickening, symmetrical destructive lesions, metaphyseal expansion, perforations, exposure of the medullary cavity, resorption of metaphyseal ends and necrosis of the long bones, and deposited reactive new bone. These features are consistent with osteomyelitis variolosa and bacterial osteomyelitis. CONCLUSIONS: Three features of Individuals IG-124 and IG-493 suggest a highly consistent diagnosis of osteomyelitis variolosa: multiple skeletal lesions, the historical context of the area, and the high mortality rate of non-adults in the circum-contact cemetery. SIGNIFICANCE: Although viral infections are ubiquitous and well documented historically, their etiologies are often difficult to determine in archaeological populations. Orthopoxvirus variola (smallpox) is one of the many viruses whose archaeological impact is still under explored in skeletal remains. LIMITATIONS: The absence of smallpox in other children from the Huanchaco cemetery creates difficulty in ascertaining true prevalence rates or information on potential outbreaks. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Further research analyzing aDNA from calculus and/or residues using a DIP-GC-MS method might create a better understanding of how smallpox spread through the region.
Asunto(s)
Viruela , Humanos , Viruela/historia , Viruela/patología , Perú , Historia del Siglo XVI , Lactante , Preescolar , Masculino , Osteomielitis/historia , Osteomielitis/patología , Paleopatología/métodos , Femenino , Cementerios/historiaRESUMEN
From AD 567-568, at the onset of the Avar period, populations from the Eurasian Steppe settled in the Carpathian Basin for approximately 250 years1. Extensive sampling for archaeogenomics (424 individuals) and isotopes, combined with archaeological, anthropological and historical contextualization of four Avar-period cemeteries, allowed for a detailed description of the genomic structure of these communities and their kinship and social practices. We present a set of large pedigrees, reconstructed using ancient DNA, spanning nine generations and comprising around 300 individuals. We uncover a strict patrilineal kinship system, in which patrilocality and female exogamy were the norm and multiple reproductive partnering and levirate unions were common. The absence of consanguinity indicates that this society maintained a detailed memory of ancestry over generations. These kinship practices correspond with previous evidence from historical sources and anthropological research on Eurasian Steppe societies2. Network analyses of identity-by-descent DNA connections suggest that social cohesion between communities was maintained via female exogamy. Finally, despite the absence of major ancestry shifts, the level of resolution of our analyses allowed us to detect genetic discontinuity caused by the replacement of a community at one of the sites. This was paralleled with changes in the archaeological record and was probably a result of local political realignment.
Asunto(s)
Arqueología , ADN Antiguo , Composición Familiar , Pradera , Linaje , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Arqueología/métodos , Asia/etnología , Cementerios/historia , Consanguinidad , ADN Antiguo/análisis , Europa (Continente)/etnología , Composición Familiar/etnología , Composición Familiar/historia , Genómica , Historia Medieval , Política , Adolescente , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Mosquitoes inhabiting urban green spaces and cemeteries in Europe represent a crucial facet of public health concern and contribute to the ecological balance. As urbanization intensifies, these areas increasingly serve as vital habitats for various mosquito species, fostering breeding grounds and increasing the risk of disease transmission. METHODS: A study was conducted in the three main cities (inland, coastal, and estuarine) of the Basque Country, northern Spain, to investigate the species composition, abundance, dynamic populations, larval habitats, and host preferences of mosquitoes in urban green spaces and cemeteries. CDC traps and dipping were used to collect mosquitoes for 2 years (2019-2020). RESULTS: A total of 21 mosquito species were identified, with Culex pipiens s.l. being the most abundant and widespread. The three ecological forms of Cx. pipiens were found, and Cx. pipiens pipiens was the most common in both green areas and cemeteries. Morphological identification together with molecular tools identified 65 COI sequences with high homology. The highest species richness was found in the inland city, followed by the coastal city and the estuarine city. Mosquito abundance was significantly higher in green areas compared to cemeteries and in the coastal and estuarine cities compared to the inland city. The investigation of larval breeding sites highlighted the dominance of Cx. pipiens s.l., particularly in semi-artificial ponds, diverse water-holding containers (tyres and buckets) and drainage systems in green areas; in cemeteries, most of the larvae were found in flowerpots and funerary urns. Seasonal activity exhibited variable peaks in mosquito abundance in the different cities, with a notable increase in July or August. Additionally, blood meal analysis revealed that Cx. pipiens s.l. fed on several common urban avian species. CONCLUSIONS: Studies on mosquitoes are essential to understand their role in disease transmission and to design targeted and sustainable management strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
