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The inner Abruzzo region, corresponding to the province of L’Aquila, is a land of mountains and highlands in central Italy. Its environmental conditions greatly foster spontaneous mummification, and the area is well known for the human mummies found in the last decades. We present a newly discovered collection of mummified remains in the village of Calascio, located 1,210 meters above sea level, near Gran Sasso Mountain. Here, the Franciscan convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie was built in 1594. The preliminary survey of a crypt in the conventual church allowed us to observe wooden coffins with at least seven mummified bodies still in their clothes, and several bony remains. Most likely, the mummies date back to the second half of the 19th century, and belonged to laypersons. Preservation was certainly due to the cold dry environment of the crypt. The recovery of the entire series will take place through speleological techniques according to stratigraphic relationships, in order to trace a bioanthropological profile of this small community members.

The Blessed Maria Lorenza Longo, founder of the hospital of Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili and the Order of the Capuchin Poor Clares in Naples, Italy, died on 21 October 1539 and was recently beatified on 9 October 2021. The relic, a fully skeletonized cranium, underwent visual and radiological inspection. The biological profile supports the at¬tribution of female sex of the relic, whereas the age at death is estimated to be younger than that reported by historians. A paleopathological survey was conducted to evaluate the historical reports of poisoning or rheumatoid arthritis affecting Maria Longo. Given the limited skeletal data, it was not possible to confirm the presence of these claims. No obvious in¬dicators of dietary deficiencies were observed, and the tertiary syphilis hypothesized by textual sources was excluded. Postmortem alterations of the relic were clearly visible on the superior aspect of the cranium and testified to the worship of the relic.

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of the bone is a locally aggressive and rarely metastasizing neoplasm. It is composed of neoplastic mononuclear stromal cells with a monotonous appearance admixed with macrophages and osteoclast-like giant cells. In a small subset of cases, GCT is malignant. Terminology previously related to this entity, and which is no longer supported by the World Health Organization, includes osteoclastoma and benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH). Giant cells occur in numerous other pathologic conditions of the bone, which accounts for the misrepresentation of these non-GCT tumors in the early literature. Non-ossifying fibroma (NOF), aneurysmal bone cyst, and chondroblastoma have been erroneously labeled GCT for this reason. A single description of an ancient GCT was reported by Brothwell and Sandison and subsequently mentioned by Aufderheide and Rodrìguez-Martìn who were astonished that more of these tumors had not been identified in archaeological cases. To the best of our knowledge, no other cases of ancient GCT have been cited in the paleopathology literature. The study of this type of neoplasm in antiquity can be used as a means to better understand its characteristics and behavior and to expand the depth of time of the etiology of these lesions. We report a case of GCT of the left femur observed following the total body CT imaging of a partially mummified adult female, dating to eighteenth century.

The "Luigi Cattaneo" Museum of Anatomical Waxes of the University of Bologna houses a skull (Figure 1a, 3D virtual reconstruction Figure 1d) labelled as Skull of Athalaric, King of the Ostrogoths (Cranio di Atalarico, Re degli Ostrogoti), which represents the object of the present analysis, aimed at assessing the genuineness of the attribution as well as the health status of this individual. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary approach including historical, archival, anthropological, paleopathological, paleoradiological analyses and radiocarbon dating was implemented.

Il progetto di studio delle mummie di Roccapelago, nato in seguito al ritrovamento, nella cripta della locale chiesa della Conversione di San Paolo Apostolo, dei resti di oltre 400 individui, molti dei quali parzialmente mummificati, ha previsto, fin dall’inizio, un approccio multidisciplinare volto all'integrazione dei risultati scaturiti dalle indagini archeoantropologiche, paleodemografiche e paleopatologiche con quelli prodotti dalle analisi genetiche dei reperti. A questo scopo è stato programmato, tra l’altro, anche uno studio diacronico del DNA finalizzato a indagare la struttura e le dinamiche della popolazione di Roccapelago nell’arco di circa quattro secoli, cioè dalla fase più antica di uso sepolcrale della cripta fino alla comunità attualmente vivente. La selezione dei campioni oggetto dello studio ha perciò riguardato sia i reperti antichi, risalenti a un periodo compreso tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo, sia membri attuali della comunità locale.

Objectives In this work, we use Sr isotopes to analyze human hair and determine short-term movements of a contemporary human traveler and of early-modern individuals from an archaeological site (Roccapelago, Modena, Italy, 16th-18th century). Materials and methods Analyses were performed using a Neptune MC-ICP-MS. We first set up and tested the procedure on scalp hair of a contemporary human, who spent some time between Brazil and Italy. We then analyzed the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of eight exceptionally well-preserved archaeological hair specimens associated with human mummies from Roccapelago. Trace elements were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS on single-hair specimens to check the preservation of the archaeological samples. Results The strontium isotope composition of modern human hair varies from 0.7087 to 0.7093. The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of the Roccapelago hair strands range from 0.7082 to 0.7137, with an average of 0.7093 ± 0.0031 (2σ), revealing also intra-individual differences in isotopic composition along the length of the hair shaft. Data were compared with local archaeological rodent bones and teeth and with published isotopic values of water and outcropping rocks. Trace element abundances of archaeological and modern human hair are similarly low in terms of Rare Earth Element (REE) and metal contents, in particular after HNO3 leaching. Discussion The variable modern human hair 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios show that high-resolution hair sampling tracks the movements of this individual between the two continents. The Sr isotope composition of the mummy hair is consistent with sub-annual human movements from Roccapelago to an area with different 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios. Historical sources indicate that individuals from Roccapelago travelled with their herds to Tuscany for transhumance pastoralism practices. The high radiogenic 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios (>0.71) found in some of the hair are possibly consistent with the Tuscan Magmatic Province and the Tuscan Metamorphic Complex isotope signature. To our knowledge, this is the first study in an archaeological context where the Sr isotope evidence of mobility is corroborated by historical documents.

