A genetic history of the Balkans from Roman frontier to Slavic migrations.

The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that "barbarian" migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%-60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period.

Hide and seek: Impacted maxillary and mandibular canines from the Roman period Croatia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to analyse the dental remains of an adult male with three impacted canines from the Roman period cemetery in Osijek, Croatia. MATERIALS: The dental remains of an adult male aged 35-45 years at the time of death were analysed. METHODS: Macroscopic analysis of dental remains was accompanied by radiographic examination. RESULTS: The individual also had additional dental pathologies (carious lesion, antemortem tooth loss). A total of 21 permanent teeth were present in maxillae and mandible. Eighteen of them were normal fully erupted dentition, while three were impacted: left maxillary canine and both mandibular canines. The left maxillary and mandibular canines were mesially inclined, and the right mandibular canine was relatively horizontally positioned. CONCLUSION: A case of non-syndrome impaction in which the lack of eruptive force in combination with the unfavorable position of the tooth bud might have resulted in multiple impacted teeth is presented. SIGNIFICANCE: Current clinical knowledge reports low frequency of this anomaly, with maxillary impaction occurring more often than mandibular. Furthermore, canine impaction is even more rarely reported in the archaeological material. The presented case is the only one from the archaeological setting with impaction present both in maxillae and mandible. LIMITATIONS: In modern populations multiple impactions are often associated with various syndromes. Since the majority of syndromes affect soft tissue, their association with impaction cannot be confirmed in archaeological populations.

Prehistoric massacre revealed. Perimortem cranial trauma from Potocani, Croatia.

ABSTRACT: During archaeological rescue excavations carried out in 2007 at Potocani in continental Croatia, a pit containing numerous human skeletal remains (MNI = 41) was discovered. The remains were mostly articulated but also commingled and showed no clear pattern of organization. There were no associated artifacts, just a few pottery fragments probably belonging to the Copper Age Lasinja Culture (c. 4300 to 3950 BCE). Anthropological analyses suggest the presence of individuals of all ages and both sexes with many crania exhibiting various perimortem injuries. Three human bone samples from different layers were dated to around 4100 cal BCE by radiocarbon analysis. These radiocarbon dates combined with other aspects of archaeological context, indicate that the deposition was a single episode rather than a long-term accumulation. All this suggests a single violent encounter (massacre). Here we present results of the bioarchaeological analysis of four adult crania with clear signs of perimortem trauma. These include blunt force trauma as well as cuts and penetrating injuries indicating the use of different weapons/tools.

Rib anomalies in a Neolithic period skeleton from Croatia.

ABSTRACT: Congenital anomalies develop during intrauterine development. They can occur in soft tissues as well as skeletal elements and vary from minor to life threatening. In this paper we present a case of an individual from the Neolithic site of Vinka, Croatia. This adult male exhibited multiple congenital anomalies on cranial and postcranial skeleton. These include several rib anomalies on the right side: hyperplasia of the third rib, bifid fourth rib and flaring of the eighth rib. Additionally, lambdoid ossicles, parastyle of the second maxillary molar and supracondylar processes of the humeri are present. In this study we put emphasis on rib anomalies, very rarely reported in archaeological settings, and compare them to clinical cases.

Dental stigmata and enamel thickness in a probable case of congenital syphilis from XVI century Croatia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the dental remains of an individual with signs of congenital syphilis by using macroscopic observation, CBCT and micro-CT images, and the analysis of the enamel thickness. DESIGN: Anthropological analysis of human skeletal remains from the 16th century archaeological site Park Gric in Zagreb, Croatia discovered a female, 17-20 years old at the time of death, with dental signs supportive of congenital syphilis: mulberry molars and canine defects, as well as non-specific hypoplastic changes on incisors. The focus of the analysis was on three aspects: gross morphology, hypoplastic defects of the molars, canines and incisors, as well as enamel thickness of the upper first and second molars. RESULTS: The observed morphology of the first molars corresponds to the typical aspect of mulberry molars, while that of the canines is characterised by hypomineralisation. Hypoplastic grooves were observed on the incisal edges of all incisors. The enamel of the first molars is underdeveloped while in the second molars a thick-enamelled condition is observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations for the dental and skeletal evidence are supportive to a diagnosis of congenital syphilis for this specimen from XVI century Croatia. The use of CT imaging helped documenting the diagnostic features and quantifying the effect of the dental stigmata on first molars.

Bronze and Iron Age Finds from Romuald's Cave, Istria: 2014 Excavation Season.

Archaeological excavations in Romuald's Cave (Lim Channel, Istria, Croatia) have yielded evidence of human activity stretching back to the Middle Palaeolithic. This paper reports on recent Bronze Age/Early Iron Age discoveries uncovered during excavations as part of the Croatian National Science Foundation funded project: "Archaeological Investigations into the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene of the Lim Channel, Istria". Fragmentary skeletal remains from at least two individuals were excavated, and a direct radiocarbon date from one of the remains is commensurate with a Bronze Age attribution. The recovered ceramics confirm this age attribution, although they range from the Middle Bronze Age to incipient Iron Age in character. Furthermore, the ceramics indicate that the human activities in Romuald's Cave were associated with the nearby settlements of Gradina and St. Martin.

Frontal sinus osteoma in a 16th century skeleton from Zagreb, Croatia.

The analysis of 16th century graves from Zagreb, Croatia, revealed a case of frontal sinus osteoma in a middle-aged female. This lesion was discovered during visual examination, due to postmortem breakage of the frontal bone. The significance of this finding is based on the fact that frontal sinus osteomas are very rarely reported in the palaeopathological literature, despite the fact that they account for 80% of all paranasal sinus osteomas in modern populations. This paper presents results of macroscopic and radiographic analyses of the lesion, accompanied by a detailed differential diagnosis. Although tumours are commonly considered diseases of modern lifestyles, the described case confirms their occurrence in the past.