Supernumerary teeth and pseudarthrosis of the mandible in a young male from the mediaeval cemetery in Stenjevec

Anthropological analysis of a young adult male from the mediaeval Stenjevec skeletal series revealed supernumerary teeth on both sides of the mandible, and an un-united subcondylar fracture of the mandible. The first condition is a developmental abnormality, while subcondylar fractures are one of the most frequent fractures of the mandible. Although, the osteological collection of the Department of Archaeology of the Croatian academy of Sciences and Arts consists of nearly 5,500 skeletons, this is the first documented case that exhibits these conditions in Croatian archaeological skeletal series

A Contribution to the Knowledge of Violence in the Late Middle Ages in Ivanec (graves 202 and 204)

Arheološkim istraživanjima na lokalitetu Stari grad u Ivancu do sada je pronađeno 270 grobova. Početak ukopavanja pokojnika na nalazištu može se datirati u kraj 11. ili početak 12. stoljeća, a kraj u početak 17. stoljeća. Grobovi obrađeni u ovom radu mogu se na temelju stratigrafskih odnosa datirati u drugu polovicu 13. ili početak 14. stoljeća, a razlikuju se od ostalih po prisutnosti perimortalnih trauma te nalazu noževa uz pokojnike. Grob 202 jedini je do sada pronađeni grob na ovome lokalitetu koji ima nadgrobnu ploču. Perimortalne traume pronađene na kosturima iz ovih grobova dovele su do smrti analiziranih jedinki. Na temelju svojih karakteristika mogu se svrstati u kategoriju posjekotina i smatrati posljedicom nasilja među pojedincima.Archaeological excavations carried out so far at the Stari Grad site in Ivanec have revealed 270 graves. The first graves at the site can be dated back to the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th centuries, and the last to the beginning of the 17th century. Based on stratigraphic relationships, the graves covered in this article can be dated back to the second half of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th centuries; they differ from others in that the deceased buried in them displayed perimortem traumas and had been buried with knives at their side. So far, grave 202 is the only grave found at the site which was covered by a gravestone. The perimortal traumas found on the skeletons from these graves are responsible for the death of the individuals analysed. Based on their characteristics, these traumas can be classified as cut wounds resulting from intentional violence between individuals

Evidence of interpersonal violence at two sites of the Bijelo Brdo culture in eastern Croatia

Human skeletal remains from Bijelo Brdo-Venice Street and Vukovar-Lijeva Bara have previously been anthropologically analysed and published, but in this paper cranial traumas are studied for the first time. The sample consists of 84 adult skulls curated in the Natural History Museum and the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb. Results showed a high frequency of cranial trauma (19.0 %) recorded in 16 out of 84 well-preserved skulls. Although males exhibit twice as many traumas as females (24.4 % vs. 12.8 %) the difference is not statistically significant. Trauma is present most frequently on the left side of the skull, and there is perimortem trauma in both sites, as well as in both sexes; this indicates the existence of interpersonal violence in these populations.

BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LATE ANTIQUE SKELETONS FROM THE OREŠAC – LUKA II SITE

Orešac (Bolentio) is situated near Suhopolje in the Virovitica‒Podravina County. Based on the various finds, the site is dated between the 1st and 4th centuries. Archaeological excavations are conducted since the 80s of the 20th century, however the skeletal material studied in this paper derive from the excavations carried in the 1997 by the Institute of Archaeology under the guide of T. Sekelj Ivančan. For the purpose of the analysis the following pathologies were observed: cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia, non specific periostitis, caries, alveolar pathologies, Schmorl’s nodes, osteoarthritis on vertebrae and joints, benign cortical defects and estimation of height. Relatively low frequencies of the biological and physical stress recorded among the analysed individuals suggest better quality of life in comparison to other late antique populations. Since the obtained results refer only to a small part of the excavated cemetery, further excavations and anthropological analyses are needed in order to supplement the existing knowledge and receive new information about the population that lived in the area of today’s Orešac

BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS FROM THE LATE ANTIQUE KUĆA ANDRIĆ AND HRVOJEVA ULICA SITES IN SPLIT

