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The phenotypic expression of adult body size and shape results from synergistic interactions between hereditary factors and environmental conditions experienced during growth. Variation in body size and shape occurs even in genetically relatively homogeneous groups, due to different occurrence, duration, and timing of growth insults. Understanding the causes and patterns of intrapopulation variation can foster meaningful information on early life conditions in living and past populations. This study assesses the pattern of biological variation in body size and shape attributable to sex and social status in a medieval Italian population. The sample includes 52 (20 female, 32 male) adult individuals from the medieval population of Trino Vercellese, Italy. Differences in element size and overall body size (skeletal height and body mass) were assessed through Monte Carlo methods, while univariate non-parametric tests and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed to examine segmental and overall body proportions. Discriminant Analysis was employed to determine the predictive value of individual skeletal elements for social status in the population. Our results highlight a distinct pattern in body size and shape variation in relation to status and sex. Male subsamples exhibit significant postcranial variation in body size, while female subsamples express smaller, nonsignificant differences. The analysis of segmental proportions highlighted differences in trunk/lower limb proportions between different status samples, and PCA indicated that in terms of purely morphological variation high status males were distinct from all other groups. The pattern observed likely resulted from a combination of biological factors and cultural practices.

The study was conducted on a skeleton belonging to the "G. Marro"Egyptian anthropological collection. The skeleton came from a single grave at Gebelein (Upper Egypt) ; the archaelogical evidence dates it to the Dynastic period. The skeleton is well preserved and complete in all its anatomical parts. The remains are referable to a child of around 4 years. The excellent state of preservation of the skeleton allowed a detailed macroscopic study of all the skeletal regions, which revealed a congenital defect of the right fourth rib : anterior end of the rib is bifucated. The present case documents a skeletal malformation rarely observed in archaelogical material

Scientific analyses, frequent revisions of historical collections and unsuitable preservation conditions in storage and display environments can cause damage to the anthropological patrimony. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish criteria for the correct conservation of anthropological material according to a "standard of quality". Within the context of a broad and complex view of the protection of anthropological materials, the methodology followed by the research group is aimed at identifying a series of primary (diagnostic) and supportive (therapeutic) interactive processes. The final purpose of these processes is the programmed management of each specimen which is able to identify and control the activities necessary for conservation of the material.

This work is part of a more extensive, still ongoing, research which aims to provide a morphological assessment and interpretation of congenital malformations on ancient bones. The study of the frequency and distribution of congenital malformations on juvenile osteological remains may provide interesting insight and critical observations in assessing the role of those factors that are responsible for child's mortality. In the present study we describe and discuss two cases of congenital spinal malformation refer to failure in the separation of vertebral arch elements between contiguous vertebrae. The skeletons belonging to two children who died in early childhood, between 0 and 6 years of age. The research was conducted on 132 juvenile individuals came from nine necropolises located in north an middle Italy, from ancient and late Roman times to late medieval times.