Chronological characterization of medieval villages in Northern Iberia: A multi-integrated approach

Defining the occupation sequence of medieval rural farming sites in Northern Iberia is complicated, since they feature low density of stratigraphic relationships and few finds and because of the intensive agricultural activities developed there during the last few decades. This paper presents the chronological characterization of the medieval village of Zornoztegi, located in the Basque Country, in the province of Alava. At this site, dwellings extend over an area of approximately two hectares and consist mainly of negative structures excavated in the bedrock. Radiocarbon dating measurements carried out on 32 samples, together with mortar optical microscopic analyses and other information obtained from stratigraphic relationships, changes in the settlement organization and the study of material culture, allowed structuring and characterizing the occupation sequence of the site of Zornoztegi. Furthermore, Bayesian statistics was used to reduce the range of the calibrated dates and to refine the chronology of the sequence

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Reprint of: Urban medieval and post-medieval zooarchaeology in the Basque Country: Meat supply and consumption

This paper examines the zooarchaeological evidence from six Basque towns (Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz, SalvatierraeAgurain, Balmaseda, Orduna and Durango), and compares it with historical written sour- ~ ces. The key aims are a better understanding of urban diet, the provisioning of meat to towns, and the relationship between town and country, in the 12the18th centuries. Taxonomic frequencies, kill-off patterns, butchery practices and biometrical data are examined in a diachronic perspective. The results reveal that, although there are some signs of economic specialization, patterns of urban consumption remained fairly stable. It is suggested that the strict taxation and legislation for meat supply and the ownership of livestock by urban elites meant that urban demand for meat was too tightly regulated to bring about substantial changes in the mechanisms of livestock breeding and supply. The economic system appears to have mainly been geared towards the socio-economic needs of the countryside, despite the central role of some of the Basque towns in international trade