Già dalle prime fasi dell’indagine archeologica a Roccapelago, ci si è resi conto della preziosa opportunità data dallo studio comparato dei resti antropologici che stavano lentamente riemergendo, con i dati che si potevano desumere dai registri parrocchiali di riferimento, ancora presenti nell’archivio della parrocchia di Roccapelago. La possibilità di sovrapporre l’analisi documentaria allo studio antropologico di un’intera collettività è una opportunità relativamente rara, con un potenziale informativo straordinario. Questa possibilità sul caso in esame, si è concretizzata durante il 2012, quando è stato possibile visionare i registri conservati presso l’Archivio Parrocchiale di Roccapelago. A questa prima valutazione, è seguito il processo di digitalizzazione, necessario per limitare al massimo i possibili danni dovuti a prolungate e pericolose manipolazioni degli antichi registri. Sono stati così acquisiti due Libri dei Morti, tre Libri dei Nati e due Libri dei Matrimoni per un totale di 2.590 pagine e oltre settemila registrazioni, redatte da almeno trenta mani che si differenziano per stile utilizzato, capacità analitica e ricchezza di dettagli forniti. L’arco cronologico coperto dalle registrazioni, con alcune differenze tra le varie categorie di registri, va dalla fine del XVI agli albori del XX secolo.

I resti osteologici infantili costituiscono una ricca fonte di informazioni importanti circa il livello di sviluppo e lo status socio-economico delle società cui appartengono. Gli infanti, infatti, forniscono dei dati più immediati, rispetto agli adulti, sullo status socio-economico della comunità cui appartengono. Questo è possibile grazie al fenomeno del rimodellamento osseo, che avviene ad una velocità superiore rispetto a quanto accade nelle ossa di individui maturi, rendendo lo scheletro infantile un registro molto più immediato di insulti quali malnutrizione, infezioni o altre patologie. Queste informazioni possono aiutarci a conoscere e a comprendere in modo più approfondito le società e le culture del passato, in quanto gli infanti hanno partecipato attivamente, accanto agli adulti, alla formazione del record archeologico. Il crescente numero di ritrovamenti infantili e la maggiore attenzione loro attribuita, anche in fase di scavo, hanno permesso di avviare degli studi più approfonditi, pur entro i limiti impliciti della paleodemografia, su una grossa componente di popolazione troppo spesso assente o sotto rappresentata. Altri orizzonti di indagine sono stati aperti anche in campo paleopatologico, con importanti studi sulle patologie specifiche dell’età infantile, come lo scorbuto e il rachitismo. Le problematiche legate allo studio degli infanti, però, sono numerose e ciò è dovuto, in larga parte, al fatto che lo scheletro infantile è meno mineralizzato rispetto allo scheletro maturo, rendendolo meno resistente ai fenomeni tafonomici e di degrado. Inoltre, le piccole dimensioni delle singole ossa possono portare al mancato recupero di particolari distretti ossei quali, ad esempio, i centri secondari di ossificazione e le gemme dentarie. L’approfondita conoscenza dell’anatomia scheletrica e delle diverse modificazioni che avvengono durante la crescita è fondamentale per un corretto recupero e studio dei resti umani infantili.

Testimoni straordinari di un’epoca, di tradizioni, di pratiche agricole e abitudini alimentari, di costumi e di culti, le Mummie di Roccapelago sono state rinvenute durante i lavori di restauro della Chiesa parrocchiale della Conversione di S. Paolo di Roccapelago. Fin dalla loro scoperta, nel 2009, esse hanno destato l’interesse non solo di archeologi e antropologi ma anche di scienziati, che le hanno studiate ed analizzate sotto molteplici aspetti. In particolare, lo studio dei tessuti biologici mummificati è stato oggetto di interesse per biologi e fisici che li hanno esaminati applicando ad essi sofisticate tecniche di indagine rivolte all’analisi di due delle principali categorie delle macromolecole del corpo umano, gli acidi nucleici e le proteine. Le proteine, in particolare, rappresentano le biomolecole che possono fornire il maggior numero di informazioni bio-antropologiche, grazie alla loro resistenza strutturale nel tempo, maggiore di quella del materiale genetico1. La ricerca proteomica in ambito bioarcheologico ha concentrato l’attenzione sulla struttura e la conformazione delle proteine degli antichi tessuti biologici, soprattutto del collagene, il principale componente proteico della pelle e delle ossa, al fine di determinarne le modificazioni subite in conseguenza dei processi di trasformazione durante il processo di mummificazione. La struttura del collagene rappresenta non solo un eccellente marker per valutare l’integrità dei tessuti post-mortem ma può anche essere correlata, in modo più generale, con la dieta, le patologie, la geografia e gli stili di vita degli individui cui appartiene. La ricerca in questo campo ha pertanto un duplice scopo. Il primo è l’identificazione dei meccanismi di alterazione strutturale delle biomolecole e la loro descrizione biochimica, così da consentire di ipotizzare quali siano state le condizioni che hanno favorito la conservazione dei corpi, evitandone la consunzione, e in che modo. L’altro ha un risvolto più orientato alla esposizione museale di questi preziosi reperti ed è finalizzato alla caratterizzazione attuale dello stato di conservazione dei tessuti, alla valutazione del degrado biomolecolare degli stessi e al monitoraggio della possibile progressione del danno nel tempo.

