De levande döda i Åhus. En studie av lepra i skelettmaterial från St. Jörgens hospital i Åhus.

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to provide answers concerning how leprosy affected the lives of individuals from the St. Jörgens hospital in Åhus, Scania. Another main topic of concern is how leprosy relates to factors such as other diseases, age and gender. Finally this thesis evaluates and discuses the problems and issues surrounding osteological diagnosis of leprosy. A total of 26 graves containing 54 individuals have been analyzed. Of these a mere eight were diagnosed with leprosy. While it was possible to unearth the pathologies, stress-related changes and traumas of individuals it was harder to draw more generalized conclusions from the material. Relationships between leprosy, other diseases, age and gender are discussed but any conclusions are ultimately rejected due to the unreliability of such a miniscule sample. This thesis provides a useful pathological-osteological inventory of the individuals excavated from St. Jörgens hospital and also an intimate account of the eight lepers

The Identifiability of Osteological Traits on 3D Models of Human Skeletal Remains

Previous studies have entertained the prospect of having 3D models substitute for their dry bone originals in osteological analysis. The objective of this study was to contribute to qualifying to what extent this may be possible given current technology. To this purpose, rather than choosing just a quantitative and purely technical method for evaluating models, as has been the norm in previous studies, a qualitative method was also applied where the visual identifiability of the traits was taken as the standard. A cranium and a metatarsal bone were chosen as case studies, and three types of models were created of each specimen – a scan-based model, an image-based model and a model combining geometry from scans with textures from photos. The relative identifiability of the traits on the different models was graded and compared, and the factors that contributed to the results discussed. The study found that while 3D models may hold some advantages over photo documentation as substitutes to originals in osteological analysis, primarily due to preserving much of the originals’ geometry, the technology also suffers some disadvantages, notably that the textures’ image quality often fall short of photos, especially when superimposed on distorted geometry generated from scans. It can also prove difficult to create models capable of representing all parts of their originals equally well without making the models excessively heavy. Furthermore, the study showed that some morphological traits were more difficult to digitize and thus less identifiable on 3D models than others, and that qualitatively evaluating 3D models is a complex and challenging task. These results challenge assertions about the capabilities of 3D models in previous studies, and suggests that establishing a common standard for evaluating digital models, such as the identifiability of osteological traits introduced here, is a desirable development in digital osteology

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2019 : excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition) : preliminary results, with contributions by L. Recht, B. Placiente Robedizo, C. Eriksson, L. Andersson, M. Svensson, L. Avial Chicharro, S. Hermon, M. Polig & D. Kofel

The tenth season of excavations at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke was carried out in four areas: City Quarter 1 (CQ1), CQ4, City Wall 1 (CW1), and Area A (Tomb RR). The excavations in CQ1 provided additional information on the pre-LC IIIA occupation of the city. Stratum 3 which can be dated to the LC IIC (13th century BC) was further exposed. For the first time in the city even older phases, Strata 4 and 5, were found. These are tentatively dated to the LC I-II (15th to 14th century BC). In CQ4 numerous storage areas were exposed, which belong to a large compound. There is also evidence of production of textiles and purple dye. All remains can be associated to the most recent Stratum 1 and can be securely dated in the LC IIIA, i.e. the 12th century BC. A test trench (CW1) was opened up 150 m to the south-east of CQ4, in an area where the magnetometer survey indicated a possible city wall with moat. A c. 2.5 m-wide man-made construction consisting of small stones intermingled with larger blocks of stones was found running north-south. Built against the interior of this structure is a copper-producing workshop as indicated by much slag, ash, and remains of a furnace, which is preliminarily dated to the 13th century BC. Tomb RR, which was partly excavated in 2018 and secured, was reopened and additional burials came to light. The total number of skeletons now stands at 37; these are associated with 74 complete/intact finds of mainly pottery vessels of which some contained food remains. The pottery comprises Cypriot-produced wares and Mycenaean imports, which indicate a LC IIB-C date of the burials. Other finds include a unique Minoan female figurine and a bronze knife with ivory handle