Spondylolisthesis in an Etruscan Woman from Spina (Ferrara, Italy): an Iron Age Case Report

Spondylolisthesis consists of the slippage of a vertebra in relation to the one beneath. It is caused by separation of the neural arch from the vertebral body (spondylolysis), and predominantly occurs at the isthmus (pars interarticularis). Originally thought to be a congenital anomaly, its strict correlation with certain activities that seem to exert stress on lower spine was later demonstrated. This paper describes a case of progression of spondylolysis to spondylolisthesis found on an adult female skeleton from the Etruscan necropolis of Spina (Ferrara, Italy). The case in question was identified among 209 skeletons exhumed at Spina. As spondylolisthesis is strictly connected with activities that exert stress on lower spine, the evidence suggests that this woman was engaged in stressful physical activity, perhaps related to the specific trade function of the site

Biological characters and ageing in former elite volleyball players

none3To date, there is very little information about the effects of ageing and sport selection on the characteristics of former athletes. The aim of this study was to analyse anthropometric and physiological characteristics of 146 former elite volleyball players in Italy. The possible effect of an active or inactive lifestyle on ageing was assessed by comparing the biological profiles of subsamples of former athletes with and without regular sport activity. All the former athletes underwent measurements of standard anthropometry (height, sitting height and body mass; skinfold thicknesses; bi-acromial and bi-cristal breadths; upper limb length; upper arm, calf and chest girths), cardio-respiratory function (vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate), muscle strength (handgrip strength), and cognitive function (visual and auditory simple reaction times; Digit-Symbol subtest). Body composition parameters were estimated from anthropometric measurements. Data on lifestyle were collected by questionnaires. The results show that the former players differ from current players in several anthropometric and physiological traits. Selection pressure seems to be more responsible for these differences than ageing. This study underlines the particular performance of former players in cognitive functions. Moreover, it confirms that an active lifestyle has beneficial effects on the biological age profiles of former athletes.mixedZaccagni L.; Onisto N.; Gualdi Russo E.Zaccagni, Luciana; Onisto, Nicoletta; Gualdi, Emanuel

La Necropoli di Spina. Facciamo parlare gli scheletri.

none3CD-ROM realizzato nell'ambito del progetto dell'Ateneo di Ferrara "Il piano di gestione del patrimonio culturale locale: conservazione, valorizzazione e comunicazione".noneGualdi-Russo E.; Onisto N.; Manzon V.S.Gualdi, Emanuela; Onisto, Nicoletta; Manzon, Vanessa Samanth

LA DAMA DI FICAROLO: ANALISI ANTROPOLOGICA

L’area dell’insediamento romano di Chiunsano, nel territorio comunale di Gaiba (Rovigo), già indagata da Alfonso Alfonsi con alcune trincee nel 1904, è stata oggetto di nove campagne di scavo, condotte sistematicamente dal 1992 al 2000 dall’Università di Bochum, sotto la direzione del prof. Hermann Büsing. Il volume presenta l’esito delle ricerche sul campo da parte di diversi specialisti. Lo studio antropologico riguarda in particolare i resti scheletrici della cosiddetta “Dama ”, caratterizzata da un particolare corredo funerario che, per la ricchezza e la provenienza eterogenea degli oggetti d’ornamento, è stato datato tra la seconda metà del V e gli inizi del VI secolo d.C., testimoniando una frequentazione del sito anche in epoca tardoantica

Dento-alveolar features and diet in an Etruscan population (6th-3rd c. B.C.) from northeast Italy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of some dento-alveolar features (caries, dental calculus, tooth wear, enamel hypoplasia, abscesses, retraction of the alveolar bone, chipping, and ante mortem tooth loss) on an Iron Age sample from the Etruscan necropolis of Spina (North-Eastern Italy) and to make a relation with dietary evidence found in the archaeological records. These dental features were used to evaluate the oral health status and dietary habits with the aim of shedding light on the lifestyle and living conditions of this population. Materials and methods: The sample analysed consisted of 680 permanent teeth from 80 burials. Results: Overall, individuals at Spina exhibited a low incidence of caries, abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss, high calculus rates and severe attrition, suggesting a subsistence pattern based on a mixture of fishing, pastoralism and agriculture. The low incidence of hypoplasia was probably related to their good nutritional conditions and weak metabolic stresses during early childhood. Conclusions: These findings, quite similar to those of Etruscans from other parts of Italy, are very different from those of other populations living in the same territory during the same time. This pattern is indicative of a general good health status in this Iron Age population and may be related, at least in part, to the Etruscan diet

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF CALCANEAR TRAUMA IN ROMAN ITALY: A POSSIBLE CASE OF CRUCIFIXION?

Crucifixion is a cruel method of execution. This capital punishment was perfected during the Roman Empire. Despite being a frequent practice, there is only one well-documented anthropological case of crucifixion in the world at the Jerusalem burial cave (Giv’at ha-Mivtar, first century AD). We found a particular lesion on the foot of a skeleton from an isolated Roman burial discovered by excavation in 2007 in northern Italy. Here we suggest crucifixion as a possible cause of the lesion, but this interpretation is complicated by the poor preservation of the bone surfaces and the damage and holes in other skeletal parts. To assess the biological identity of the deceased and the possible effects of ante-mortem violence on this subject, we performed an integrated (anthropological, taphonomic and genetic) analysis of the remains. Burials showing evidence of violence or deviant burials may shed new light on past human societies. In this case, our interdisciplinary approach provides insight into a particular form of capital punishment