In recent decades, scientific methodologies have revolutionized the approach to the study of archaeological evidence, helping to extract additional and sometimes unique information from them, for the purpose of reconstructing the past. An important impulse to these investigations was given by the application of the most advanced biological, bio-molecular and chemical-physical techniques to bioarchaeological finds and, in particular to human remains. After a brief review of the scientific methodologies widely used in this field, three case studies from the Modena area are presented: the study about the remains of Pico della Mirandola, the project about the Roccapelago mummies and the case of violent deaths of the necropolis of via Ciro Menotti (Modena).

Le mummie di Roccapelago (MO) rappresentano un eccezionale ritrovamento archeologico, sia perché costituiscono un raro esempio di preservazione naturale dei membri di un'intera comunità montana di umile estrazione, vissuti in un arco temporale di circa due secoli, sia a motivo dell’eccezionale stato di conservazione degli inumati. Lo scavo archeologico nella cripta della Chiesa della Conversione di S. Paolo Apostolo a Roccapelago ha infatti permesso di recuperare i resti di oltre 400 individui, di cui circa 60 almeno parzialmente mummificati. La datazione dei reperti, effettuata sulla base della cultura materiale e dei registri parrocchiali, è stata circoscritta ad un arco temporale compreso tra la fine del XVI e la fine del XVIII secolo. Il processo di mummificazione che ha interessato una parte degli inumati è da attribuire plausibilmente alle peculiari condizioni microclimatiche della cripta, caratterizzate dall’aria secca e dalla particolare ventilazione, assicurata da due piccole finestre aperte sulla vallata. Le analisi preliminari sullo stato di conservazione dei tessuti molli mummificati, condotte mediante Spettroscopia Infrarossa in Trasformata di Fourier (FTIR) e Microscopia Elettronica a Scansione (SEM), hanno evidenziato, in generale, una buona conservazione delle strutture anatomiche e parziali alterazioni dei tessuti, preservati dalle condizioni chimico-fisiche dell’ambiente di deposizione. Le analisi antropologiche e paleopatologiche eseguite sui medesimi reperti hanno rivelato aspetti interessanti relativi alle caratteristiche fisiche e alle condizioni di vita e di salute dell’antica popolazione di Roccapelago, tra cui la notevole longevità di numerosi suoi membri, nonché il parziale isolamento geografico che ha caratterizzato la storia di questa comunità. Le peculiari condizioni di conservazione di una parte delle mummie di Roccapelago hanno infatti permesso di effettuare l’analisi molecolare del microbiota umano, cioè delle comunità di microrganismi presenti in diversi tessuti di individui vissuti tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo.

Un piccolo borgo montano arroccato su uno sperone di roccia nell’Alto Appennino modenese e la scoperta, tanto fortuita quanto eccezionale, nella chiesa parrocchiale, di una cripta sepolcrale contenente i corpi, in parte mummificati, degli antichi abitanti della località. Questo lo scenario entro il quale si è sviluppato il progetto: Storia e vita di una piccola comunità dell’Alto Appennino modenese tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo. Archeologia e antropologia: una ricerca interdisciplinare, promosso dall’allora Soprintendenza peri i Beni Archeologici dell’Emilia-Romagna e dal Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna (Campus di Ravenna), con la collaborazione di numerose altre istituzioni scientifiche italiane e straniere. L’eccezionale ritrovamento ha rappresentato un’occasione unica per la realizzazione di un progetto che, per l’approccio multidisciplinare adottato, i protocolli d’intervento elaborati e l’integrazione dei risultati perseguita, può costituire un vero e proprio progetto pilota, un modello di riferimento da applicare nel caso di ritrovamenti archeologici simili a quello di Roccapelago. Nel presente volume vengono pubblicate le relazioni scientifiche degli ultimi due convegni sulle “Mummie di Roccapelago”: il primo, Le Mummie di Roccapelago: archeologia, antropologia e scienze applicate a confronto (Modena, 15 febbraio 2014) e il secondo, Le Mummie di Roccapelago 3.0: la rinascita degli antichi abitanti attraverso cinque anni di studi (Ravenna, 24 marzo 2017). I contributi scientifici che esso raccoglie spaziano dall’approfondimento degli aspetti storici della comunità di Roccapelago al vasto campo delle ricerche archeo-antropologiche, archeo-genetiche, paleopatologiche, paleonutrizionali e biodemografiche, dallo studio e ricostruzione dell’abbigliamento, agli aspetti conservativi e alla valorizzazione del sito. Questa molteplicità e varietà delle ricerche condotte dimostrano l’enorme potenzialità scientifica multi e interdisciplinare che questo sito ha offerto e continua ad offrire insieme all’eccezionale interesse divulgativo che esso è stato in grado di suscitare nel pubblico.