Bioarchaeological investigations of indicators of subadult stress, oral health, physical stress and trauma were conducted on the skeletal material from the kuća Andrić and Hrvojeva ulica sites, late antique cemeteries situated in the Diocletian Palace in Split. These indicators include several pathological conditions: cribra orbitalia, dental enamel hypoplasia, non-specific periostitis, caries, alveolar abscess, antemortem tooth loss, vertebral and joint osteoarthritis, Schmorl’s nodes and traumas. The sample includes 33 skeletons from 17 graves – 12 adults and 21 subadults. Results indicate a higher ratio of subadults in the sample, relatively low frequencies of indicators of subadult stress, caries, and trauma and a higher frequency of alveolar bone disease and Schmorl’s nodes, especially in males. In comparison to other late antique samples from the eastern Adriatic coast, the sample from the kuća Andrić and Hrvojeva ulica shows similar or even better-living conditions in some aspects

Biological characteristics of the skeletons buried in Glagoljaška Street in Zadar

Antropološka analiza provedena je na 11 kostura od čega je šest muškaraca, jedna žena i četvero djece. Radi jednakog geografskog smještaja i klimatsko-ekološkog sustava rezultati analize uspoređeni su s uzorkom koji potječe s Relje. U odnosu na komparativni uzorak rezultati su pokazali lošije zdravlje u svim kategorijama što je prvenstveno posljedica loše prehrane i teških životnih uvjeta koji se posebno reflektiraju u visokoj učestalosti pokazatelja biološkog stresa, zdravlja zuba i teškog fizičkog rada. Traume evidentirane na muškarcima uglavnom su posljedica nesretnih slučajeva dok znakovi međuljudskog nasilja nisu zamijećeni. Na temelju svih promatranih kriterija, u skladu s razmišljanjima arheologa, može se zaključiti da je zaista riječ o izdvojenoj skupini ljudi koja je drugačije (nekvalitetnije) živjela i nakon smrti bila drugačije pokopana.An anthropological analysis was carried out on 11 skeletons – six adult male skeletons, one adult female skeleton and four subadults. The results of the analysis were compared with the sample from Relja site, given the latter’s identical geographical location and climate-environmental system. Compared with the Relja sample, the analyses results showed that the individuals buried in Glagoljaška Street had been of poorer health in all categories – primarily a consequence of bad nourishment and hard living conditions, which are particularly reflected in the high frequency of biological stress indicators, dental health and hard labor. The traumas observed on the males were mostly caused by accidents, while signs of interpersonal violence were not noticed. Based on the criteria observed and in accordance with the archaeologists’ line of thought, it can be concluded it was indeed an isolated group of people who led a different (lower-quality) way of life and had different burials after death

Palaeodemographic and palaeopathological characteristics of individuals buried in three Bronze Age sites from southern Croatia

The purpose of this study is to reconstruct paleodemographic and paleopathological characteristics of sixteen individuals (three subadults, seven males and six females) buried in three Bronze Age sites (Crip, Matkovići, and Veliki Vanik) located in southern Croatia. The analysed sample is characterised by the presence of pathological changes which are often associated with stressful episodes such as anaemia, inadequate nutrition, infectious diseases and the occurrence of parasites. Cribra orbitalia, dental enamel hypoplasia, porotic hyperostosis and periostitis were observed in seven out of sixteen analysed skeletons. One ulnar “parry” fracture and three fractures of the frontal bone strongly suggest the presence of deliberate interpersonal violence within the studied communities. The average life span of the adults, as well as the number and character of the observed pathologies, suggest a relatively poor life quality and harsh living conditions in the studied region during the Bronze Age

Paleopathological and traumatic changes on the mandible of the skeleton found at the Bijela - St. Margaret site

The Anthropological Center of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts received human bone remains from the Late Medieval and Early Modern Period site of Bijela - St. Margaret derived from research conducted in 2019. The human remains found in grave number 22 caught the attention due to the atypical position of a male aged between 40 and 50 years at the time of death and trauma visible on the anterior region of the mandibular bone. In the same region pathological changes were also visible microscopically and on the X-Ray scan. In this case report the description of the changes on the mandibular bone and the possible etiology is presented