Metastatic Prostate Carcinoma from Imperial Rome (1st to 2nd Centuries AD).

OBJECTIVE: This study describes and discusses a rare case of metastatic carcinoma that affected the skeleton of an adult male recovered in the necropolis of Casal Bertone in Rome (Italy). The necropolis, which dates back to the Imperial Age (1st to 2nd century AD), is located near some residential structures and a large place identified as a fullery (fullonica). METHODS: Anthropological and paleopathological studies of the skeletal remains were performed via careful macroscopic, microscopic, radiological (X-ray and CT scan), and histological investigation. RESULTS: The skeleton displayed mixed osteoclastic and osteoblastic lesions that mainly involved the axial bones, in particular the sternum, the ribs, the spine, and the scapular and pelvic girdles. The anatomical distribution and the destructive and proliferative nature of the lesions suggested diffuse metastases arising from a soft-tissue primary cancer. The age and sex of the individual, as well as radiographic and histological pictures, allowed diagnosis of an advanced prostate cancer with extensively diffused bone metastases. CONCLUSION: At present, this is the only case of prostate cancer from the Imperial Age recovered in Rome.

Paleopathological evidence of paranasal lesions: Two cases of frontal sinus osteomata from Imperial Rome.

The archaeological excavations carried out in 1999 in the Collatina necropolis of the Roman Imperial Age (1st-3rd centuries AD) (Rome, Italy) discovered the skeletal remains of two adult males with evidence of paranasal lesions. Both individuals showed postmortem damage in the frontal bone, through which it was possible to macroscopically detect an oblong new bone formation. In both specimens, radiological examination of the defects' morphology showed new pediculated-based bone formations. Radiology also confirmed the presence of benign osseous masses arising from the right frontal sinus and interpreted as osteomata. Their dimensions did not exceed 10 mm, so that mechanical complications and compression of the adjacent structures could be ruled out. The osteomata of paranasal sinuses are rarely reported in paleopathology, since they can be discovered only incidental to bone breakage or radiography. Hence, the evaluation of their occurrence in past populations represents an important challenge. The two cases presented here show direct and rare evidence of frontal sinus osteomata dating back to the Roman Imperial Age.

[WHAT SKELETONS TELL US]. / GLI SCHELETRI DEGLI ANTICHI ROMANI RACCONTANO INDAGINI ANTROPOLOGICHE SU 11 SEPOLCRETI DI ETÀ IMPERIALE DEL SUBURBIO ROMANO.

The recent excavations carried out by the Superintendence for the Colosseum, the Roman National Museum and the Archaeological Area of Rome allowed to uncover a large number of burial grounds of Imperial Age. In this work we present the data for 11 cemeteries scattered throughout the Suburbiumn, dating between 1st and 3rd centuries AD. A whole sample of 6061 tombs has been investigated and 5280 skeletons were anthropologically analyzed. All the field data have been scored in appropriate standardized charts in order to make easy their storage and processing in a dedicated database.

An incomplete fatal trepanation diagnosed on cremation remains (Rome, Italy, 2nd c. AD).

BACKGROUND: An original case of incomplete (and reasonably fatal) human trepanation is described in this short paper. The diagnosis was made on the cremated remains of a young adult individual who died in Rome, Italy during the 2nd century AD. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The trepanation was incomplete, as death occurred quickly due to vascular lesions, according to the anatomic analysis of the bone piece. Comparable trepanation from Roman times are described and related to this case. CONCLUSION: Even if archaeological, this case highlights the possibility of such a diagnosis on post-fire fragmented bones. Very suggestive lesions of section are of great interest for the history of such a practice during classical Antiquity. Lastly, from a medical and forensic point of view, such a diagnosis may be of interest during any identification process and research for a cause of death during anthropological analyses.

Bone deformities and skeletal malformations in the Roman Imperial Age.

