| Abstract: | Cribra orbitalia and cribra cranii are considered good indicators of the health and nutritional status of ancient populations, as their presence is often associated with chronic acquired anaemia. The distribution of these lesions in two Roman samples from the Ravenna area and Rimini was considered as a measure of health in relation to their respective environments. Enamel hypoplasia was also assessed as it is symptomatic of childhood physiological stresses such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, physiological traumas, and the like. The differential analysis suggests that the lesions observed are due to chronic acquired anaemia, probably caused by a poor diet, worm infestation, infections and parasitic diseases. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
