Metabolic disorders and health status of two Longobard cemeteries found in Northern and Central Italy (VII-VIII centuries AD) 71,4% 81,8% 80,0% 77,8% 66,7% 75,0% 14,3% 9,1% 14,3% 20,0% 11,1% 19,0% 9,1% 11,1% 14,3% 25,0% 0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0% 80,0% 90,0% 100,0% Infants (birth-3 yo) Children (3-12 yo) Adolescents (12-20 yo) Young A. (20-35 yo) Middle A. (35-50 yo) Old A. (50+ yo) F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) AGE CLASS ABSENCE POSSIBLE PROBABLE DEFINITE Site Age Class Male Female Indet. Tot La Selvicciola Infants (birth-3 yo) 0 0 7 7 Children (3-12 yo) 0 0 11 11 Adolescents (12-20 yo) 0 0 5 5 Young Adults (20-35 yo) 4 5 0 9 Middle Adults (35-50 yo) 13 5 3 21 Old Adults (50+ yo) 5 3 0 8 Tot 22 13 26 61 This research presents a macroscopic paleopathological investigation aimed at identifying evidence of metabolic disorders on human skeletal remains. This kind of stress offers a reliable insight into the lifestyle of individuals in the past, identifying whether they receive an adequate supply of nutrients with the diet or are subject to problems in their assimilation. The investigation provides information about the health and nutrition of the individual and the community, their habits, dietary and living practices and more generally the environment in which they lived. During the paleopathological analysis of the remains, several bone lesions were detected: porotic lesions of the skull (i.e., cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis), and abnormal porosity and periosteal new bone formation (PNBF) in the entire skeleton (Figure beside and below). Such lesion are typical of anemia and scurvy. Two skeletal collections of Italian Longobard burials dating back to V and the VIII centuries AD, from different regions of the northern and central part of the Italic Peninsula were examined. The skeletal sample includes 61 individuals from the funeral area of La Selvicciola (VT, VII centuries AD; Table 1 [1] ) and 57 individuals from Povegliano Veronese (VR, VII – VIII centuries AD; Table 2 [1] ). Following an earlier study [2] , cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis – the main skeletal lesions related to anemia – were recorded using the Hengen scale [3] and the Ricci et al. scale [4] respectively. For the identification of skeletal lesions linked to scurvy, recording sheets have been produced based on the most recent literature [5],[6],[7],[8] following the method proposed by Geber and Murphy, 2012 [5] . Three types of variables (definite, indicative and suggestive) were distinguished, and their combination led to the production of three different types of diagnosis: definite, probable and possible scurvy. Finally, bilateral lesions were considered and infantile scurvy was distinguished from adult scurvy (Table 3 and 4). RESULTS Sofia Panella 1 , Ileana Micarelli 1,2 , Mary Anne Tafuri 1 , Robert R. Paine 1 , Antonio Profico 1 , Caterina Giostra 3 , Giorgio Manzi 1 INTRODUCTION 1) Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 2) Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità, Sapienza Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 3) Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia e Storia dell’arte, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Lrg. Agostino Gemelli, 1 - 20123 Milano, Italy MATERIALS AND METHODS Site Age Class Male Female Indet. Tot Povegliano Veronese Infants (birth-3 yo) 0 0 6 6 Children (3-12 yo) 0 0 6 6 Adolescents (12-20 yo) 0 0 3 3 Young Adults (20-35 yo) 8 2 0 10 Middle Adults (35-50 yo) 17 14 0 31 Old Adults (50+ yo) 1 0 0 1 Tot 26 16 15 57 CONCLUSION Distribution of the samples from the cemeteries of La Selvicciola (Table 1) and Povegliano Veronese (Table 2) according to sex and age at death. Table 1: Table 2: References [1] Buikstra, J. 