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Paleobiologia del Marinaio romano di pisa San Rossore
No full textIl contributo presenta i risultati delle indagini storico-archeologiche e antropometriche condotte su di uno scheletro umano rinvenuto nel corso delle campagne di scavo del porto urbano di Pisa
A late Renaissance case of trepanation and pseudopathological damage from Populonia (central Italy)
No full textThe Palermo Capuchin Catacombs Project: a multidisciplinary approach to the study of a modern Mummy Collection (ca 1600-1900)
Full text linkIn this paper we present a multidisciplinary project for the study of the present conditions, history, bioanthropological features and conservation status of a large collection of modern human mummies, kept in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (Sicily, Italy). Due to the large amount of spontaneously and anthropogenically mummified human bodies, and to an abundant presence of associated artefacts, this collection provides a unique opportunity to carry out a large multidisciplinary survey useful for a thorough biocultural understanding of these remains, a conservation plan, and testing of new restoration protocols
Shrouded in History: Unveiling the lives of the first Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal
No full textIn around 716 AD, the city of Santarém, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2–8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santarém (8th– 10th century). In this study, skeletal material from 58 adult individuals was analysed for stable carbon (δ13Ccol; δ13Cap), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulphur (δ34S) isotope ratios in bones, and stable oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13Cen) and radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopes in tooth enamel. The results of this study revealed a dietary pattern of predominantly C3-plant and domestic C3-fed herbivore consumption during adulthood (δ13Ccol and δ15N, respectively) but a higher proportion of C4-plant input during childhood (δ13Cen) for some individuals—interpreted as possible childhood consumption of millet porridge, a common practice in North Africa—in those with unorthodox burial types (Groups 1 and 2) that was not practiced in the individuals with canonical burials (Group 3). In this first mobility study of a medieval Muslim population in Portugal, δ18ODW values revealed greater heterogeneity in Groups 1 and 2, consistent with diverse origins, some in more humid regions than Santarém when compared to regional precipitation δ18O data, contrasting the more homogenous Group 3, consistent with the local precipitation δ18O range. Ancient DNA analysis conducted on three individuals revealed maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages compatible with a North African origin for (at least) some of the individuals. Additionally, mobility of females in this population was higher than males, potentially resulting from a patrilocal social system, practiced in Berber and Arab communities. These results serve to offer a more detailed insight into the ancestry and cultural practices of early Muslim populations in Iberia.RAM was supported by the FCT grant UI/BD/151192/2021. This investigation received support from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through Compete 2020 and national funds through FCT/MCTES, under the project. TRANSCULTURAL (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031599 | PTDC/HAR-HIS/31599/2017). A-FM was supported by FCT individual scientific employment contracts IF/01661/2015 and 2020.01844. CEECIND (DOI: 10.54499/2020.01844.CEECIND/CP1593/CT0004). The authors also acknowledge the financial support of the UIDB/04449/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDB/04449/2020), UIDP/04449/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDP/04449/2020), LA/P/0132/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0132/2020) and UIDB/00057/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDB/00057/2020) projects, funded by FCT and by the European Regional Development Fund. "The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript"
Dental proteomic analyses and Raman spectroscopy for the estimation of the biological sex and age of human remains from the Greek cemetery of San Giorgio Extra, Reggio Calabria (Italy)
No full textSex and age estimation is one of the most fundamental steps in mortuary studies and bioarchaeology. It is essential for a deeper understanding of ancient societies, and has wide applications in gender archaeology. The aim of this paper is to create a new and reliable protocol for unambiguous sex estimation of the deceased, comparing proteomic analyses, archaeological evidence, and anthropological data from a Greek cemetery located in Reggio Calabria (or the ancient Rhegion), as well as a first approach to estimate the age of the deceased by Raman spectroscopy in archaeology. Excavations carried out in the San Giorgio Extra district, headed by the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Calabria during the years 2004 and 2007, led to the discovery of the most significant Hellenistic cemetery in the city. Specifically, archaeological campaigns brought to light thirty Greek inhumation burials and their related funerary objects. Through proteomic analyses, we monitored a total of eight characteristic peptides for the amelogenin isoform variants AMELX and AMELY from the dental enamel of twelve selected adult individuals. The presence or absence of the AMELY variant (exclusively present in male subjects, being encoded by the Y gene) allowed us to estimate the sex of the analyzed individuals with high accuracy. Raman spectroscopy was also applied to study the enamel and dentin crystallinity to determine other environmental and biological parameters. At the same time, archaeological studies based on artifacts discovered inside the graves and double-blind bio-anthropological sex estimation of the twelve subjects were performed in order to compare these evaluations with data from the proteomic analyses. Comparison between these different approaches produced totally congruent results for the majority of individuals. In addition, the proteomic analysis allowed us to estimate the sex of four poorly preserved subjects for whom sex estimation was somewhat doubtful, as well as that of one undetermined individual. Finally, proteomic results were produced here with a faster protocol than those found in the literature and are potentially scalable to much lower sample amounts
The “petrified corpse”. The first study on the preservation status of skin
No full textPaolo Gorini (1813-1881) was one of the first scientists who experiments “Petrification” of corpses, a particular technique used to obtain an artificial preservation of bodies that found wide application in Italy in the 19th century. This technique allowed to maintain the exact features of the deceased, preserve tissue, internal organs and hair in a state of stone hardness. This mechanism was based on the replacement of biological liquids with chemical preservatives obtained through intravascular injections. Paolo Gorini performed “Petrification” on hundreds of entire cadavers, or on parts of corpse, most of them housed in the “Collezione Anatomica Paolo Gorini” in Lodi. In this Museum, there is also the manuscript with the two formulas used by Gorini to petrified corpse: “a sulfuric acid solution in the proportion of ten percent or an alcohol-saturated solution of mercuric bichloride and muriate of calcium in the proportion that the volume of the first is ten times that of the second”.
The aim of our work is to verify the preservation status of skin following “petrification” by Gorini.
Our study was carried out on an entirely petrified body of an unknown individual held in the “Collezione Anatomica Paolo Gorini” in Lodi. The man was affected by a widespread bulbous-bullous manifestation, possibly smallpox or pellagra. A superficial fragment of skin, free of lesions, was biopsied from the latero-plantar region of the right foot. The analysis was performed using microscopic slides following the inclusion of the samples in epoxy resin , followed by a stain with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome. Other sections were stained via immunohistochemical technique with anti-cytokeratin antibodies (AE1 AE3) and vimentin.
The histological investigations revealed a discretely preserved epithelial tissue, with a structure that is still recognizable on the tangential sections. It’s possible to appreciate an easily detachable epithelium of the stratum corneum and deeper, more cohesive, layers (stratum granulosum and spinosum) in which the shadows of nuclei are still recognizable. Histochemical investigations revealed positivity for cytokeratins and negativity for vimentin.
Differently from natural or embalmed mummified bodies, historic petrified specimens have never been analyzed. This first study demonstrates that the “Petrification” by Gorini guaranteed good skin preservation, maintaining its histological, histo-chemical, metachromatic and antigenic characteristics
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