Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 1 st –2 nd century CE southern Italy

n/

Dataset of oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotope values from the Imperial Roman site of Velia (ca. 1st-2nd c. CE), Italy

The oxygen (δ18Ocarbonate), strontium (87Sr/86Sr), and previously unpublished carbon (δ13Ccarbonate) isotope data presented herein from the Imperial Roman site of Velia (ca. 1st to 2nd c. CE) were obtained from the dental enamel of human permanent second molars (M2). In total, the permanent M2s of 20 individuals (10 male and 10 female) were sampled at the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome (formerly the Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "L. Pigorini") and were subsequently processed and analysed at McMaster University. A subsample of teeth (n=5) was initially subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis to assess for diagenetic alteration through calculation of crystallinity index (CI) values. Subsequently, tooth enamel was analysed for δ13Ccarbonate and δ18Ocarbonate (VPDB) using a VG OPTIMA Isocarb isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) at McMaster Research for Stable Isotopologues (MRSI), and 87Sr/86Sr was measured by dynamic multi-collection using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences. The dental enamel isotope data presented represent the first δ18O, δ13Ccarbonate, and 87Sr/86Sr values analysed from Imperial Roman Campania to date, providing data of use for comparative analyses of δ18O, δ13C, and 87Sr/86Sr values within the region and for assisting in documenting human mobility in archaeological contexts. Full interpretation of the δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr data presented here is provided in "Imperial Roman mobility and migration at Velia (1st to 2nd c. CE) in southern Italy" [1]

Child and Adolescent Diet in Late Roman Gaul: An investigation of incremental dietary stable isotopes in tooth dentine

International audienc

Pubertal timing as an indicator of early life stress in Roman Italy and Roman Gaul

International audienceObjectives: Puberty is a period of rapid growth and development, and the age ofonset and duration of puberty may serve as an indicator of developmental stressduring childhood. In this study, we compare pubertal timing and tempo in individualsfrom two Roman Imperial cemetery sites, integrating biological and social factors tobetter understand pubertal timing differences and their possible connection to EarlyLife Stress (ELS) and peri-pubertal stress.Materials and Methods: Osteological methods to estimate pubertal timing wereapplied to 264 individuals from Lisieux-Michelet (4th–5th centuries CE; France) andIsola Sacra (1st–4th centuries CE; Italy). Peptide analysis of tooth enamel was usedto assess sex in a sub-sample of pre-pubertal remains.Results: Individuals experienced puberty between 9 and 20 years of age, withfemales experiencing the acceleration stage earlier than males (p 1.2).Between the two sites, no significant differences were noted for age-at-death duringacceleration, peak height velocity, and deceleration (i.e., the active stages of puberty).Menarche occurred around 15 years of age.Discussion: The inter-site comparisons demonstrate similar patterns of pubertaltiming and tempo. For males, the pubertal timing aligns with ancient literary descrip-tions of key puberty milestones. Females entered puberty earlier than literary sourcessuggest and experienced puberty for an extended period, pointing to possiblegendered exposure to ELS and peri-pubertal stress, influenced by their social statusin the Roman Empire. These results demonstrate how pubertal timing and tempo canbe used to infer developmental stress in past populations

Gastrointestinal infection in Italy during the Roman Imperial and Longobard periods: A paleoparasitological analysis of sediment from skeletal remains and sewer drains.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate parasitic infection in Italy during the Roman period (27 BCE-476 CE) and subsequent Longobard (Lombard) period (6th-8th CE). MATERIALS: Sediment samples from drains and burials from Roman Imperial-period sites in Italy (Lucus Feroniae, Oplontis, Vacone, and Vagnari), Late Antique and Longobard-period burials at Selvicciola (ca. 4th-8th CE), and Longobard-period burials at Vacone and Povegliano Veronese. METHODS: Microscopy was used to identify helminth eggs and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect protozoan antigens. RESULTS: Roundworm and whipworm were found in pelvic sediment from Roman-period burials, while roundworm and the protozoan Giardia duodenalis were identified in Roman-period drains. In pelvic sediment from the Late Antique through Longobard periods, roundworm and Taenia tapeworm eggs were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Fecal-oral parasites were found throughout Imperial Roman Italy, suggesting that gastrointestinal infections caused a significant disease burden. In the Longobard period we see continuity in transmission of fecal-oral parasites, and the appearance of zoonotic parasites acquired from eating undercooked meat. SIGNIFICANCE: A wealth of information exists about certain diseases in the Roman period, but relatively little is known about intestinal parasites in Italy during the Roman and Longobard periods. This is the first evidence for Giardia in Roman period Italy, and for any parasites in the Longobard period in Italy. LIMITATIONS: Low egg concentrations and lack of controls for some samples makes it difficult to differentiate true infections from environmental contamination in some cases. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH: Continual study of samples from Roman and Longobard period Italy.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (grant number 752-2016-2085)

Examining pathogen DNA recovery across the remains of a 14th century Italian friar (Blessed Sante) infected with Brucella melitensis

Objective To investigate variation in ancient DNA recovery of Brucella melitensis, the causative agent of brucellosis, from multiple tissues belonging to one individual Materials 14 samples were analyzed from the mummified remains of the Blessed Sante, a 14 th century Franciscan friar from central Italy, with macroscopic diagnosis of probable brucellosis. Methods Shotgun sequencing data from was examined to determine the presence of Brucella DNA. Results Three of the 14 samples contained authentic ancient DNA, identified as belonging to B. melitensis. A genome (23.81X depth coverage, 0.98 breadth coverage) was recovered from a kidney stone. Nine of the samples contained reads classified as B. melitensis (7−169), but for many the data quality was insufficient to withstand our identification and authentication criteria. Conclusions We identified significant variation in the preservation and abundance of B. melitensis DNA present across multiple tissues, with calcified nodules yielding the highest number of authenticated reads. This shows how greatly sample selection can impact pathogen identification. Significance Our results demonstrate variation in the preservation and recovery of pathogen DNA across tissues. This study highlights the importance of sample selection in the reconstruction of infectious disease burden and highlights the importance of a holistic approach to identifying disease. Limitations Study focuses on pathogen recovery in a single individual. Suggestions for further research Further analysis of how sampling impacts aDNA recovery will improve pathogen aDNA recovery and advance our understanding of disease in past people

Twenty-first century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward

This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward,” which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6–8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ultimately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that reverberate through history and beyond as promising trajectories for bioarchaeological research. Among the former were contextual grounding, research question/hypothesis generation, statistical procedures appropriate for small samples and mixed qualitative/quantitative data, the salience of Bayesian methods, and training program content. Topical foci included ethics, social inequality, identity (including intersectionality), climate change, migration, violence, epidemic disease, adaptability/plasticity, the osteological paradox, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Given the profound changes required globally to address decolonization in the 21st century, this concern also entered many formal and informal discussions

Twenty-first century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward

This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward,” which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6–8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ultimately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that reverberate through history and beyond as promising trajectories for bioarchaeological research. Among the former were contextual grounding, research question/hypothesis generation, statistical procedures appropriate for small samples and mixed qualitative/quantitative data, the salience of Bayesian methods, and training program content. Topical foci included ethics, social inequality, identity (including intersectionality), climate change, migration, violence, epidemic disease, adaptability/plasticity, the osteological paradox, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Given the profound changes required globally to address decolonization in the 21st century, this concern also entered many formal and informal discussions