More than one millennium (2nd-16th century CE) of the White Plague in the Carpathian Basin - New cases, expanding knowledge.

The causative agent of tuberculosis is still a widespread pathogen, which caused the death of ca. 1.6 million people globally in 2021. The paleopathological study of human remains revealed the antiquity of the disease and its continuous presence throughout the history of humankind. The Carpathian Basin has always been a biocultural melting pot, since it has seen several migrations over the centuries, and served as a location of admixture and interaction for numerous populations of different cultures. Thus, this geographical territory is ideal for the examination of the coevolutionary processes of hosts and their pathogens. We aimed to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis cases excavated inside the borders of Hungary between the 2nd and 16th centuries CE. We established a comprehensive database by collecting 114 already published cases and introducing 39 new cases. The involved cases include those that have been confirmed by different molecular methods, as well as possible infections that were identified based on the presence of macromorphological and radiological alterations. The progress of future molecular and paleopathological studies can be facilitated by our dataset, as it presents spatial and temporal information concerning the spread of the disease in the Carpathian Basin, as well as the biological profile and detailed paleopathological description of lesions illustrated by photo- and radiographs.

Human auditory ossicles as an alternative optimal source of ancient DNA.

DNA recovery from ancient human remains has revolutionized our ability to reconstruct the genetic landscape of the past. Ancient DNA research has benefited from the identification of skeletal elements, such as the cochlear part of the osseous inner ear, that provides optimal contexts for DNA preservation; however, the rich genetic information obtained from the cochlea must be counterbalanced against the loss of morphological information caused by its sampling. Motivated by similarities in developmental processes and histological properties between the cochlea and auditory ossicles, we evaluate the ossicles as an alternative source of ancient DNA. We show that ossicles perform comparably to the cochlea in terms of DNA recovery, finding no substantial reduction in data quantity and minimal differences in data quality across preservation conditions. Ossicles can be sampled from intact skulls or disarticulated petrous bones without damage to surrounding bone, and we argue that they should be used when available to reduce damage to human remains. Our results identify another optimal skeletal element for ancient DNA analysis and add to a growing toolkit of sampling methods that help to better preserve skeletal remains for future research while maximizing the likelihood that ancient DNA analysis will produce useable results.

Hyperostosis frontalis interna in ancient populations from the Carpathian Basin - A possible relationship between lifestyle and risk of development.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) was examined in different periods of the Carpathian Basin from 4900 BCE to 17th century AD. The study seeks to evaluate temporal changes in HFI and the possible impact of lifestyle on it. MATERIALS: The studied material consisted of 4668 crania from Hungary and Serbia. METHODS: The crania were analyzed employing macroscopic and endoscopic examination. RESULTS: In historic periods, sex and age played a pivotal role in HFI development. Among predominantly pastoralist populations of the 5th-8th and 10th centuries, prevalence of HFI was considerably higher than in the medieval populations of the 9th-17th centuries. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to age and sex, other factors could be implicated in HFI development. The physiological effects of the pastoralist lifestyle and diet on insulin regulation could explain the increased risk of developing HFI in the 5th-8th and 10th-century populations. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides the first comprehensive dataset of HFI from different archaeological periods from the Carpathian Basin. It has implications for lifestyle and risk of HFI development in past populations. LIMITATIONS: The archaeological periods are not equally represented. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In order to better understand the etiology of HFI, lifestyle factors can be used to elucidate the risk of developing HFI in ancient populations.