Asunto(s)
Culex , Culicidae , Animales , España , Parques Recreativos , Cementerios , Culex/anatomía & histología , LarvaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Combining research from infant and child development, public health, anthropology, and history, this research examines the relationship between growth, growth disruption, and skeletal indicators of chronic and/or episodic physiological stress (stress) among juvenile individuals (n = 60) interred at the late antique infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano (PG) (ca. 5th century CE), associated with a rural agricultural community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Growth disruption-evidenced by decreased long bone length compared to dental age-and stress experience-evidenced by skeletal stress indicators-within these individuals are compared to those within juveniles from a comparative sample (n = 66) from two urban Roman-era cemeteries, Villa Rustica (VR) (0-250 CE) and Tragurium City Necropolis (TCN) (0-700 CE). RESULTS: Results indicate that individuals from PG had significantly smaller femoral lengths-for-age than those from VR and TCN; however, the frequency of skeletal stress indicators was higher among juveniles from VR and TCN. DISCUSSION: These differences in growth and stress experience are likely related to the different biosocial and ecological environments present in these two regions. For the community at PG, internal and external violent conflicts, as well as social, political, and economic turmoil, and subsistence shortages, endemic and epidemic infectious disease, nutritional deficiencies, and inherited or acquired anemia may have synergized to create chronically and/or episodically deleterious conditions for its juveniles.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Femenino , Preescolar , Niño , Historia Antigua , Adolescente , Estrés Fisiológico , Antropología Física , Trastornos del Crecimiento/epidemiología , Mundo Romano/historiaRESUMEN
The burial of caskets with arsenic-treated wood and formaldehyde-based embalming fluids can harm the environment and health. Arsenic (As) can leach into water, affecting aquatic life and the food chain. Formaldehyde can contaminate groundwater, risking drinking water and causing health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of As and formaldehyde in cemetery plots of different ages. For this, we evaluated whether there is a potential for formaldehyde and As from cemetery caskets to contaminate waterways, which could impact livestock and allow transmission to individuals. There were six soil samples (n = 6), collected at 2 m depth, close to the buried caskets, as well as two (n = 2) groundwater samples (soil + groundwater) collected from a cemetery in Middle Tennessee. The soil was analyzed by an environmental lab using EPA 8315A for formaldehyde and EPA 3050B for As. All samples were below the limit of detection (Asunto(s)
Arsénico
, Agua Subterránea
, Contaminantes Químicos del Agua
, Humanos
, Cementerios
, Tennessee
, Formaldehído
, Salud Ambiental
, Suelo
, Monitoreo del Ambiente
, Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), or kala-azar, is a common comorbidity in patients with AIDS in endemic areas. Many patients continue to experiences relapses of VL despite virological control, but with immunological failure. These patients remain chronically symptomatic with hypersplenism, for example with anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, and are at risk of severe co-infection due to low CD4+ count. Therefore, in this study, splenectomized patients with VL and HIV infection were investigated to understand why the CD4+ count fails to recover in these patients, evaluating the importance of spleen mass for hypersplenism and immunological failure. METHODS: From a retrospective open cohort of 13 patients who had previously undergone splenectomy as salvage therapy for relapsing VL, 11 patients with HIV infection were investigated. This study compared the patients' complete blood cell count (CBC) and CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts before and after splenectomy with respect to spleen weight. RESULTS: CBC was substantially improved after splenectomy, indicating hypersplenism. However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that spleen mass is strongly and negatively correlated with CD4+ cell count (ρ = -0.71, P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: This finding was unexpected, as the spleen is the most extensive lymphoid tissue and T-lymphocyte source. After reviewing the literature and reasoning, we hypothesized that the immunological failure was secondary to CD4+ loss initially by apoptosis in the spleen induced by productive HIV infection and, subsequently, by pyroptosis sustained by parasitic infection in spleen macrophages.
