Measuring the shape. Performance evaluation of a photogrammetry improvement applied to the Neanderthal skull Saccopastore 1

Several digital technologies are nowadays developed and applied to the study of the human fossil record. Here, we present a low-cost hardware implementation of the digital acquisition via photogrammetry, applied to a specimen of paleoanthropological interest: the Neanderthal skull Saccopastore 1. Such implementation has the purpose to semi-automatize the procedures of digital acquisition, by the introduction of an automatically rotating platform users can easily build on their own with minimum costs. We provide all the technical specifications, mostly based on the Arduino UNO™ microcontroller technology, and evaluate the performance and the resolution of the acquisition by comparing it with the CT-scan of the same specimen through the calculation of their shape differences. In our opinion, the replication of the automatic rotating platform, described in this work, may contribute to the improvement of the digital acquisition processes and may represent, in addition, a useful and affordable tool for both research and dissemination

Survival to amputation in pre-antibiotic era: a case study from a Longobard necropolis (6th-8th centuries AD)

The Longobard necropolis of Povegliano Veronese dates from the 6th to the 8th centuries AD. Among the 164 tombs excavated, the skeleton of an older male shows a well-healed amputated right forearm. The orientation of the forearm fracture suggests an angled cut by a single blow. Reasons why a forearm might be amputated include combat, medical intervention, and judicial punishment. As with other amputation cases reported in literature, this one exhibits both healing and osteoblastic response. We argue that the forelimb stump morphology suggests the use of a prosthesis. Moreover, dental modification of RI2 shows considerable wear and smoothing of the occlusal surface, which points to dental use in attaching the prosthesis to the limb. Other indications of how this individual adjusted to his amputated condition includes a slight change in the orientation of the right glenoid fossa surface, and thinning of right humeral cortical bone. This is a remarkable example in which an older male survived the loss of a forelimb in pre-antibiotic era. We link archaeological remains found in the tomb (buckle and knife) with the biological evidence to show how a combined bioarchaeological approach can provide a clearer interpretation of the life history of an individual

Conservation and Reassessment of an Overlooked Skeletal Collection Preserved Since 1901 at the Museum of Anthropology “G. Sergi”, Rome

The osteological investigation of archived and historic skeletal collections can often provide clues to how they were organised and managed, offering key osteobiographical insight into past populations. A small, yet significant, collection of skulls housed at the Museum “Giuseppe Sergi” of the Sapienza University of Rome, remained anonymous prior to a recent reassessment protocol started in 2018. This collection was excavated from a funerary area discovered during the 19th century from the site of Castel Trosino (Ascoli Piceno, Italy). The cemetery was part of an important community during the Longobard domination of Italy, as testified by the richness of the cultural artefacts reported with the burials. The 19 skulls presented in this paper are the only ones available for assessment; all the others were lost shortly after the first excavation. Their importance is related to providing a better understanding of biological evidence of a community that lived in Italy during the Early Middle Ages.Attraverso la chiave di lettura osteobiografica, l'indagine di collezioni scheletriche storiche custodite presso Musei e Soprintendenze può fornire nuovi indizi per la loro storia degli studi. Una piccola ma significativa collezione di crani, ospitata presso il Museo "Giuseppe Sergi" della Sapienza Università di Roma, è rimasta anonima fino ad un recente protocollo di indagine iniziato nel 2018. Questa collezione fu recuperata dall'area funeraria scoperta nel corso del XIX secolo nel sito di Castel Trosino (Ascoli Piceno, Italia). Questo cimitero faceva parte di un’importante comunità durante il periodo della dominazione longobarda d'Italia, come testimoniato dalla ricchezza dei corredi recuperati. I 19 crani presentati in questo lavoro sono gli unici disponibili per lo studio, tutti gli altri sono andati persi poco dopo il primo scavo. La loro importanza è legata alla ricerca di una maggiore comprensione delle testimonianze osteologiche della comunità altomedievale di Castel Trosino

Strontium and oxygen isotopes as indicators of Longobards mobility in Italy. An investigation at Povegliano Veronese

The arrival of the Longobards in Northern Italy in 568 CE marked a period of renewed political stability in the peninsula after the collapse of the Western Roman empire. the trajectory of the spread of Longobards in Italy across the Alps and into the South is known from many literary sources. However, their mobility and residence patterns at a population level remain to be fully understood. Here we present a multi-isotopic analysis (87Sr/86Sr and 18o/16O) of 39 humans and 14 animals buried at the Longobard necropolis of Povegliano Veronese (VR, Italy; 6th—8th century CE), to address mode and tempo of the spread of this population in the peninsula. the geographical location of povegliano Veronese plays a key role: the site lies along the Via Postumia, which was one of the main ancient Roman roads of Northern Italy, representing an important route in post-classical Italy. The integration of isotopic data with the archaeological evidence allowed us to determine the presence of individuals from at least three different regions of origin, building a diachronic map of the dynamics of mobility of this group in northern Italy

