11 research outputs found
Paleobiology, Palaeopathology and Necrophobic Practices in Early Iron Age Burials (IX–VII Century BC) in Capo Colonna, Trani, Apulia, Southern Italy – The State of Health of a Small Sample from Iron Age
No full textIn this palaeobiological and palaeopathological study of skeletal remains, we attempt to define the physical characteristics,
living conditions and the state of health of a small sample from two early Iron Age (IX–VIII century BC) graves at
Capo Colonna, Trani (Bari, Apulia, southern Italy). In the thoraco-lumbar segment (T11-L1) of the vertebral column of
an adult male 35 years old, we found wedge-shaped deformation of the anterior part of T12 with kyphosis of the affected
tract. Digital radiography and volumetric reconstruction by 3D CT indicated that the alteration did not result from an
infectious process (Pott’s disease). Instead, it was a traumatic lesion probably caused by falling from a height. The archaeological
investigation revealed extraordinary arrangements of the bodies in the graves: they were buried with a boulder
placed on the coffin. This practice has been seen in similar graves in the Balkan area, particularly in Greece, from the
Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages. The most likely explanation is a funeral ritual characterized by necrophobia, the purpose
of which was to prevent the deceased from returning to terrorize the living
Paleobiologia. Resti umani recuperati da tombe di età daunia (VI-IV sec. a.C.) in località Monte Civita
No full textNello studio del passato l’interpretazione delle fonti archeologiche e di quelle storiografiche riceve un prezioso contributo dalle indagini antropologiche effettuate sui resti biologici delle sepolture.
Tale circostanza si rivela con maggiore evidenza quando l’attenzione degli studiosi è focalizzata su periodi storici particolari, quale è stato il IV secolo a.C., dominato dall’epopea del re macedone Alessandro il Grande e dei suoi numerosi emuli, tra i quali spicca, nel Meridione d’Italia, Alessandro il Molosso.
Si fa riferimento ad un periodo storico ricco di eventi bellici, culminati nell’invasione della Daunia e della Peucetia da parte dei popoli di lingua osca: in tal senso la comparsa di nuovi flussi genici nei territori di occupazione ed il mutato panorama delle risorse ambientali e delle condizioni socio-politiche determinò la probabile rottura degli equilibri patocenotici tradizionali ed un aumento degli stress a carico dei nuclei umani indigeni.
Si rivela di grande interesse, quindi, effettuare l’indagine antropologica su di un campione scheletrico, seppur limitato, di 8 individui, distribuiti in tre tombe, proveniente dal sito archeologico garganico di Monte Civita, nel territorio di Ischitella (Foggia) e datato IV secolo a.C..
Ci si riferisce alle tombe 1, 2, e 3 di una necropoli da anni oggetto di scavi clandestini e depredazioni e recuperate in seguito ad un intervento di scavo di emergenza curato dalla Soprintendenza Archeologica della Puglia con la collaborazione della Guardia di Finanza.
L’indagine antropologica dei resti scheletrici ha previsto la pulitura ed il restauro degli stessi, l’attribuzione del numero minimo di individui, la diagnosi del sesso e la determinazione dell’età di morte, il calcolo della biomassa corporea e della statura in vivo, l’indagine osteometrica ed osteoscopica, il rilevamento di marcatori dentari e scheletrici di stress causati da attività occupazionali, carenze nutrizionali e malattie, il riscontro di patologie, l’applicazione della cross sectional geometry sulle diafisi delle ossa lunghe.
Considerando il periodo storico caratterizzato da importanti movimenti migratori delle popolazioni italiche di lingua osca, si è anche proceduto ad un confronto tra alcune variabili metriche craniche di tre degli individui in studio con quelle di un campionamento indigeno e di altre popolazioni sincroniche tra cui sanniti, lucani, etruschi e greci.
Lo studio è stato effettuato utilizzando i valori di distanza biologica tra le serie confrontate, ottenuti dall’applicazione di appropriate metodiche di analisi multivariata
Un caso di parto in tomba: l'analisi antropologica dei resti della sepoltura di età romana rinvenuta in via G. De Giosa.
No full textDNA extracration and Anthropological Aspects from 6th to 7th Century A.D. Bone Remains.
No full textNew Orleans, LA, US
DNA extracration and Anthropological Aspects from 6th to 7th Century A.D. Bone Remains.
No full textIn the archeological site of the early Christian Episcopal complex of Saint Peter, in Canosa di Puglia (Bari, Italy), during the operations of archaeological excavations, tombs were discovered. They were dated between the sixth and seventh centuries AD with carbon 14 methodology. Five skeletons were found in the 5 tombs: 28A: male individual, 43 years old. The height was 170 cm; the biomass was 65.7 kg. The analysis of the bones indicated several noteworthy pathologies, such as a number of hypoplasia lines of the enamel, the presence of Schmorl hernias on the first 2 lumbar vertebrae, and the outcome of subacromial impingement syndrome. 28E was a male individual, with a biologic age of death of between 44 and 60 years. The height was 177 cm. He had a posttraumatic fracture callus of the medial third of the clavicle, with an oblique fracture rima. 29B was a female individual, 44–49 years old. The height was 158.8 cm; the biomass was 64.8 kg. There was Wells bursitis on the ischial tuberosity on both sides. 29E was a male individual, 45–50 years old. The height was 169.47 cm; the biomass was 70.8 kg. The third and the fourth vertebrae showed Baastrup syndrome (compression of the vertebral spine). There were radiologic signs of deformity on the higher edge of the acetabula and results of frequent sprains of the ankles. 31A was a male individual, 47–54 years old. The height was 178.65 cm; the biomass was 81 kg. The vertebral index showed a heavy overloading in the thoracic lumbar region. There were bony formations under the periosteum on both on the higher and medium facets of the first metatarsus and on the higher and lateral facets of the fifth metatarsus on both sides. As the topography indicates, these small ossifications coincided with the contact points between the back of the foot and parts of the upper shoe. From the osseous remains, in particular from the teeth (central incisors), the DNA was extracted and typed to identify potential family ties among all the subjects. The extraction technique used came from the DNA Promega technique, partially modified by the authors. Stay times of the sample in the extraction buffer were increased
A Case of Decapitation in Canosa, South Italy(5th-6th century A.D.)
