Abnormalities and Pathologies Discovered in the Skeletal Sample from The 16th–19th Centuries Aroneanu Monastery Necropolis (Iaşi County, Romania)

Abstract

This paper describes the frequency and anatomical abnormalities and pathologies identified on the skeletal sample discovered in 2014, in the Aroneanu Monastery Necropolis of Iaşi (Iaşi County, Romania). According to archaeological information, the necropolis was used since the first half of the 16th century until the beginning of the 19th century. The osteological material, consisting of 79 skeletons (children, adolescents, adults, matures and seniles), originated from inhumation tombs and reburials. The distribution by sex and age categories indicates a higher male frequency as opposed to females, resulting in a higher masculinity index. Most skeletons were recorded in the maturus category (59.49%), followed by infans I and II (21.52%), adultus (11.39%), senilis (5.06%) and juvenis (2.53%). The abnormalities and pathologies were evaluated both separately, by sex, and for the entire sample. In the cranial segment (for the entire sample), the Wormian bones recorded the highest frequency (15.18%), followed by the metopic suture (3.79%), cranial trauma, cribra orbitalia (with equal incidence – 2.53%) and porotic hyperostosis (1.26%). In the postcranial segment, osteoarthritis is the most frequent (11.39%), followed by spina bifida occulta, sacralization and extra facets on the tibiotalar joint – with equal incidence (3.79%). Lower incidences were recorded for the supratrochlear foramen of the humerus and lumbarization (1.26% each). In the male series, the frequency of pathologies and abnormalities is higher compared to the female series. No pathologies and abnormalities were observed on the skeletons of children and adolescents

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