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PubMed1996

Dry bones: a paleopathological study of skeletal remains from a medieval graveyard in Dundee.

We report a study on human skeletal remains excavated from a medieval city centre graveyard. The remains of approximately 75 individuals were examined and radiographs were made of selected specimens. Many bones were normal and apparently from strong, young adults. The most frequent abnormality was osteoarthritis but we also noted osteoporosis, periostitis and an example of probable Paget's disease. From measurements of long bones and using appropriate formulae, we estimated stature. The average height for males was calculated to be 172cm (5' 7") and for females 157 cm (5' 2").

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed1999

History of arthritis and bone rarefaction evidence from paleopathology onwards.

Review of medical and archaeological papers reveals that osteoarthritis has been common in humans and hominids since Paleolithic times. In the British Isles, there was a particularly high prevalence in remains from Romano-British and Saxon burials suggesting that, whatever genetic factors there may have been, there was an extremely high level of physical activity. The prevalence of the condition was lower in late Medieval times; and, in at least one study of subjects from the 18th and 19th centuries, lower than in the current population. In early times, there was a reduction in bone density when there was a change from hunter gathering to agriculture which may have resulted from a change physical activity. Severe cases of osteoporosis have been identified from individual skeletons dated to the Bronze Age. In the Early Medieval period of Nubia there was progressive bone loss in women. Multiple pregnancy, prolonged lactation and dietary deficiency may have been factors. Though women from the 18th and 19th centuries experienced post-menopausal bone loss, this was not as severe as in the present day.

Ancient Lands↗
PubMed2003

Paleopathological features of the cervical spine in the early middle ages: natural history of degenerative diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma and degenerative joint disease are the most common pathological conditions observed in archaeological skeletal remains. We describe the prevalence of different types of cervical bone diseases observed in the early Middle Ages (6th to 8th centuries AD). METHODS: Human skeletons were excavated from Germanic row graves in southwestern Germany. One hundred ninety-six cervical spines thus obtained were examined for bone disease. The degenerative changes were classified into Grades 1 (marginal osteophytes), 2 (uneven joint surfaces), and 3 (osseous ankylosis). Cervical spinal canal stenosis was defined as anteroposterior diameters of <11 mm and intervertebral foraminal stenosis as <3.0 mm in the smallest diameter. RESULTS: Of the skeletons, 27.5% demonstrated degenerative changes of the cervical spine. The mean age of the skeletons at the time of death was 33.4 years, compared with 43.7 years for those with degenerative disease. Degenerative changes of the vertebral bodies (usually Grades 1 and 2) were most common in the C5-C6 (12.4%, P < 0.05) and C6-C7 (15.3%, P < 0.05) segments. The medial (6.1%) and lateral (0.6%) atlantoaxial joints were rarely involved in degenerative disease. The facet joints from C3-C4 to C6-C7 demonstrated degenerative changes (usually Grades 1 and 2) in 8.0 to 11.8% of cases. The C2-C3 facet joints were significantly involved in degenerative disease in 19.7% of cases (P < 0.05), one-fourth of which demonstrated osseous ankylosis. We observed cervical spinal canal stenosis in 5 skeletons (2.6%) and osseous intervertebral foraminal stenoses in 12 (6.1%). Isolated cases of other pathological processes, i.e., spondylitis ankylopoietica, occipitalization of the atlas and axis, and an odontoid fracture with pseudoarthrosis, were also recorded. CONCLUSION: In the early Middle Ages, the prevalence of degenerative cervical spine disease was the same as that observed today. The C2-C3 facet joints demonstrated high rates of degenerative disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Paleopathological and molecular evidence of human bone tuberculosis in Iron Age Lithuania.

Skeletal remains of two individuals, showing lesions suggestive of bone tuberculosis, from the archaeological sites of Marvele and Sukioniai in Lithuania were analyzed at the DNA level. The diagnosis of bone tuberculosis was confirmed in the remains from Marvele by amplifiying a 245-bp fragment of a repetitive insertion element-like sequence (IS 6110) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA. This is direct evidence for the presence of tuberculosis in Lithuania at the beginning of the first millennium AD. The individual from Sukioniai was found to be tuberculosis-negative. No PCR product was obtained for the 245-bp target sequence or for a smaller 123-bp DNA fragment specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, amplifiable ancient DNA appeared to be present in the examined specimen as was shown by the results of the DNA-based sex identification, which indicated, consistent with the bone morphology, a male individual.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Did ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine evolve in the modern period? A paleopathologic study of ancient human skeletons in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the historical origins of ligamentous ossifications of the spine in Japan. METHODS: We studied skeletons of Jomonese of the period 5000-2300 years BP, of Japanese of the 17th-19th century Edo Period, and of Ainu of the 18th-20th century in Japan with special emphasis on spinal ligament ossifications as in the posterior longitudinal ligament. A comparison to our previous study on ancient Chinese skeletons was done. RESULTS: Cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) was the only ossification that increased significantly in prevalence in people of the near-modern period in comparison to the Neolithic gathering-hunting people. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic changes from a subsistence gathering-hunting economy to the near-modern livelihood depending on rice-eating and a diet high in vegetable protein are speculated to be responsible for the prevalence increase of cervical OPLL.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunological investigation of malaria and new perspectives in paleopathological studies.

We applied a paleoimmunological investigation, using an immunoenzymatic assay revealing trophozoite derived Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein-2 antigen (PfHRP-2). The investigation was carried out on skin, muscle and bone samples. We examined predynastic egyptian mummies (3200 B.C.) from Gebelen, belonging to the Marro's Collection of the Anthropological and Ethnographic Museum of Turin, to assay the presence of malaria. The results obtained suggest an incidence of malaria of about 40% in the mummies of Gebelen group. Data are compatible with other observations effected on populations living in similar ecological conditions of malarial areas.

Animals↗