Sex-related morbidity and mortality in non-adult individuals from the Early Medieval site of Valdaro (Italy): the contribution of dental enamel peptide analysis

In this work, osteological and paleopathological analyses are combined with liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry to study life and death of 30 non-adult individuals from an Early Medieval Italian funerary context (Valdaro, 7th-8th cent. AD). We estimated individual sex by exploiting sexual differences in enamel-bounded peptides. Enamel proteins were extracted through an acid etching of the whole tooth crowns for 4 samples\ud and through a partial digestion of small enamel chunks for the remaining 26 samples. Both protocols were informative on the sex of the individuals through the identification of amelogenin isoforms (AMELX and AMELY). In addition, low-mineralized tooth germs were analysed and they provided reliable information on the infants’ sex. We observed the presence of 13 males and 17 females among the non-adults of Valdaro, not significantly different from a random sample with an equal frequency of males and females. Cribra cranii and endocranial lesion occurrence showed an association with sex, with higher frequencies in male individuals

Dietary strategies of Pleistocene Pongo sp. and Homo erectus on Java (Indonesia)

During the Early to Middle Pleistocene, Java was inhabited by hominid taxa of great diversity. However, their seasonal dietary strategies have never been explored. We undertook geochemical analyses of orangutan (Pongo sp.), Homo erectus and other mammalian Pleistocene teeth from Sangiran. We reconstructed past dietary strategies at subweekly resolution and inferred seasonal ecological patterns. Histologically controlled spatially resolved elemental analyses by laser-based plasma mass spectrometry confirmed the preservation of authentic biogenic signals despite the effect of spatially restricted diagenetic overprint. The Sr/Ca record of faunal remains is in line with expected trophic positions, contextualizing fossil hominid diet. Pongo sp. displays marked seasonal cycles with ~3 month-long strongly elevated Sr/Ca peaks, reflecting contrasting plant food consumption presumably during the monsoon season, while lower Sr/Ca ratios suggest different food availability during the dry season. In contrast, omnivorous H. erectus shows low and less accentuated intra-annual Sr/Ca variability compared to Pongo sp., with δ13C data of one individual indicating a dietary shift from C4 to a mix of C3 and C4 plants. Our data suggest that H. erectus on Java was maximizing the resources available in more open mosaic habitats and was less dependent on variations in seasonal resource availability. While still influenced by seasonal food availability, we infer that H. erectus was affected to a lesser degree than Pongo sp., which inhabited monsoonal rain forests on Java. We suggest that H. erectus maintained a greater degree of nutritional independence by exploiting the regional diversity of food resources across the seasons

Lesioni traumatiche nelle popolazioni umane tra età del Rame ed età del Bronzo: la Tomba 31 di Nogarole Rocca (VR)

Evidence of interpersonal violence occurs both directly, in the form of skeletal trauma, and indirectly, if reconstructed from archaeological contexts, providing useful information on behavioral and cultural aspects of ancient human groups. The osteological remains of an adult male discovered in grave number 31 at Nogarole Rocca (Bronze Age - VR, Italy) provide us with both information. The inhumation was associated with a bronze dagger blade but, most interestingly, a perimortal injury resulting from a flint arrowhead was identified in his fourth thoracic vertebra, interpretable as proof of interpersonal violence. This evidence increases the framework of knowledge about episodes of interpersonal conflict among Copper and Bronze Age communities in northern Italy

Lesioni traumatiche nelle popolazioni umane tra età del Rame ed età del Bronzo: la Tomba 31 di Nogarole Rocca (VR)

Evidence of interpersonal violence occurs both directly, in the form of skeletal trauma, and indirectly, if reconstructed from archaeological contexts, providing useful information on behavioral and cultural aspects of ancient human groups. The osteo- logical remains of an adult male discovered in grave number 31 at Nogarole Rocca (Bronze Age - VR, Italy) provide us with both information. The inhumation was associated with a bronze dagger blade but, most interestingly, a perimortal injury resulting from a flint arrowhead was identified in his fourth thoracic vertebra, interpretable as proof of interpersonal violence. This evidence increases the framework of knowledge about episodes of interpersonal conflict among Copper and Bronze Age communities in northern Italy

Exploring prenatal and neonatal life history through dental histology in infants from the Phoenician necropolis of Motya (7th- 6 th century BCE)

The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight into past human populations. Dental mineralized tissues contain a permanent record of their growth that can provide access to the prenatal and early infant life, and mortality, of human skeletons. This study focuses on the histomorphometric analysis of deciduous teeth from the ‘Archaic Necropolis’ of Motya (7th -6th century BCE, Sicily - Italy). The histomorphometric analysis is conducted on prenatal andpostnatal enamel of eight anterior deciduous teeth from seven individuals from this Phoenician population to estimate their chronological age-at-death, health, and enamel growth parameters. Proteomic analysis has been used to determine the sex of the infants. The presence of the Neonatal Line in all specimens indicates that the seven individuals survived birth. The occurrence of at least one accentuated line (AL) in prenatal enamel in four out of seven individuals suggests the foetuses and/or their mothers experienced a stress-related event during pregnancy. As expected, there was limited variation in daily secretion rates (DSRs) near the enamel dentine junction (EDJ). These rates increase toward the outer enamel surface and decrease toward the cervix. Our findings illustrate the importance of dental histology for reconstructing perinatal and early infancy mortality and morbidity patterns at Motya, which sheds light on the socio-cultural perception of newborns and infants in an ancient Phoenician communit

Exploring prenatal and neonatal life history through dental histology in infants from the Phoenician necropolis of Motya (7th–6th century BCE)

The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight into past human populations. Dental mineralized tissues contain a permanent record of their growth that can provide access to the prenatal and early infant life, and mortality, of human skeletons. This study focuses on the histomorphometric analysis of deciduous teeth from the ‘Archaic Necropolis’ of Motya (7th–6th century BCE, Sicily–Italy). The histomorphometric analysis is conducted on prenatal and postnatal enamel of eight anterior deciduous teeth from seven individuals from this Phoenician population to estimate their chronological age-at-death, health, and enamel growth parameters. Proteomic analysis has been used to determine the sex of the infants. The presence of the Neonatal Line in all specimens indicates that the seven individuals survived birth. The occurrence of at least one Accentuated Line in prenatal enamel in four out of seven individuals suggests the foetuses and/or their mothers experienced a stress-related event during pregnancy. As expected, there was limited variation in Daily Secretion Rates near the Enamel Dentine Junction. These rates increase toward the outer enamel surface and decrease toward the cervix. Our findings illustrate the importance of dental histology for reconstructing perinatal and early infancy mortality and morbidity patterns at Motya, which sheds light on the socio-cultural perception of new-borns and infants in an ancient Phoenician community