Stabbed to death. An osteobiography example of violence among Longobards (Povegliano Veronese, Italy, 6th-8th c CE)

Here we report the reconstruction of the osteobiography of an adult male buried in the Longobard cemetery of Povegliano Veronese (Northern Italy, late 6th – early 8th century CE), who shows signs of interpersonal violence. The palaeopathological investigation reveals sharp force traumas on the body of the fourth lumbar vertebra and on two right ribs. The absence of signs of healing or bone remodelling indicates that the defects were perimortem. The injuries probably afected vital organs, leading to death. Further macroscopic observations of the skeleton suggest horseback-riding activity. Strontium isotope data from tooth enamel indicate a non-local origin of the individual. X ray and CT scan acquisition and Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses were performed to investigate the bone defects. His osteobiography was interpreted and contextualised in the complex socio-political scenario of post classical Italy. The results document that he spent his childhood outside the Povegliano Veronese area, that during his life he was likely a horseback rider active in battle, but that his violent death did not happen during warfare/battle. This multi-layered approach, supported by archaeological information, osteological investigation, biomolecular analysis, and virtual imagery, allowed for the extensive reconstruction of an individual's life history

Morphometric maps of bilateral asymmetry in the human humerus : An implementation in the R package morphomap

In biological anthropology, parameters relating to cross-sectional geometry are calculated in paired long bones to evaluate the degree of lateralization of anatomy and, by inference, function. Here, we describe a novel approach, newly added to the morphomap R package, to assess the lateralization of the distribution of cortical bone along the entire diaphysis. The sample comprises paired long bones belonging to 51 individuals (10 females and 41 males) from The New Mexico Decedent Image Database with known biological profile, occupational and loading histories. Both males and females show a pattern of right lateralization. In addition, males are more lateralized than females, whereas there is not a significant association between lateralization with occupation and loading history. Body weight, height and long-bone length are the major factors driving the emergence of asymmetry in the humerus, while interestingly, the degree of lateralization decreases in the oldest individuals

All’origine dei mestieri: attività professionali e strutture sociali in comunità alto-medievali in Italia. Un’indagine bioarcheologica applicata a due necropoli di cultura longobarda

Nel periodo dell’Alto Medioevo e, nello specifico per le popolazioni barbariche, le aree funerarie rappresentano una delle maggiori fonti di conoscenza. I dati ricavati dalla contestualizzazione bioarcheologica dei due siti oggetto di studio di questa tesi di dottorato sono descritti nelle pagine seguenti con lo scopo di rispondere ad alcune domane principali: quali sono i possibili limiti e le eventuali risorse offerte dall’indagine bioarcheologica? Quali informazioni si possono aggiungere in merito ai rapporti sociali inter- e intra-popolazionistici? In quali casi e come è possibile indagare le attività occupazionali delle popolazioni umane antiche? La rappresentazione del defunto e il suo ruolo sociale è comune in altri contesti coevi? È possibile, infine, ricreare un modello di ricerca che risponda a queste domande e che possa essere usato anche per altri contesti funerari? Punto di partenza dell’indagine presentata in questo progetto di dottorato sono le collezioni scheletriche. Il singolo individuo inumato e, quindi, scheletrizzato costituisce il principale e più diretto indicatore della comunità di appartenenza. Le tematiche affrontate partono, quindi, dalla contestualizzazione sociale e dalle attività professionali presenti nelle fonti scritte e nei rinvenimenti archeologici nel periodo post-classico e alto medievale (Capitolo 1). Nel Capitolo 2 vengono presentati i siti in esame: la necropoli di Povegliano Veronese (datata tra la fine VI e gli inizi dell’VIII secolo) e quella di Selvicciola (metà IV – inizi VIII secolo). Nella parte dedicata a questo ultimo sito, la sistemazione della documentazione archeologica e il riesame della collezione scheletrica hanno permesso di dare una lettura aggiornata delle datazioni dell’area funeraria e dei corredi. L’indagine bioarcheologica di questo lavoro parte dallo studio delle due collezioni cimiteriali per un totale di 155 individui. Attraverso l’indagine antropologica si approfondiscono tematiche legate allo stress occupazionale e ai suoi effetti. Il Capitolo 3 ha lo scopo di illustrare gli scopi della metodologia bioarcheologica soffermandosi sulle possibili domande che possono essere poste al fine di indagare le attività occupazionali nelle popolazioni umane antiche, introducendo la metodologia di studio. Quindi, nel Capitolo 4 i risultati delle indagini antropologiche vengono presentati e contestualizzati. Al fine di valutare possibili differenze intra- e inter-popolazionistiche è, quindi, l’integrazione dei dati numerici derivati dalle misurazioni e dalle eventuali paleopatologie con le informazioni archeologiche ed etnografiche. Il primo aspetto ha lo scopo di indagare eventuali differenze negli stili di vita da una popolazione alloctona e una autoctona all’interno della comunità sepolta a Povegliano Veronese. Ugualmente a Selvicciola verranno indagate le differenze sociali tra le sepolture che permettono di identificare una differenza etnico-culturale. È necessario specificare che le differenze tra individui maschili e femminili si concerteranno tra le sepolture identificate sotto l’aspetto cronologico e culturale e che, quindi, possono essere inseriti all’interno di un gruppo verosimilmente distinto da un altro presente nella stessa comunità. Infine, possibili confronti si concentreranno tra le due popolazioni

