Photographic repository and RTI imaging of paleopathological lesions in fetal and perinatal human remains

Abstract

This repository does not include all the 43 specimens of the sample. The dataset was created with the specific purpose of showing in the most detailed way possible the lesions related to metabolic disease discovered in this sample, with the hope of being of aid to any other operator working with infantile human remains in the future. Therefore, a thorough selection of the specimens and of the lesions to be recorded and photographed was conducted. 9 standard light directions, obtained from the dome, were selected for this preliminary work. These are the zenith direction (90° above the specimen), the principal cardinal points (above, below, left and right), and intermediate light directions (upper-right, upper-left, lower-right, lower-left). In addition, two standard RTI rendering modes were adopted (Specular Enhancement and Normal Visualization). For any query, or to request pictures of other specimens, please contact the corresponding author.This repository is a further step in the study of perinatal metabolic disease patterns. The paleopathological findings of six child burials discovered in the Medieval and Early Modern cemetery of St Jacob (Tartu, Estonia) are reported using standard photography and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). This is the first time RTI is used on human remains with the specific aim of examining pathological lesions of the bone. This photographic material is associated to the paper "Hunger, disease and subtle lesions: investigating infant systemic metabolic disease in osteological material from 13th-15th century Tartu, Estonia", and is also part of a larger research project focused on the use of RTI imaging in paleopathology. This photographic collection adds to the number of changes that can be identified in immature skeletal remains, serving as a model for future research