Il ritrovamento, nella cripta della chiesa della Conversione di San Paolo di Roccapelago (MO), di resti umani attribuibili a un elevato numero di individui, cronologicamente collocabili fra il XVI e il XVIII sec., ha dato la possibilità di sviluppare un ampio progetto multidisciplinare, che ha coinvolto diversi ambiti di ricerca: dall’archeologia all’antropologia, dalla paleopatologia all’entomologia, dall’archivistica allo studio dell’abbigliamento, ecc. Ciò anche grazie alle straordinarie condizioni di conservazione dei resti, in parte mummificati, e alla numerosità degli inumati, i quali rappresentano plausibilmente l’intera comunità montana di Roccapelago che si è susseguita nell’arco di circa duecento anni. Nel contesto di simili ricerche, oggi un contributo significativo può derivare dall’analisi genetica dei reperti biologici attraverso l’esame del DNA che in essi si conserva, il cosiddetto DNA antico (aDNA). Ciò apre nuovi affascinanti orizzonti di ricerca rendendo possibile ricostruire la storia degli organismi che hanno lasciato qualche traccia del loro passato. La ricerca ha previsto l’applicazione delle più recenti ed innovative tecniche nel campo del DNA antico, comprese le tecnologie di sequenziamento di nuova generazione (Next Generation Sequencing). Le analisi sono state svolte tenendo sempre conto delle principali linee guida previste nel settore di ricerca del DNA antico. In particolare, queste rigorose procedure (Golden criteria) prevedono l’obbligo di utilizzare un laboratorio esclusivamente dedicato all’estrazione del DNA antico (clean lab) ed un accurato monitoraggio delle possibili contaminazioni dei campioni, in tutte le fasi della ricerca, dal campionamento alle analisi in laboratorio. E’ stato infatti chiaramente dimostrato come la possibilità di contaminazione da DNA esogeno moderno sia molto elevata qualora non siano state prese le adeguate precauzioni. In aggiunta a tutte le rigorose procedure volte a limitare le contaminazioni, sono stati genotipizzati tutti i ricercatori venuti in contatto con i reperti analizzati.

Objective The skeletal remains of a short-statured individual (T17) are described and a differential diagnosis performed to determine the etiology of the condition. Materials An individual considered pathologically short in stature was discovered in the burial site of Piazza XX Settembre, Modena (northern Italy). Methods Morphological and morphometric analyses were performed, and T17 was compared to dwarfs from other localities and periods and to the adult female population from the same site. A paleopathological survey was undertaken to assess the degree of the skeletal elements of T17 were affected. Results T17 was a female, 20–30 years of age at death, with a stature of 128 cm and disproportionate dwarfism associated with congenital skeletal dysplasia. Conclusions T17 likely affected by a form of hypochondroplasia. Significance Anatomical consequences of hypochondroplasia are presented, and the timeframe and associated burial goods suggest a 6th-century Lombard short stature belonging to one of the earliest Lombard settlements in Italy. Suggestions for further research Future genetic analysis would resolve if the mutation in the type 3 fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR3) is present in the remains of T17; however, it is not exclusivly linked to hypochondroplasia. Objective: The skeletal remains of a short-statured individual (T17) are described and a differential diagnosis performed to determine the etiology of the condition. Materials: An individual considered pathologically short in stature was discovered in the burial site of Piazza XX Settembre, Modena (northern Italy). Methods: Morphological and morphometric analyses were performed, and T17 was compared to dwarfs from other localities and periods and to the adult female population from the same site. A paleopathological survey was undertaken to assess the degree of the skeletal elements of T17 were affected. Results: T17 was a female, 20–30 years of age at death, with a stature of 128 cm and disproportionate dwarfism associated with congenital skeletal dysplasia. Conclusions: T17 likely affected by a form of hypochondroplasia. Significance: Anatomical consequences of hypochondroplasia are presented, and the timeframe and associated burial goods suggest a 6th-century Lombard short stature belonging to one of the earliest Lombard settlements in Italy. Suggestions for further research: Future genetic analysis would resolve if the mutation in the type 3 fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR3) is present in the remains of T17; however, it is not exclusivly linked to hypochondroplasia.

Roccapelago (MO) is a small village located in the Northern Central Apennines, with a population of 31 inhabitants (2014). In 2010, more than 400 individuals dated between the end of the 16th and the 18th century, many of which partially mummified, were discovered in the crypt of the church. This small village, because of its geographical location and surrounding environment, seems to possess the characteristics of a genetic isolate, useful for population genetics and genealogical analyses. Thus, a diachronic study of DNA aimed at investigating the structure and dynamics of the population of Roccapelago over the about 4 centuries, was conducted by analyzing ancient and modern inhabitants of the village. The 14 modern samples were selected by considering both the founder surnames of the village, identified thanks to the study of parish registers, and the grandparent’s criterion. From 25 ancient mummies, morphologically assigned to male individuals, the petrous bone, that harbors high DNA amounts, was selected for the DNA extraction. The quantification and qualitative assessment of total human male DNA were evaluated by a real-time PCR assay using the Quantifiler Trio DNA Quantification Kit and multiplex PCR of 27 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) markers included in the Yfiler Plus PCR Amplification Kit, with seven rapidly mutating Y-STR loci for improving discrimination of male lineages, was performed to genotype the samples. Y-STRs were analyzed according to the criteria of ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis to ensure that authentic DNA typing results were obtained from these ancient samples. The molecular analysis showed the usefulness of the Y chromosome to identify historically relevant remains and discover patterns of relatedness in communities moving from anthropology to genetic genealogy and forensics.

