Maternal mortality in 19th- and early 20th-century Italy

Although dramatically reduced in Western and developed countries, maternal mortality is still today one of the most relevant social and health scourges in developing countries. This is the reason why high levels of maternal mortality are always interpreted as a sign of low living standards, ignorance, poverty and woman discrimination. Maternal mortality represents, therefore, a very peculiar characteristic of demographic systems of ancien regime. Despite this important role in demographic systems, no systematic study has been addressed to investigate the impact of maternal mortality in historical Italy. The aim of this article is to shed some light on such a phenomenon by investigating its trend over time and the determinants in some Italian populations between the 18th and the early 20th centuries. The analysis will make use of civil and parish registers linked together by means of nominative techniques, and it will be, therefore, carried out at the micro level

Ft-Ir spectroscopy and microspectroscopy of ancient egyptian embalmed heads from the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the University of Turin

Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and microspectroscopy were used to gain insight into the state of preservation of the skin of two Egyptian dynastic embalmed heads (VI-XI Dynasty) and one Predynastic mummy. The mummies came from the necropoles of Asiut and Gebelein (Upper Egypt), and are curated at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the University of Turin. The state of preservation was inferred from the biochemical composition of the skin, in particular from the secondary structure of the proteins. The secondary structure of the skin protein was investigated by studying the position and shape of the Amide I band, analyzed by means of self-deconvolution techniques. The increase in the b-sheet relative amount in the protein conformation of the mummified tissues with respect to the modern skin, was correlated with aging processes of collagen and keratins, the most abundant proteins in the skin. The steps of the degradation processes are hypothesized and described, and the differences in the recorded state of degradation were ascribed to the diverse mummification procedures undergone by the studied human remains. Other non-skin-derived features in the IR micro spectra of the embalmed specimens were detected and identified either as embalming materials or microbial attack traces

Inventariazione computerizzata delle propriet\ue0 di S. Martino de\u2019 Bocci (a.1323) e S. Giovanni Evangelista (a.1352) nella zona di Torrile

+ 131 pp. di tabulati s.n

The "Hidden Frontier" between Trentino and South Tyrol: Interaction between Populations on the Roman-Germanic Border

This study is part of the “Alteritas” project, which examines relationships between populations by identifying linguistic, bio-demographic, archaeological and cultural parameters of interaction, past and present. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to analyze the complex interethnic relations in the language border zone between Trentino and Alto Adige. Adopting as a reference point the studies begun during the 1970s by J.W. Wolf and E.R. Cole on the “hidden frontier” in the Alta Val di Non (Upper Non Valley), our research extends to adjoining territories with comparable socio-economic situations. Considered in particular are the districts of the Alta Val di Non, lower Val di Fiemme and Bassa Atesina/Piana Rotaliana. Interaction between the communities is investigated considering aspects such as linguistic and cultural habits, traditions and social and economic structure, and migratory exchanges. The bio-demographic part of the project is aimed at identifying continuity/discontinuity in surname structure near the borders between Trentino and Alto Adige. Analysis of geographical distribution of surnames, considered as parameters of interaction, may help define the nature, means and degree of the relationships between populations. Telephone books and questionnaires provide the main data sources while marriage lists, where made available by the local institutions, offer further investigation

The \u201chidden frontier\u201d between Trentino and South Tyrol: interaction between populations on the Romance-Germanic border.

This study is part of the \u201cAlteritas\u201d project, which examines relationships between populations by identifying linguistic, bio-demographic, archaeological and cultural parameters of interaction, past and present. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to analyze the complex interethnic relations in the language border zone between Trentino and Alto Adige. Adopting as a reference point the studies begun during the 1970s by J.W. Wolf and E.R. Cole on the \u201chidden frontier\u201d in the Alta Val di Non (Upper Non Valley), our research extends to adjoining territories with comparable socio-economic situations. Considered in particular are the districts of the Alta Val di Non, lower Val di Fiemme and Bassa Atesina/Piana Rotaliana. Interaction between the communities is investigated considering aspects such as linguistic and cultural habits, traditions and social and economic structure, and migratory exchanges. The bio-demographic part of the project is aimed at identifying continuity/discontinuity in surname structure near the borders between Trentino and Alto Adige. Analysis of geographical distribution of surnames, considered as parameters of interaction, may help define the nature, means and degree of the relationships between populations. Telephone books and questionnaires provide the main data sources while marriage lists, where made available by the local institutions, offer further investigation

Matrimoni misti: implicazioni biologiche

In the process of microevolution, reproductive isolation is the condition that enables genetic differentiation between populations. Such a differentiation is however effectively contrasted by the gene flow generated by migration processes. The genetic variability within the human species is devoid of any substantial discontinuity and as far greater within populations rather than between populations. The sense of belonging to a group does not therefore have biological meaning, even though members of a population may display a certain likeness in their physical appearance due to adaptation to the environment. After this premise, our paper will examine the biological implications of endogamy/exogamy, showing also how surnames can be considered as parameters of biological interaction and used to evaluate the degree of genetic affinity or differentiation between populations, which in turn is related to the extent of migratory/matrimonial exchanges in the past