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This Special Issue has its foundation in presentations delivered in the symposium Disability and Care in Medieval Times: a Bioarchaeological Perspective into 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Longobard necropolis of Castel Trosino dates from the 6th to the 8th century CE. Among the tombs excavated, the skull of an older female shows the first evidence of a cross‐shaped bone modification on a living subject. Macroscopic, microscopic, and CT scan analyses revealed signs of at least two sets of scraping marks. Specifically, SEM analysis shows that perimortem bone‐scraping traces are present on the skull. Both healed and non‐healed defects suggest that the woman has received at least twice intentional bone modifications to address her condition. This is the first evidence of a cross‐shaped therapeutic intervention on a living subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A case of trepanation has been documented on a cranium from the Longobard cemetery of Castel Trosino (central Italy, 6th-8th centuries CE). The cranium represents the only remains of an elderly woman (ca. 50yo), and the medical treatment, or the condition that led to it, likely influenced her life course. In this study we have attempted to reconstruct her life-history via multi stable isotope analysis on different tissues. This will assist in reconstructing variations in the nutritional intake and has the potential to highlight physiological stresses during specific time intervals. The isotopic values of the latter years of her life are consistent with those of other adults from the cemetery (n=18). Her life conditions and the level of healthcare will be presented via paleopathological and isotopic analyses, supported by the archaeological context and the medical literature. Our analysis suggests that the community members cared for this woman, at least by providing her with a consistent food intake. This sheds light on two possible, non-mutually alternative, scenarios: a) she had a privileged social status that favored such treatments; b) the care for individuals with severe ailments was likely a practice included in the community habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]