Background: Phoenician and Punic expansions have been protagonists of intense trade networks and settlements in the Mediterranean Sea. Aims: The maternal genetic variability of ancient Punic samples from the Sardinian necropolis of Tharros was analysed, with the aim to explore genetic interactions and signatures of past population events. Subjects and methods: The mtDNA HVS-I and coding region SNPs were analysed in 14 Punic samples and 74 modern individuals from Cabras and Belvì (for which the HVS-II region was also analysed). The results were compared with 5,590 modern Euro-Mediterranean sequences and 127 ancient samples. Results: While contemporary groups fall within the genetic variability of other modern Sardinians, our Punic samples reveal proximity to present-day North-African and Iberian populations. Furthermore, Cabras and Belvì cluster mainly with pre-Phoenician groups, while samples from Tharros project with other Punic Sardinian individuals. Conclusion: This study provides the first preliminary insights into the population dynamics of the Punic site of Tharros. While the number of currently available samples does not allow definitive investigation of the connection with indigenous Sardinian groups, our results seem to confirm internal migratory phenomena in the central-western Mediterranean and female participation in the Punic mobility.

Evidence of maternal care and childbirth events in the past are rare in the archaeological record and are difficult to recognize. To combat this, we analyzed thirteen double burials potentially related to childbirth death events, thereby containing an adult and a perinate. The specimens were excavated from the archaeological area identified as “Forli Campus” (Forli, Italy), that dated to 17th-18th centuries AD and was adjacent to a hospital in use at that time. This period witnessed the development of medical techniques and novel approaches in obstetrics in Europe, with the introduction of lying-in hospitals and maternity wards. We here tested if the double burials were ascribable to childbirth death events and thus represent the first reported cases of the hospitalization of childbirth in the history of medicine. A multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken to achieve this aim, combining anthropology, archaeology, paleopathology and archaeogenetics. In five burials the adult individual was recognized as a female in fertile age and the non-adult individual was assigned as perinate. Mitochondrial DNA analysis highlighted different haplotypes among the individuals of these burials, and these results, combined with the archaeological and anthropological data do not support a possible maternal relationship between them. This study is novel in testing the hypotheses of childbirth deaths, through a reliable approach in the interpretation of these archaeological contexts. The analysis of ancient DNA in this particular application proves a useful strategy to support and complete the interpretation of archaeological and anthropological data, showing that a general assumption of mother/child relations within such burials can be misleading.

The object of this study is the so-called “green mummy” of Bologna, a naturally mummified body that was found in the basement of an ancient mansion in Bologna in the twenties of last century. The hard and soft tissues of the body are green for the most. They were analyzed by means FTIR spectroscopy with the aim to gain information about the biochemical degradation process, to explain both the origin and the nature of the green color and to understand how it affected the body’s preservation.

Historical information related to the life of St. Mercurialis is very scarce, everything we currently know, we owe to its legenda, is contained within the manuscript Casanatense 718 dating to the 12th century. The only certain historical information concerns the ordination of one of his successors, Grato, which took place in Ravenna during the 5th century. The relics of St. Mercurialis, preserved inside the homonymous abbey, in the Cathedral of Santa Croce and in the Santissima Trinità church, during 2018 were object of the sixth canonical recognition, necessary to verify the state of conservation of the bones.

I resti umani costituiscono una fonte preziosa, e talora unica, di informazioni da cui ricostruire i caratteristici fisici e le vicende della vita di individui vissuti nel passato. Quando poi il campione di individui analizzato è sufficientemente numeroso e rappresentativo di una popolazione, è possibile trarre informazioni di carattere più generale circa la struttura antropologica e demografica della popolazione stessa, nonché sulle sue condizioni di vita, di salute e di sussistenza. Ciò diviene tanto più interessante quando, disponendo di una stratificazione diacronica degli individui, è possibile analizzare queste caratteristiche nelle loro variazioni nel tempo. Questa rarissima circostanza connota il rinvenimento della “comunità dei morti” di Roccapelago proveniente dalla cripta della chiesa locale. Per questo si può parlare di rinvenimento eccezionale, reso ancor più importante dall’integrità e dalla parziale mummificazione dei resti, dalla numerosità degli inumati e dalla loro stratificazione che si estende dalla fine del XVI a tutto il XVIII secolo, e che rappresenta la popolazione di questa piccola comunità montana per un arco di oltre due secoli. In questo ambizioso contesto interdisciplinare si pone, a dieci anni dalla scoperta, il lavoro di ricerca contenuto in questo volume: lo studio comparato di più fonti informative, di natura antropologica e documentaria, ha proprio lo scopo di ricostruire, quanto più e più accuratamente possibile della vita della gente di questo territorio dell’Alto Frignano, fruendo di volta in volta di approfondimenti specifici, attraverso indagini di laboratorio, fra le quali l’analisi del DNA antico (aDNA), lo studio paleobotanico, il dosaggio degli isotopi stabili, gli esami istologici dei tessuti, suggeriti da indizi emersi dallo studio dei resti umani o tra le pieghe dei tessuti mummificati o dalle pagine dei registri parrocchiali.