This paper describes some cases of individuals affected by skeletal deformities resulting in "freak" appearance. The skeletal remains were found during large archaeological excavations in the Roman territory, carried out by the Special Superintendence to the Archeological Heritage of Rome in the last years, dated back to the Imperial Age. The first cases reported are referred to two growth disorders with opposite effects: a case of dwarfism and another of gigantism. The former concerns a young man from the Collatina necropolis with very short and malformed limbs, which allowed a diagnosis of acondroplasic dwarfism, a rare congenital disorder that limits height below 130 cm. The latter case comes from the necropolis of Torre Serpentana in Fidenae, and is instead referred to a young person of very high stature, about 204 cm, suffering from Gigantism, a rare condition which in this case seems to have been linked to a hormonal dysfunction due to a pituitary adenoma. A third case regards a joint disease affecting the vertebral column and causing severe deformities. The skeleton was found in the Collatina necropolis and belongs to an old woman, suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. Finally, the last and very peculiar case is related to an individual recovered in the necropolis of Castel Malnome. The skeletal remains belong to an adult man with a complete fusion of the temporo-mandibular joint, which compromised mastication and caused severe deformation of the maxillofacial complex. These cases are described in detail together with the possible implications that these deformities could have on in the social context.

[Palaeopathology in Roman Imperial age]. / Salute e malattia nella Roma Imperiale attraverso le evidenze scheletriche.

The increasing attention of archaeological and anthropological research towards palaepathological studies has allowed to focus the examination of many skeletal samples on this aspect and to evaluate the presence of many diseases afflicting ancient populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from some necropoles found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades, and dating back to the Imperial Age. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumours, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, the palaeopathological study allowed to highlight the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population.

[The contribute of the trauma analysis to reconstruct the lifestyle of Castel Malnome community (Rome, I-II cent. A.C.)]. / Il contributo dell'analisi traumatologica nella ricostruzione dello stile di vita della comunita di Castel Malnome (Roma, I-II sec. D.C.).

The relations between fractures and living conditions of a population are important to reconstruct the biological status of a population. This work is focused on the description and interpretation of trauma in the skeletal remains: the sample consist of 218 individuals, coming from Roman imperial necropolis of Castel Malnome (I-II century AD). The trauma incidence has been considered by the calculation offrequencies per individual and per bone. The examination of the pattern offractures in the skeleton for this site indicates that the individuals are characterized by high level of trauma and reveals that ulna and ribs were the mostfrequently affected bones. The evidence of trauma in this population may reflect many factors about the lifestyle of individuals,for example their occupation and environmental conditions, moreover the state of healing of the injuries may also indicate the availability of treatments.

Palaeopathology of human remains from the Roman Imperial Age.

The increasing attention of archaeological and anthropological research towards palaeopathological studies has allowed to focus the examination of many skeletal samples on this aspect and to evaluate the presence of many diseases afflicting ancient populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from five necropolises found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades, and dating back to the Imperial Age. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumors, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, palaeopathology allowed highlighting the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population.

[The female world in the Necropolis in Castellaccio (Rome, IV cent. B.C., IV A.C.)]. / La necropoli del Castellaccio (Rome, IV cent. B.C., IV A.C.): il mondo femminile.

The archaeological investigation carried out from 2003 in the Castellaccio locality, undertaken to realize the "Europarco" town planning, brought to light a part ofa road dated to the roman age, identified as the ancient via Laurentina. The road is oriented N/NE-S/SW, is 400 metres long and cross with a bridge the Fosso dell'Acqua Acetosa. Two buildings run alongside this trait of the ancient Laurentina: one can be interpreted as a rural structure, the other one as a mansio. A sidestreet starts from the final edge of the recovered road and run toward East, along the original route of the Fosso dell'Acqua Acetosa Ostiense: the historians recognized it as a boundary of the Ager Romanus Antiquus nearby the VI mile, place of the god Terminus sanctuary. A necropolis made up ofmore than 130 graves, mainly inhumations, was found in the southern part of the crossroads, near the oriental side of the Laurentina. The stratigraphical analysis and the examination of the grave goods allowed the characterization of three period of funerary use of the necropolis, between the middle republican age and the first two century of the Empire. In all three period stand out graves of infants and women, of extreme interest from the ritual point of view and supplied with rich grave goods.

Possible human sacrifice at the origins of Rome: novel skeletal evidences.

Recent archaeological excavations at the Carcer/Tullianum, in the Roman Forum, allowed the unexpected recovery of human burials associated with the very early foundations of the monument, at the beginning of the iron age. The study of these burials resulted in interesting paleopathological discoveries, concerning the skeleton of a strongly-built male, radiocarbon-dated between 830 and 780 BC. The telltale posture of the skeleton and the presence of a massive perimortal blunt force trauma of the skull shed light on the mode and circumstances of the death of this subject, and are suggestive of ritual sacrifice. The archaeological, mythological and historical backgrounds, combined with the paleopathological evidence, help us to get a glimpse of life and death at the origins of Rome.