No full textCanosa (Bari) is one of the most important archeological centers in Apulia, and in southern Italy. The importance of this town, which had already emerged in the pre-Roman age when Canosa was one of the wealthiest and most powerful settlements in the Daunia region, was further strengthened during Roman times. It reached a peak in the 6th–8th century A.D., when the town became the seat of the governors and the regional capital of the provincia Apulia et Calabria. The town very soon became a leading religious center, too, thanks to the presence of a large Christian community led by powerful bishops, who were frequently called to attend important religious councils and were involved in diplomatic missions. The greatest splendor of the Canosa church was in the middle of the 6th century, at the time of the famous bishop Sabino, who was held traditionally to have presided over the diocese for over 50 years (514–566), and who commissioned an intensive program of construction of holy buildings. The Paleo-Christian settlement attributed great importance to the cemetery, which features tombs of various types in which one or more bodies were buried, generally without funerary accoutrements. Nevertheless, they were clearly people of rank, including an anonymous defensor (civitatis or ecclesiae) and a certain Georgius parbulus; the inscription in his name found in the hall confirms that the cemetery was fully in use already in the 7th century. Finally, the southern area of the quarter was occupied by craftsmen, as demonstrated by at least two furnaces for the production of building materials and of ceramics. The building compounds identified up to now were devoted to many different functions of a liturgical, pastoral, funerary, administrative and residential type, typical of an important Paleo-Christian settlement like the town of Canosa
Surgical treatment of gingival overgrowth with 10 years of follow-up
No full textAbstract Background In some pathological conditions, gingivitis caused by plaque accumulation can be more severe, with the result of an overgrowth. Nevertheless, the overgrowth involves the gingival margin with extension to the inter-dental papilla. The lesion may involve the inter-proximal spaces, and become so extensive that the teeth are displaced and their crowns covered. Severe overgrowth may lead to impairment in aesthetic and masticatory functions, requiring surgical excision of the excessive tissue. Aim of this study is to describe an operative protocol for the surgical treatment of localized gingival overgrowth analyzing the surgical technique, times and follow-up. Methods A total of 20 patients were enrolled and underwent initial, non surgical, periodontal treatment and training sessions on home oral hygiene training. The treatment plan involved radical exeresis of the mass followed by positioning of an autograft of connective tissue and keratinized gingiva. Results During 10 years of follow-up, all the grafts appeared well vascularized, aesthetically satisfactory, and without relapse. Conclusions Periodontal examinations, surgical procedures, and dental hygiene with follow-up are an essential part of the treatment protocol. However, additional effort is needed from the patient. Hopefully, the final treatment result makes it all worthwhile.</p
The role of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody in periodontal disease
No full textThe anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies (anti-CCP) are produced locally in the inflamed synovium of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, suggesting that citrullinated proteins are located in the inflamed synovium. In scientific literature were find periodontal bacterial DNA in serum and synovial fluid of RA with PD patients. RA and adult periodontitis share common pathogenetic mechanisms and immunologic and pathological findings RA. One oral pathogen strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease (PD), Porphyromonas. gingivalis, possesses a unique microbial enzyme, peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD), the human equivalent of which has been identified as a susceptibility factor for RA. Under this point of view, we speculate about the presence of anti-CCP antibodies in sera of PD with RA patients. We conducted this study to evaluate and compare the diagnostic and predictive utility of anti-CCP antibodies in patients with PD and patients with PD and RA. Anti-CCP antibody was not found in 21 sera (U/ml<10), included RA controls, while only 1 patient with chronic PD and probing depth of 7,1 mm was identified positive for anti-CCP (22.2 U/ml). Our data do not support a role for anti-CCP in diagnoses of periodontal disease
Evidenze isotopiche e paleodieta nel neolitico pugliese. Verso la globalizzazione?
No full textLe evidenze dirette della dieta in area Mediterranea nel corso del neolitico sono piuttosto limitate. in Puglia, la maggior parte dei dati paleonutrizionali proviene tuttora dal record archeologico, che per sua natura è soggetto a molteplici limitazioni. in questo senso si inseriscono le indagini degli isotopi stabili di carbonio e azoto misurabili nel collagene umano e animale. Questo genere di analisi permette di ricostruire la componente proteica della dieta. in particolare, il rapporto isotopico del carbonio permette di distinguere tra tipi di piante consumate in ragione del processo fotosintetico utilizzato (i.e., piante C3 o C4), nonché tra dieta di tipo terrestre piuttosto che marina. il rapporto isotopico dell’azoto è invece utile nella collocazione degli organismi esaminati all’interno della catena trofica, misurando l’apporto relativo di proteine animali e/o vegetali. l’indagine isotopica effettuata su una serie di siti pugliesi riferibili a tutte le fasi del neolitico, ci ha permesso di individuare una sostanziale indifferenziazione nelle pratiche di sussistenza, che prevede, verosimilmente, l’impiego di un range ricor- rente di specie animali e vegetali. Questa koiné alimentare, si materializza nel consumo di specie prevalentemente terrestri, con un limitato impiego di risorse marine. i dati emersi da questa indagine ci costringono a riconsiderare alcuni assunti, rivelando al tempo stesso una complessità inattesa