Objective To evaluate, via a multidisciplinary approach, a distinctive paleopathological condition believed to be fibrous dysplasia, found on a 19th/20th century skeleton from Certosa Monumental Cemetery, Bologna, Italy. Materials A skeletonized cranium and mandible recovered from an ossuary in 2014. Methods Pathological alterations were analysed by radiological examination, dental macrowear, histopathological and genetic analyses. Result The skeleton is believed to be an adult male. Differential diagnoses include Paget's disease, McCune-Albright syndrome, osteochondroma and osteosarcoma. The radiographic findings, along with the solitary nature of the lesions, are strong evidence for the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia (FD). Genetic analysis further revealed a frequency of ˜1% of mutant alleles with the R201C substitution, one of the post-zygotic activating mutation frequently associated with FD. Conclusions The multi-analytical method employed suggests a diagnosis of monostotic form of FD. The diagnostic design incorporates multiple lines of evidence, including macroscopic, histopathological, and genetic analyses. Significance Through the use of a multi-analytic approach, robust diagnoses can be offered. This case serves as one of the oldest examples of FD from an historical context. The genetic mutation detected, associated with FD, has not been previously reported in historical/ancient samples.

Although the practice of autopsy on the Pope's corpse was performed from the 16th century, autopsy reports are only rarely analysed, and never with the aim of investigating the real causes of the death from a concomitant medical and historical point of view. Here, for the first time, we report on the discovery of new unpublished documents from the Vatican Secret Archives and their investigation by a scientific and inter-disciplinary approach. This analysis allows us to draw new conclusions on the true cause of Leo XII's mysterious death. His sudden death, that occurred on February 10th, 1829 after a short illness, particularly struck the public. Suspicions of poisoning or surgeon's guilt or inexperience and even the shadow of a venereal disease, contributed to create a "black legend" on his pontificate and death. On the contrary, the present paleopathographic analysis points toward a new conclusion. The regular use of catheterization with a silver syringe provided an easy access for bacterial superinfection, confirmed by the observed early emphysematous stage of the corpse. So, the most substantiated hypothesis concerning the cause of Leo XII's death indicates a severe form of sepsis, exacerbated by a weakened state due to chronic hemorrhoids.

Human osteological samples (n = 23) taken from different anatomical parts of 11 individuals from the early modern (16th–18th century AD) site of Roccapelago (Modena, Italy) were systematically analysed for δ13C, δ15N and trace elements to investigate their diet. δ13C and δ15N correlate and show a high variability between individuals, attesting to the dietary contribution of C4 plants. This is supported by pollen analysis of the burial site samples, which revealed the presence of maize. δ15N correlates with Sr/Ca, suggesting that the main protein source could have been milk and dairy. We therefore interpret the strong correlation between δ13C and δ15N as evidence for C4-plant foraging practice and the exploitation of livestock for meat and milk, combined with possible direct intake of C4 plants. The Roccapelago site represents an important case study to track the evolution of the post-medieval diet and the introduction of maize cultivation in southern Europe, as also attested by historical sources.

The seventeenth-eighteenth century hospital necropolis of Forlì Campus (Forlì, Italy) was discovered during the Forlì Campus building work in 2014. Three cases of limb amputation and a craniotomy are examined using the forensic approach of sawmark analysis in order to understand features of the surgical instruments employed and to gain insight into the position of the surgeon during the cutting actions. With the aid of high definition photographs and moulds, we analyzed the cut surfaces of each sample, also using stereomicroscopy and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). A qualitative and quantitative approach was used in the analysis of the kerf features (e.g. breakaway spur and notch, tooth scratches and hop, exit chipping), and empirical evidence was compared against comparisons coeval surgical essays. We hypothesize that a linear hand-powered push saw and an alternated push saw with a 2mm distance between the teeth were used for amputations. The craniotomy was executed presumably using a linear hand-powered saw with the set of the blade circa 1.3mm wide. Through the application of forensic methods on individuals from archaeological context we describe early cases of surgical practice in a more technical way.

During the restoration of the Conversion of San Paul’s church, in Roccapelago (Italy), a hidden crypt was brought to light. Therein, a large amount of human skeletal remains was retrieved, including a considerable amount of disarticulated non-adult specimens, belonging to the inhabitants that lived there from the last decades of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. Simultaneously, parish registers of birth and death were found and digitized. This is the first study focused on the juvenile post medieval community of Roccapelago, which aims to provide new data about infant mortality and paleopathology during the 16th and 18th centuries, through the comparison of anthropological data to information available in parish records. Standard anthropological protocols were used to assess the Minimum Number of Individuals, age-at-death and pathologies. Results showed that at least 161 non-adults were buried into the crypt. The mortality range was high among perinates, especially between the 36th and the 40th weeks (26%), and during the first postnatal year, particularly in the first six months (11%). Then, mortality rates fell within the 5th years (2.4%). Parish records confirmed the high mortality rates at birth and among the first postnatal year, linked to the risks associated to the birth and the peril of the weaning period. The pathological analysis highlighted the presence of metabolic diseases, such as scurvy. This study provides a unique opportunity to compare anthropological protocols for age estimation to the information registered in the parish records when dealing with commingled juvenile remains.

A naturally mummified body was found in the basement of an ancient mansion in Bologna in the early twentieth century. The remain is currently stored in the museum Centre of the Forensic Medicine section of the University of Bologna. The skeletal and soft tissues of the fortuitous recovery are all green colored but a leg. The remains were therefore identified as the “green mummy”. The “green mummy” is the body of a teenager (11 -14) as gathered from both the ossification and the teeth (fig. 1A-B). The the body posture, displaying the neck bent ahead on the chest and the legs folded back, suggested hints to hypothesize that the body could have been pushed and pressed in a copper box or urn.

