Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis - appearance and diagnostics in Hungarian osteoarcheological materials

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or Forestier’s disease appears in different skeletal elements, and usually characterized by the calcification of the right side anterior longitudinal ligament of the spine and by the ossification of entheses and ligaments at extra-spinal sites. Although the etiology of DISH is still unknown, but the presence of it seems to be connected with some metabolic diseases, like type II diabetes or obesity. On the basis of Resnick’s criteria, the recognition of DISH is not difficult, but in paleopathology, the osteoarcheological series’ different state of preservation may result in diagnostical uncertanity. This paper summarizes the results of the physical anthropological examinations carried out seven osteoacheological series from the Great Hungarian Plain, and points to those osseous alterations, which may be helpful in the diagnosis of DISH

Developmental anomalies and other pathological lesions of the sternum in a medieval osteological sample

We cannot often read about the developmental anomalies of the sternum in paleopathological literature (Brothwell 1965; Tóth and Buda 2001); medical publications on anomalies resulting in chest deformity based on recent population are also rare (Keszler and Szabó 1996). Fractures and inflammation of the sternum are fairly infrequent, and the symptoms of porotic hyperostosis caused by increased red blood cell production are seldom detected in osteological samples. Some developmental anomalies (e. g. sternum fenestratum, alterations of the xiphoid process) do not influence the function or physiological form of the chest, while others may change the shape and diameter of the chest causing difficulties in breathing and in heart function. Some genetic diseases, through the malfunction of the production of the connecting tissues’ basic substantia and fibres, necessarily entail changes in the shape of the sternum. In individuals suffering from Marfan syndrome, sternum excavatum, while in individuals suffering from Hurler- and Morqio-syndrome (and other mucopolysaccharidosis cases), pectus gallinaceum can be observed. Other sternum anomalies resulting from non-genetic factors also seem to run in the family, though how they are inherited is not yet known. An anomaly called synchondrosis sternii develops during postnatal life, and means that the originally cartilaginous sternebrea do not become ossified, there remain synchondrosis between the parts even through the whole lifetime. This, however, does not cause abnormal chest movement. In some cases, the fracture of the sternum may lead to serious respiratory disfunction, and the healing of these injuries without any surgical intervention is not guaranteed. The development of pseudo-articulations may also cause abnormal chest movement. Osteomyelitis spreading to other organs may prove to be dangerous, even fatal

The frequency of enthesopathies in the 14-15th century series of Bátmonostor-Pusztafalu

This study presents the frequency of enthesopathies in the osteological material of a medieval cemetery. The development of the phenomenon is explained as a result of the exerting way of living. The bony outgrows appear in the patellae and the calcanei the most frequently, and twice as much males are involved than females. The appearence of the lesions may be single, but in some cases multiple changes may also be seen on a skeleton

Török hódoltság kori idegen etnikumok összehasonlító embertani elemzése = Comparative anthropological analysis of foreign populations in Turkish occupation of Hungary

A 3 éves kutatási periódus ideje alatt 7 - antropológiai szempontból kevéssé ismert - 16-17. századi temető embertani vizsgálatát végeztük el. A koponya metrikus adataira alapozva klaszteranalízist alkalmaztunk, melynek eredményeiből kiderült, hogy a török hódoltság idején betelepült népességek az összehasonlításhoz felhasznált késő középkori magyar temetőktől jól elkülönülő csoportot alkotnak. A vizsgálatba bevont romániai és délszláv temetők közül csupán a dél-boszniai Raąka Gora mutatott párhuzamot a Magyarországon letelepedett idegen etnikumokkal. A csontvázleletek patológiai vizsgálatának eredménye rámutatott, hogy a vizsgált népességek életmódjukat tekintve 2 csoportba sorolhatók: egy békés körülmények közt élő földművelő-állattenyésztő és egy időnként harci tevékenységet is folytató csoportba. Az elemzett lelet együttesek körében megfigyelt nagyszámú, fertőzéses eredetre utaló kezdeti stádiumú csontelváltozás legyengült immunrendszerre utal. A magyar területen élő idegen eredetű népességek eltérő nyelvi és vallási kultúrája következményeként feltételezett endogámiát, a koponyacsontokon manifesztálódott fejlődési rendellenességek felhalmozódásával, a vizsgált temetők közül kettőnél igazoltuk. A kutatómunka eredményei alapul szolgálnak egy magyar, a paleohisztológiai rész pedig egy németországi PhD disszertáció elkészítéséhez, továbbá egy, a jövőben benyújtandó nemzetközi (magyar-német) pályázathoz. | A comparative anthropological examination of skeletal material dating from the Turkish occupation of Hungary (16th-17th centuries AD) belonging to 7 foreign ethnic groups was carried out during a 3-year research period. Cluster analyses were applied to find out the relationships between these non-Hungarian groups and the late medieval Hungarian populations, as well as the origin of the immigrated groups. Southern Slav and Romanian series were also used for comparison. Our results indicated that the foreign populations of this study are separated in a distinct group and revealed a close relationship with a southern Bosnian Raąka Gora. According to the results of our palaeopathological examinations, the analyzed populations could be classified into two groups: a quiet agro-pastoralist population and another group with a more violent lifestyle. The large number of chronic infectious bony lesions refers to the poor state of health of these populations. Endogamy was proved in two of the examined series by the high frequency of developmental anomalies on the skull. The main results of our study served as a basis for a PhD dissertation, and the palaeohistological results provided an important source for another PhD thesis. A new international project is also planned on the basis of our results

Szarmata sebészi trepanációk a Kárpát-medencében = Sarmatian Surgical trepanations in the Carpathian Basin

Despite the abundance of written resources and bioarcheological remains from the era, very few trephined skulls have been unearthed so far from the territory of the Roman Empire. In the territory of today Hungary, more than 130 surgically trephined skulls have come to light, with the earliest evidence deriving from the Neolithic period. However, the Hungarian literature does not mention any unequivocal Roman finds from the province of Pannonia (today Western Hungary). Earlier publications and osteological researches of the last fifteen years, however, have already yielded 6 possible cases of trepanation from Barbaricum, the Sarmatian territory partly enclosed by Roman provinces (today Eastern Hungary). The authors wish to re-examine these 6 cases, evaluate and justify their inclusion as Sarmatian trepanations, and put forward a possible explanation of the controversy between the written resources and the osteological evidence

Bioanthropological analysis of Békés 103 (Jégvermi-kert, Lipcsei-tanya), a Bronze Age cemetery from southeastern Hungary

The analysis of human skeletal remains is an important tool for reconstructing aspects of health, diet, disease, and population structure (such as demographics, life expectancy, and mortality) in past populations. This study presents the recovery techniques and initial bioanthropological analysis of cremation and inhumation burials from the archaeological site of Békés 103, a Bronze Age cemetery located in southeastern Hungary. In all possible cases, analysts microexcavated cremation urns in a laboratory setting to ensure recovery of all fragmentary skeletal material and allow detailed spatial documentation of each burial’s contents. This report presents estimated age and sex information for each individual, provides a preliminary assessment of observable trends in the population, and offers a paleodemographic profile of the cemetery for comparison with contemporary prehistoric communities in Hungary