53 research outputs found
Bioarchaeology and Dietary Reconstruction across Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Tuscany, Central Italy
No full textFirst Portrait of a Syphilitic Patient: Ulrich Von Hutten
No full textThe painting of Hans Holbein the Younger represents the first realistic portrait of a sure case of syphilis, during the peak virulence of the disease, just after three decades from its first appearance in Europe, giving a perfect match between artistic representation, historical sources and paleopathological evidence of the disease
Multiple myeloma in paleopathology: A critical review
No full textThis paper provides a critical literature review concerning paleopathological evidence of multiple myeloma discovered both in the Old and in the New World. A critical assessment of the bioarchaeological and paleopathological documentary sources permitted to identify a total of 25 ascertained cases of multiple myeloma from different geographical areas in the world ranging from Prehistoric times up to the Contemporary age. The distribution of multiple myeloma findings in past times shows that the majority of cases have been discovered in the Old World (n = 18) and extend back to the Middle Ages, while the evidences in the New World (n = 7) seems to date back to the pre-Columbian era. The demographic profile suggests a sex ratio of 1.3:1, while 91.7% of affected individuals (n = 24) are adults. This critical review also discusses the diagnostic criteria and methodological issues commonly attempted in paleo-oncological research, with particular regard to the differential diagnosis of multiple myeloma. As such, the main focus of this work is to present a comprehensive and exhaustive scrutiny of the skeletal manifestations identified as multiple myeloma in order to improve the accuracy of diagnoses within the field of paleopathology
Affezioni dentoalveolari e abitudini alimentari dei nobili del Rinascimento italiano: la famiglia Guinigi di Lucca
No full textSolitary osteochondromas in paleo-oncology: A case report from 4th-century BCE Pontecagnano (southern Italy)
No full textObjective: This study presents a new case of solitary osteochondroma (SOC) identified on the proximal tibia of a 4th-century BCE individual from Pontecagnano (Salerno, Italy) with an aim to contribute to differential diagnosis of bone tumors in archeological contexts. Materials: Paleopathological assessment of a male individual with an estimated age-at death of 45.9-62.9 years brought to light during the archaeological excavations in the funerary sector of 'Sica de Concillis' within the necropolis of Pontecagnano. Methods: Macroscopic and radiographic analyses were performed for diagnostic purposes. Results: The proximal portion of the right tibia exhibited a large exophytic bone formation extending from the anteromedial to the posteromedial portion of the diaphysis. The x-ray confirmed the lesion being characterized by regular trabecular bone tissue with cortico-medullary continuity. Conclusions: The lesion observed is diagnostic of sessile SOC, a neoplasm that must have had aesthetic and, possibly, neurovascular complications due to its large size. Significance: By offering a detailed description of a case of tibial osteochondroma and discussing the possible complications the individual might have experienced during life, this study highlights the role and importance of benign bone tumors in paleo-oncology. Limitations: Histological analysis was not carried out in order to preserve the integrity of the affected tibia. Suggestions for further research: More attention should be devoted to benign tumors in paleopathology as their occurrence and manifestations in the past will lead to a better understanding of their impacts on the quality of life of affected individuals and to greater knowledge of their natural history
Proposed complementary osteological indicators: Advancing the estimation of puberty stages in Bioarcheology
No full textObjectives The study of puberty is a well-established area of bioarcheological research, which greatly enhances our understanding of adolescence and growth in the past. Since the publications of Shapland and Lewis' works, which have become "standards" for estimating puberty in skeletal material, no additional osteological indicators of puberty have been proposed. Nevertheless, clinical practice constantly develops skeletal maturation markers that could be useful in bioarcheology. This study aims to assess the applicability and reliability of novel puberty indicators as a complementary tool to estimate puberty in skeletal remains. Materials and MethodsFour new maturation markers including spheno-occipital synchondrosis, humeral head ossification, calcaneal apophysis ossification, and mandibular premolar mineralization were selected and applied to a sample of 85 adolescents from pre-Roman southern Italy (Pontecagnano, 7th?4th BCE). ResultsDespite some limits in adapting the original clinical methods to osteoarcheological material, the use of these novel skeletal indicators had moderate to excellent scoring repeatability and an overall high agreement with the puberty and menarche status previously estimated with standard methods. These results encourage us to apply these markers in bioarcheology. In some cases, minor adaptations of the original scoring systems are suggested to enhance reliability. Discussion Including the proposed indicators in routine puberty data collection allows us to refine puberty estimation and improve the ability to identify key growth milestones in poorly preserved skeletons. Further application to osteological collections with diverse chronology and geographical differences is needed to assess how and to what extent the newly proposed maturation markers perform.1 Introduction 1.1 New indicators for the estimation of puberty 1.1.1 Spheno-occipital synchondrosis 1.1.2 Ossification of humeral proximal epiphysis 1.1.3 Calcaneal apophyseal ossification 1.1.4 Mandibular premolars 2 Materials and methods 2.1 Spheno-occipital synchondrosis 2.2 Humeral head ossification 2.3 Calcaneal apophyseal ossification 2.4 Mandibular premolar mineralization 3 Results 3.1 Novel indicators of puberty 3.2 Comparison with standard puberty method 4 Discussio
A case of secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy from medieval Tuscany (central Italy, 10th-12th centuries CE)
No full textObjectives: This study aims to provide a detailed evaluation of a case of secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
(HOA) and to explore insights into the presence and consequences of disease in medieval rural Italy.
Materials: The skeleton of a male (US 4405) with an estimated age at death of 51–69 years excavated from the
medieval rural site of Pieve di Pava (Siena, Italy).
Methods: Macroscopic and radiological (x-ray, CT) analyses were performed.
Results: Symmetrical extensive periosteal new bone formation on the diaphyseal and metaphyseal regions of this
individual’s long bones; the lower limbs were more extensively and severely affected than the upper limbs and
the distal segments were more severely altered in comparison to the proximal ones.
Conclusions: The macroscopic and radiological features are highly consistent with a diagnosis of secondary HOA.
Significance: The excellent state of preservation allowed the evaluation of rarely noted skeletal manifestations of
HOA and provided insight into aspects of rural life in medieval Italy.
Limitations: Molecular analysis was not successful in sequencing the aDNA of tuberculosis, therefore the underlying
primary cause of secondary HOA, whether pulmonary or extrapulmonary, remains obscure in this case.
Suggestion for the future research: It is advisable to regularly revisit the data available from osteoarchaeological
collections in order to identify further cases of HOA, along with to further investigate the known cases to search for the underlying primary disease
A rare case of osteoblastoma from medieval Tuscany
No full textHere we present a case of a benign bone tumour dated between the 10th and 12th centuries, found in the skeletal remains of a young man aged 25–35 years, buried in the cemetery of Pava, Siena, Italy
Puberty in pre-Roman times: A bioarchaeological study of Etruscan-Samnite adolescents from Pontecagnano (southern Italy)
No full textPuberty is a crucial part of life, representing the biological transition from childhood to adulthood. With the aim of expanding current knowledge of pubertal development and the life course in past populations, this study provides the first investigation of puberty in pre-Roman Italy
Due casi di osteoma del seno frontale dalla necropoli romana di Collatina di età imperiale (I-III d.C.)
No full text- …