This case report examines the differential diagnosis of an unusually fused chest belonging to a perinatal human remain retrieved in the crypt of Roccapelago (Italy). This specimen, which dated back to the final 18th century, showed a severe synostosis of the costovertebral articulations and posterior arches. The specimen was examined macroscopically and radiologically for the purpose of identify differences in mineral density. It also underwent CT scan in order to create a 3D digital model and virtually reposition in anatomical position. The radiological trophism, size, and osteological maturity of the specimen are compatible with a perinate. The chest morphology shows a characteristic crab like morphology, with the costovertebral articulations and the posterior arches completely fused. Accordingly, a diagnosis of Jarcho Levin Syndrome has been suggested. This case appears to be the first report, to the knowledge of the authors, of a probable Jarcho-Levin syndrome, which dated before Jarcho and Levin codified this pathology in the scientific literature.

During the restoration of the church of the Conversion of St. Paul, located in Roccapelago a small village of the Emilian Apennines, it was found a lost chamber containing the remains of over 300 individuals who lived between the sixteenth and seventeenth century AD. The classic anthropological study was supported by the analysis of parish records, which showed a significant percentage of twin births. An interesting indicator to highlight complications during delivery, were the recordings of “emergency baptisms”. The frequency of this particular type of rite on births with only one born in Roccapelago, is 3,02%. It’s instead of the 13,73% the administration of emergency baptisms on twin births. The frequent perinatal deaths, show that it was risky the moment of birth, any complications that could arise during the phase of expulsion, could be lethal. Emergency baptism phenomenon is a clear example: none of the twins who received this particular sacrament is survived.

The Val di Sasso Hermitage is located near Fabriano (m 650 slm). Since 2009, the whole complex has been affected by an extensive renovation by the property (Regione Marche), which also involved extensive archaeological investigations. The church of Santa Maria di Val di Sasso is the only setting of the convent complex which has returned an intact stratigraphic context, dating back from 13th to 17th century. The excavation revealed the presence of three phases relating to the life of the complex as it was a Benedictine monastery, at the last sixteenth-century extension and has returned numerous coins of silver and copper and some devotional objects from the mass grave, including rosary grains and devotional medals. The recovered skeletal remains were studied by the Department of Anthropological Physics and Ancient DNA at the University of Bologna, home of Ravenna.

La dysplasie developpementale de la hanche (DDH) resulte d’un retard dans le developpement de la cavite acetabulaire conduisant a une alteration de l’inclinaison du toit acetabulaire. En consequence, la tete femorale et la cavite cotyloidienne n’interagissent pas normalement. L’identification de trois cas de DDH parmi les restes decouverts dans l’unite stratigraphique la plus recente de la crypte de Roccapelago (Modene, Italie) nous permet de discuter de la presence de DDH dans cette region au cours du 18e siecle. Dans les trois cas, identifies comme deux hommes et une femme, la pathologie est bilaterale et de classe Dunn I. Ces cas de DDH sont vraisemblablement principalement dus a des facteurs mecaniques tels que la position en siege du foetus, probablement associee au rang de naissance. Mais compte tenu de leur similitude globale, ils peuvent avoir ete causes par l’utilisation de langes chez les nouveau-nes. En outre, les donnees actuelles du ministere italien de la Sante suggerent que l’incidence de la DDH est demeuree stable dans cette region, du 18e siecle jusqu’a nos jours. L’etude en cours des restes des unites stratigraphiques anterieures favorisera une comprehension plus profonde de la particularite de la prevalence de DDH a Roccapelago.

A post medieval mass grave containing hundreds of skeletons, many of which belonging to non-adults, has been discovered. A large-scale multidisciplinary study has been undertaken, thanks to the good preservation of the human remains and the availability of the parish records. This is the first study focused on the juvenile post medieval community of Roccapelago, which aims to provide new data about infant mortality and paleopathology during the 16th and 18th centuries, through the comparison of anthropological data to information available by parish records. The specimen under investigation belongs to the most ancient stratigraphic context of the crypt discovered under the floor of the church, part of an ongoing study. Standard anthropological protocols were used to assess the minimum number of individuals, age-at-death and pathologies. Results show a high mortality range between the last few weeks in utero and the first postnatal year. The comparison shows that historical records lines up with biological data, providing a unique opportunity to compare anthropological protocols for age estimation to the information registered in parish records when dealing with commingled juvenile remains.

Nel volume sono presentati i risultati di un progetto di ricerca che si colloca in un ambito di studi interdisciplinare, teso a coniugare l’indagine sulla documentazione archeologica di interesse musicale con la ricerca archeologica e le relative estensioni all’ambito dell’archeogenetica. Le testimonianze finora note in ambito magnogreco sono state arricchite dai nuovi reperti, sia per quantità, cronologia e significato, sia per l’ottimo stato di conservazione di alcuni esemplari. Lo studio si è poi concentrato sullo studio di tre tombe di Metaponto, di straordinario interesse per la presenza di parti di carapaci usati come casse di risonanza di strumenti musicali a corde. Gli strumenti musicali trovati nelle sepolture sono stati analizzati nei loro significati simbolici, religiosi e cultuali, in relazione con aspetti culturali e religiosi della società di Metaponto.