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Isotopic evidence of diet variation at the transition between classical and post-classical times in Central Italy, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 21, pp. 496–503. XXIII AAI Conference: Anthropology: what are the next questions? Padova, 4-6 September 2019 Type of variables Skeletal elements Definite SGW (sphenoid greater wings) TB (temporal bone) Max.P (maxilla, posterior) Mand.MC (mandible, medial coronoid process) HP (hard palate) Max.AP (maxilla, alveolar process) Mand.AP (mandible, alveolar process) Indicative CV.EF (cranial vault, endocran. frontal) SLW (sphenoid, lesser wings) ZO (zygomatic orbit) IF (infraorbital foramen) SS (supraspinous scapula) Rib (ribs, sternal area) Fem.LA (Femur, linea aspera) Tib (tibia) CV (cranial vault, ectocranial surface) Suggestive CV.EO (canial vault, endocran. occipital) CV.EP (cranial vault, endocran. parietal) SFR (sphenoid foramen rotundum) CO (cribra orbitalia) IS (infraspinous scapula) Hum (humerus, shaft) Rad (radius, shaft) Uln (ulna, shaft) Cox (coxae) Fem (femur, shaft) Fib (fibula, shaft) Type of variables Skeletal elements Definite SGW (sphenoid greater wings) Max.P (maxilla, posterior) Mand.MC (mandible, medial coronoid process) HP (hard palate) Max.AP (maxilla, alveolar process) Mand.AP (mandible, alveolar process) Indicative IF (infraorbital foramen) Rad (radius, shaft) Uln (ulna, shaft) Cox (coxae) Fem (femur, shaft) Tib (tibia, shaft) Fib (fibula, shaft) Hum + Rad + Uln + Fem + Tib + Fib Suggestive CV.EP (cranial vault, endocran. parietal) SLW (sphenoid, lesser wings) SS (supraspinous scapula) Hum (humerus, shaft) Rib (ribs, sternal area) SUBADULTS ADULTS 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm Table 3: Table 4: 16,7% 33,3% 33,3% 30,0% 32,3% 16,7% 16,7% 33,3% 70,0% 58,1% 100,0% 50,0% 66,7% 33,3% 9,7% 0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0% 80,0% 90,0% 100,0% Infants (birth-3 yo) Children (3-12 yo) Adolescents (12-20 yo) Young A. (20-35 yo) Middle A. (35-50 yo) Old A. (50+ yo) F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) AGE CLASS ABSENCE POSSIBLE PROBABLE DEFINITE 66,7% 32,4% 28,6% 58,8% 4,8% 8,8% 0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0% 80,0% 90,0% 100,0% Subadults Adults F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) SLV NO PATHOLOGY ONLY SCURVY ONLY ANEMIA ANEMIA+SCURVY 30,8% 7,9% 15,4% 84,2% 53,8% 7,9% 0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0% 70,0% 80,0% 90,0% 100,0% Subadults Adults F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) PV NO PATHOLOGY ONLY SCURVY ONLY ANEMIA ANEMIA+SCURVY Although the results are not statistically significant due to the low number of individuals, they still show interesting data. Both in La Selvicciola (SLV) and Povegliano Veronese (PV) skeletal samples the presence of cribra orbitalia and/or porotic hyperostosis is always associated with skeletal lesions linked to scurvy. This means that there are no cases where “only anemia” is diagnosed. Interestingly, both collections present cases with individuals showing porotic hyperostosis but not cribra orbitalia, in accordance with a recent reappraisal on the connection of this skeletal lesions and anemia [9] . Almost the entire sample (SLV: 88% approx.; PV: 80% approx.) seem to be potentially affected by scurvy, even if specifically the diagnosis of “certain” presence of the disease (definite scurvy; Geber & Murphy, 2012) is present with an average of 83% of pathological cases at SLV compared to an average of only 37% at PV. In addition, an intra-population comparison was performed according to the phase of occupation of the cemetery. We recorded a progressive increase in individuals certainly affected by scurvy by about 25% at SLV in the Longobards as opposed to Romans, while at PV there is an increase of about 18% in second and third generations of Longobards as opposed to the first. 