Asunto(s)
Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida , Infecciones por VIH , Hiperesplenismo , Leishmaniasis Visceral , Humanos , Leishmaniasis Visceral/epidemiología , Infecciones por VIH/complicaciones , Hiperesplenismo/complicaciones , Estudios Retrospectivos , Cementerios , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/complicaciones , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia/complicaciones , Linfocitos T CD4-PositivosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: This paper starts from the unusual observation of the overrepresentation of females among adults in the cemetery of Bronze Age Shahr-i Sokhta (Seistan, Iran) and explores the post marital residence pattern. By integrating taphonomical (skeletal preservation), anthropological (sex ratio [SR], sexual dimorphism, stress indicators, age at death), archeological (long distance trade indicators, habitation floor area, social role of women), and ancient DNA (heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes) data we test the hypothesis of post marital matrilocality in the site. METHODS: We computed the SR (pelvis-based sex determination) in a random unpublished adult sample from the cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta and in two samples previously published by other authors. We used comparative data on SR from: a large Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, n = 47, with 8808 adult sexed individuals, from Southern Europe, Egypt, Middle East, Southern Russia; a Regional Bronze Age sample of sites (n = 10) from Bactria Margiana and Indus Valley with 1324 adult sexed individuals. We estimated the heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes compared with the rest of the autosomes on the assumption that in a matrilocal society females should show lower variability than men. RESULTS: Adult SR in a sample (n = 549) from Shahr-i Sokhta is 70.5, the overrepresentation of females is shared with Regional Bronze Age sites from Bactria Margiana (SR = 72.09) and Indus Valley (SR = 67.54). On the contrary, in a larger Supra Regional multi-chronological sample of sites, mean SR ranges between 112.7 (Bronze Age) and 163.1 (Middle Ages). Taphonomical and anthropological indicators do not explain the overrepresentation of female skeletons. Archeological indicators suggest a high social status of women and that the society was devoted to long range trade activities. heterozygosity levels in X chromosomes are in agreement with a matrilocal society. CONCLUSIONS: Indicators suggest that Bronze Age Shahr-ì Sokhta was a matrilocal society and that long distance trade was an important economic factor producing an overrepresentation of adult female skeletons in the cemetery.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Polygonaceae , Adulto , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Humanos , Femenino , Irán , Razón de Masculinidad , Medio Oriente , AntropologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Studies in the West suggest that tombstone cost is associated with longevity. The objective of this observational study was to investigate the association between tombstone cost and longevity in a large cemetery in Latin America. METHODS: Age at death was obtained from 2,273 consecutive death certificates held at the San Pedro Cemetery Museum in Medellín in Colombia. Subjects died in 2022, 2021, or 2020. Tombs are arranged in galleries in the cemetery and tombstone cost was based on the material from which the tombstone was made, its position in the gallery, and its ornamentation. Analysis of variance was used and the assumption of equal variance was not violated. RESULTS: Approximately 77% of tombstones were of low cost, 21% of medium cost, and 2% of high cost. Data from 1,751 subjects were used to investigate differences in longevity according to tombstone cost while adjusting for sex, civil status, violent death, and year of death. Longevity was similar in the low-cost group and medium-cost group: 64.3 years (63.2, 65.3) versus 63.3 years (61.3, 65.3) [estimated mean (95% confidence interval)]. Longevity was lower in the high-cost group: 47.0 years (40.1, 53.9). CONCLUSIONS: The inverse association between tombstone cost and longevity would suggest that people in Medellín are inclined to spend more on tombstones when commemorating the tragic death of a young person.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Museos , Humanos , Adolescente , Colombia , América LatinaRESUMEN
We discuss the coexistence of a postmortem cut and a pathological alteration, recorded on a skeleton belonging to an adult man that was discovered during the archaeological investigations of the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Vercelli (northern Italy, 18th-19th century). The skull presents an oblique cleft, which from the top of the frontal bone bends towards the occipital, and the left styloid process is elongated compared to normal values (48 mm). The elongated styloid process is due to the ossification of the styloid ligament which has several possible causes. To increase the knowledge about this pathological condition in the past, it was necessary to compare all the data present in the literature today and consider the few cases published in the paleopathological field. In this paper, our main goals are: i) to investigate the reasons for which the craniotomy was performed; ii) to examine the possible cause of the ossification of the styloid process, described as Eagle's syndrome; iii) to enrich the archaeological literature of elongated styloid process cases and iv) to investigate the presence of a hypothetical relationship between the autopsy cut and the diagnosed Eagle's syndrome on this skull.