Il presente contributo prende in esame i reperti osteologici provenienti da tre distinte aree sepolcrali in uso durante il periodo tardoantico esterne alle mura della città romana di Mutina. Nello specifico sono stati analizzati 101 scheletri: 13 provenienti dalla necropoli rinvenuta all’incrocio tra Via Ciro Menotti e via Bellini nel 2009; 64 dalla necropoli di Piazza Grande messa in luce nel 1988 nella zona retrostante l’abside del duomo e 24 dalla necropoli scoperta nel corso dei lavori per la riqualificazione della piazza XX Settembre effettuati nel 1997. In tutti i casi è stata messa in luce solo parte delle necropoli perché gli scavi sono stati effettuati in circostanza di emergenza . L’analisi antropologica dei resti ha permesso di trarre conclusioni su diversi aspetti quali ad esempio il numero minimo di individui, la distribuzione di sesso ed età all’interno della popolazione, lo stile di vita e le attività lavorative svolte, le abitudini alimentari, la provenienza geografica, il grado di violenza interpersonale. Tutti questi dati hanno permesso di trarre conclusioni, seppur preliminari, circa le comunità che popolavano la citta di Mutina durante il Tardoantico, mettendo un accento sulle loro similitudini o differenze. Ovviamente si tratta solo di interpretazioni basate su dati parziali che dovranno essere messi in relazione con quanto emerso dagli studi delle altre discipline e necessariamente approfonditi ampliando il campione dei reperti sottoposti alle diverse analisi.

Human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts occasionally present signs of traumatic injuries from weapons, revealing, for example, the degree of interpersonal violence, the type of weapon and the sequence of events of a specific historical context. Traumatic lesions are generally analyzed using macroscopic and microscopic methods, which are not necessarily integrated in the same study. In this study, we employed a multi-analytical approach to determine if new, or more refined information could be gained compared to traditional analyses. Here, we describe and analyze interpersonal skeletal peri-mortem sharp-force trauma in remains recovered in 2009 during archaeological excavations of a cemetery in the 4th to 6th century AD the city of Modena (Italy). Evidence for sharp force trauma was observed in four of the 13 individuals recovered at site. The traumatic lesions were analyzed using an integrated multi-analytical approach that combines traditional macroscopic examination, light microscopy, and three-dimensional digital modeling. We aimed to determine the number, size, and the position of the lesions, and the direction (angles) of weapon penetration in the bone. In particular, we applied digital protocols for the orientation of the skeletal regions of interest involved in the trauma to provide useful results for future comparisons and investigations.

A common theme of the Italian Renaissance, the Madonna with child was often studied and represented by Mantegna throughout his life. In comparison to previous representations characterised by a stiff and awkward rendering of shapes, this is a more intimate and private interpretation of the divine duo with a softer pictorial and more harmonious compositional quality. The particular attention paid to representing reality reveals that the Virgin Mary shows an enlarged neck, with a protruding ovoidal mass.

Objectives To correlate the radiologic findings detected with computed tomography scan with anthropological data in 13 naturally mummified bodies discovered during works of recovery of an ancient church in a crypt in Roccapelago, in the Italian Apennines. Methods From a group of about sixty not-intentionally mummified bodies, thirteen were selected to be investigated with volumetric computed tomography (CT). Once CT scan was performed, axial images were processed to gather MPR and Volume Rendering reconstructions. Elaborations of these images provided anthropometric measurements and a non-invasive analysis of the residual anatomical structures. For each body the grade of preservation and the eventual pathological changes were recorded. Furthermore, in order to identify nutritional and occupational markers, radiologic signs of bone tropism and degenerative changes were analysed and graded. Results Mummies included seven females and six males, with an estimated age ranging from 20 to 60 years. The first relevant finding identified was a general low grade of preservation, due to the lack of anatomic tissues different from bones, tendons and dehydrated skin. The low grade of preservation was related to the natural process of mummification. Analysing bone degenerative changes on CT scan, the majority of the bodies had significant occupational markers consisting of arthritis in the spine, lower limbs and shoulders even in young age. Few were the pathological findings identified. Among these, the most relevant included a severe bilateral congenital hip dysplasia and a wide osteolytic lesion involving left orbit and petrous bone that was likely the cause of death. Conclusions Although the low grade of preservation of these mummies, the multidisciplinary approach of anthropologists and radiologists allowed several important advances in knowledge for the epidemiology of Roccapelago. First of all, a profile of living conditions was delineated. It included occupational and nutritional conditions. Moreover, identification of some causes of death and, most importantly the definition of general living conditions.

Most human cancers, including myeloma, are preceded by a precursor state. There is an unmet need for in vivo models to study the interaction of human preneoplastic cells in the bone marrow microenvironment with non-malignant cells. Here, we genetically humanized mice to permit the growth of primary human preneoplastic and malignant plasma cells together with non-malignant cells in vivo. Growth was largely restricted to the bone marrow, mirroring the pattern in patients with myeloma. Xenografts captured the genomic complexity of parental tumors and revealed additional somatic changes. Moreover, xenografts from patients with preneoplastic gammopathy showed progressive growth, suggesting that the clinical stability of these lesions may in part be due to growth controls extrinsic to tumor cells. These data demonstrate a new approach to investigate the entire spectrum of human plasma cell neoplasia and illustrate the utility of humanized models for understanding the functional diversity of human tumors.

This abstract book contains the abstracts presented at the 87th SIBS National Congress on Peoples, Environment, Health | Turin, Italy, 5-6 December 2014.

Il saggio ricostruisce le vicende storiche della comunità di Roccapelago dal XIV al XVI secolo, illuminando il contesto storico-politico e cultuale nel quale vivevano le popolazioni di cui sono stati conservati i resti (le mummie analizzate dai colleghi antropologi).