44,4% 75,0% 22,2% 6,3% 33,3% 18,8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Romans Longobards F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) PHASE OF OCCUPATION ABSENCE POSSIBLE PROBABLE DEFINITE 26,7% 41,2% 66,7% 47,1% 6,7% 11,8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1° Generation Next Generat. F R E Q U E N C Y ( % ) PHASE OF OCCUPATION ABSENCE POSSIBLE PROBABLE DEFINITE A preliminary interrogation of the data shows a complex setting of results. Looking at the cultural [10] , environmental [11-25] and paleonutritional [26-29] context, the presence of scurvy and the increase in pathological cases in the later phases of occupation at both sites suggests several possible hypotheses. Both Medieval populations probably experienced periods when it was not possible to find foods rich in vitamin C (fruits and vegetables). Most likely this was a seasonal occurrence related to harsh winter months which to slow trade and affect local growth of food. This is a reasonable conclusion since it takes 3 plus months before the lack of vitamin C will take serious affect. In some cases, scurvy may have caused a secondary macrocytic anemia (a lack of folate in the body). The increase of cases in Longobards in SLV and in II and III generations of Longobards in PV is apparently due to dietary deficiencies. Poor sanitary conditions and its affect on physiological stress may have also contributed to their dietary problems. Still, there is a higher incidence of lesions among the SLV burials compared to the burials from PV. The SLV site data shows that approximately 75% of subadults (birth - 20 years of age) show lesions specific to dietary deficiencies (Scurvy and anemia). Clearly for these people diet health became a serious issue that was not well resolved and therefore contributed to the death of many of its younger members. Future assessment will examine archaeological data specific to life conditions between the 2 sites to see if living location and trade networks might account for this difference in frequency related poor dietary health. Given that the earlier community of Romans showed a lower frequency for these lesions, the Longobards arrived on the Italic Peninsula ill equipped to deal with the nutritional needs related to vitamin C and Iron intake. With some luck and skill an assessment of the archaeological recorded might shed light on why the Longobards of SLV had these dietary problems. Cribra orbitalia grade 4 on the Hengen scale (Hengen, 1971) in a 3-4 year old child from La Selvicciola (T.90/3). Porotic hyperostosis of left parietal bone, grade 2 on the Ricci et al. scale (Ricci et al., 1997) in a 2-3 year old child from La Selvicciola (T.91/11). Right temporal bone with abnormal porosity on the external surface (left) and PNBF on the internal surface (right) in a 3-4 year old child from La Selvicciola (T.90/3). Hard palate with abnormal porosity in a 17- 18 year old from La Selvicciola (T.86/10). Right femur with PNBF on the posterior shaft in a 17-18 year old adolescent from La Selvicciola (T.86/10). Right medial coronoid process of mandibula with PNBF in a 2-3 year old child from La Selvicciola (T.84/1). Right foramen rotundum of the sphenoid with PNBF in a 3-4 year old child from La Selvicciola (T.90/3). N=7 N=11 N=5 N=9 N=21 N=8 N=6 N=6 N=3 N=10 N=31 N=1 N=9 N=16 N=15 N=17 N=23 N=38 N=15 N=42 Relative frequency of scurvy within each age group at La Selvicciola. Relative frequency of scurvy within each age group at Povegliano Veronese. Relative frequency of combined anemia and scurvy within the subadult and adult age classes at La Selvicciola. Relative frequency of combined anemia and scurvy within the subadult and adult age classes at Povegliano Veronese. Intra-population relative frequency of scurvy at La Selvicciola. Intra-population relative frequency of scurvy at Povegliano Veronese. Skeletal evidence used for the identification of scurvy in subadults (Table 3) and adults (Table 4). p>0,05 p>0,05 p>0,05 p>0,05 p>0,05 p>0,05 p>0,05 Download PDF file sofia.panella@yahoo.it sofia.panella91@gmail.com