Disability and care in Western Europe during Medieval times: A bioarchaeological perspective

This Special Issue has its foundation in presentations delivered in the symposium Disability and Care in Medieval Times: a Bioarchaeological Perspective on Health-related Practices held at the 2019 European Association of Archaeologists conference in Switzerland. It comprises 12 papers, all relevant to aspects of pathology experience and/or care provision in Western Europe during the Early to Late Middle Ages (500 – 1500 CE). Reflecting the 1000 year timespan involved, these papers are characterised by diversity in subject matter and in the lifeways in which they are located, but all contribute to the symposium’s primary aim: to demonstrate that our understanding of the Medieval period is enhanced by cross-disciplinary, bioarchaeological research into individual and collective experiences of disability and care. This Introduction provides the background to the 2019 symposium, and briefly discusses the papers contained in the Special Issue which emerged from this

Mobility patterns from the Povegliano Veronese burial ground. Preliminary strontium isotope results

Archaeological data and written sources suggest that the Longobards were a community “on the move”. To support this hypothesis, we analysed strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) to explore mobility patterns of 24 individuals buried in the Longobard graveyard at Povegliano Veronese (Verona; late 6th - early 8th century). This site, located on the Via Postumia, represents a possible arrival destination from Pannonia. Integration of material culture data with results of the biological assessment of the skeletal remains has revealed that 224 individuals were buried in just over a century and a half, covering several generations. For the Sr isotope analyses, soil samples together with human teeth and bone specimens were selected from burials of all periods of use of the cemetery. Soil collected from the burials was used to define the local range at the site, showing strontium values typical of Quaternary alluvial and moraine deposits. Cluster analysis of the tooth data shows three distinct groups corresponding to three different geochemical signatures. Around sixty percent of the individuals have Sr ratios close to that of Povegliano Veronese soil; these constitute the local group. Twenty-nine percent of the individuals have higher Sr ratios than those of Povegliano Veronese soils, which strongly suggests that they originated elsewhere; they are hence defined “allochthons”. Notably, the signatures of the allochthonous groups match values from the Lake Balaton region in Hungary. A small proportion of individuals (one male and one female) show the highest Sr ratios in the set: without being able to pinpoint a possible area of origin, we propose a generally wider European provenance for them. The pattern of mobility revealed by this work appears to confirm the high mobility of the first generation buried at Povegliano, in line with the hypothesis of migration from Pannonia

Stabbed by a blade during the barbarian invasions: the case of multiple perimortem traumas from an Italian Longobard cemetery (6th-8th c. CE)

Interpersonal violence reveals implications in behaviour, mobility, lifestyle and health of past human populations. These implications are even more visible when seen in relation to historical periods that were characterized by immigration or invasion, with the resulting economic, social and political instability. The archaeological evidence of the Longobard cemetery of Povegliano Veronese (Veneto, Northern Italy), brackets the cemetery between the 6th and 8th c. CE. Over 240 skeletons were recovered within the funerary area. Among them, there is the skeleton of a Longobard male aged 40-50 years, showing multiple perimortem injuries without signs of healing. Deep sharp-force traumas are located in the ventral portion of the 5th lumbar vertebra and in four right ribs, likely caused by a blade. From macroscopic and micro-CT observations, we could assess that none of these injuries show signs of bone remodeling or healing. This condition suggests that the sharp-force traumas were perimortem. SEM microscopy will allow to investigate the possible presence of metal remains of the alleged weapon. The case-study reported here sheds light on an aspect of Germanic immigrations from Northern Europe to Italy in the Early Middle Ages, while critically contributing to our understanding of interpersonal violence in the post-classical world