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Osificación Heterotópica , Hueso Temporal/anomalías , Masculino , Adulto , Humanos , Hueso Temporal/patología , Hueso Temporal/cirugía , Osificación Heterotópica/patología , Osificación Heterotópica/cirugía , AutopsiaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The study of health-related care provision in archeology gives important indications on the culture and community organization of past populations. This study aims to assess the health status of the skeletal assemblage recovered from the burial site of St. Biagio (Ravenna, 17th-18th Centuries); next, we identified likely instances of need for and receipt of caregiving in response to the condition, to examine evidence of community attitudes toward disease and disability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The skeletal assemblage is composed of 133 individuals in a generally good state of preservation. Sex and age-at-death were estimated through classical anthropological methods. Health status was inferred through the biological index of frailty (BIF) and paleopathological analysis was performed through macroscopic and radiographic investigations. The "bioarcheology of care" approach was applied to individuals who showed evidence of impairment and disability. RESULTS: The skeletal assemblage of St. Biagio was equally represented by males and females (50% males), with a higher percentage of adults (83.4%) than subadults (10.5%), and this is reflected in the high life expectancy at birth (40.3 years). No significant differences in health status emerged between age groups and sexes, with a generally high percentage of joint diseases, antemortem trauma, and infectious diseases. Evidence of care and compassion was found in some individuals with a high degree of impairment or disability, as in the case of probable Angelman syndrome. DISCUSSION: This study provided important insights into the biological and social aspects of an Early Modern population in Northern Italy, showing that people with functional and/or visible abnormalities were probably cared for in life and were presumably considered full members of the society.
Asunto(s)
Cementerios , Personas con Discapacidad , Masculino , Adulto , Femenino , Recién Nacido , Humanos , Cementerios/historia , Estado de Salud , Entierro/historia , Italia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Kapiteljska njiva is a prehistoric cemetery located in the town of Novo mesto in southern Slovenia. There is a long history of archaeological research at this site, as the first investigations date back to the end of the 19th century. In 2004, an Early Iron Age barrow XVI was investigated. The oldest surviving grave in the barrow is the central grave, numbered XVI/34, which according to its position and the richness of the grave goods, belongs to a woman of higher status. Most likely, she was the first member or initiator of a family that continued to bury its dead in the barrow for the next 300 years. There were no preserved skeletal elements; however, in the head part of the grave, remains of human teeth, mostly the tooth crowns and the shells of enamel from the tooth crowns, were found among the scattered amber beads of a necklace. Moreover, these tooth remains are one of the few human biological materials (mostly fragments of skull and long limb bones) unearthed in this cemetery, reflecting the influence of acidic soil from the burial site. This study aimed to create a dental profile of the deceased in a similar way as during a forensic investigation. The remains were examined macroscopically and stereo-microscopically. The morphological traits were scored following the ASUDAS protocol. Ancestry was estimated by entering these scores into a beta version of the web-based application rASUDAS. Brothwell's system was used for age at death estimation from occlusal attrition. Identification of sex was based on the analysis of sex-specific amelogenin isoforms in dental enamel by nanoflow liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS). The present study reveals that the dental remains from Kapiteljska njiva belong to the permanent dentition of a single individual and that only the right upper central incisor and third molar are completely absent. The remains of teeth exhibit a simple external morphology, characterised by the absence of morphological dental traits, with a notable exception of the two-rooted left lower canine. The probability of assigning this individual to the Western Eurasian ancestry group is 98%. According to the degree of dentine exposure on the occlusal surfaces of molars, the estimated age range is 17-25 years. Another line of evidence comes from the observation that the first signs of approximal attrition are present in lower third molars but absent in the only preserved upper counterpart, indicating that the age at which the lower third molars entered into occlusion represents a proxy of the individual's age at death. Data on the chronology of the lower third molar development and eruption in present-day European populations from forensic literature (Brkic et al. 2011; Olze et al. 2008; Selmanagic et al. 2013) and The London Atlas confirm the above age-range estimate. Caution is, however, needed in the interpretation of results, because reference data are not based on the population of the individual's origin. Proteomic analysis classified the individual as a female, which is in line with the archaeological evidence. No pathological lesions or indicators of systemic stress were identified; however, the absence of approximal attrition facets in upper anterior teeth indicates interdental spacing. The results of dental profiling are discussed in the context of historical background, today's clinical knowledge, and epidemiological data.