Palaeopathological evidence of infectious disease in skeletal populations from later medieval Serbia

Published data on palaeopathology are limited from the area of Serbia. This paper provides evidence for infectious disease in 1617 skeletons from eight Medieval Serbian cemeteries. Two hundred and three individuals were analysed by the first author and data on the remaining skeletons were derived from previous published work. A total of 23 adult individuals, and no non‐adults, had evidence of infectious disease. Historical data on infectious disease at that time are considered, particularly leprosy, treponemal disease, and infections affecting only the soft tissues, such as the plague, dysentery, smallpox and rabies, and the results of the analyses compared, with discussions on the limitations of the study. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Review Article: Nationalisms,National Identities and Nation States: Gendered Perspectives

Books reviewed in this article: Nira Yuval‐Davis, Gender & Nation Lois West (ed.), Feminist Nationalism Rick Wilford and Robert L. Miller (eds.), Women, Ethnicity and Nationalism: The Politics of Transition Cynthia Cockburn, The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict     

Rickets and child abuse: the case of a two year old girl from the 4th century in Lisieux (Normandy)

The burial of a child of two years of age from the 4^th century site of Lisieux‐Michelet (Calvados, France) was examined for bone hyperplasia and a variety of mechanical deformations recognized in association with skeletal trauma. Results of DNA analysis of bone using the PCR method identified this child as female. Microscopic features of the teeth (interglobular dentine) and a sample taken from the tibia conclusively determined that this child suffered from vitamin D‐resistant rickets and possibly X‐linked hypophosphataemic rickets as its most common form of occurrence. In addition, evidence for child abuse is suspected based on the presence of cranial and tooth fractures and the appearance of successive plaque‐like endocranial (meningeal) appositions. This is the first palaeopathological report of child abuse in antiquity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Well preserved non‐collagenous extracellular matrix proteins in ancient human bone and teeth

Ancient bones in a good preservation state, ascertained by microscopic techniques, conserve extracellular matrix proteins over thousands of years. With new techniques, intact extracellular matrix proteins from ancient bones and teeth are extracted and separated by one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional electrophoresis. Proteins were identified in Western blots by special antibodies against different human extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules of bone. We have confirmed different types of ECM human bone molecules such as osteonectin, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase with specific antibodies in human bone samples from different age groups. Additionally, we selected bone samples from different cultural time periods, such as the Middle Ages, the Bronze Age and the Late Pre‐Pottery Neolithic Phase (PPNB), and teeth from individuals from the Early Middle Ages and from the Late PPNB. The survival of intact extracellular matrix proteins in ancient bones and teeth dating from recent times to the Late PPNB, and reliable techniques to identify these proteins, present a great challenge to further research. A Match Set with PD‐Quest 7.2 shows that only 16% of protein spots in the teeth are also found in the bone of the same individual. In combination with the results of macro‐ and microscopic investigation, biochemical techniques will help us in obtaining a better understanding of bone and teeth in health and disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oral implications of labret use: a case from pre‐Columbian Chile

This paper examines the osteological evidence for a case of long‐term labret use in pre‐Columbian north Chile and the pathological conditions associated with it. The burials from the site of Solcor 3 (AD 400–900) included a complete skeleton associated with two quartz labrets. Analysis of the skeleton of this adult male revealed wear and polish on the labial surface of both mandibular canines, indicating that the labrets were worn as a pair on either side of the midline of the lower lip. In addition to these abrasion facets, there were also areas of periosteal reaction in the alveolar bone of the canines. These patterns were analysed from the perspective of the clinical dentistry literature and compared to archaeological data. It is concluded that this individual's dental health was affected by wearing labrets, although not as seriously as might be expected based on contemporary medical reports. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.