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Objectives: The study of puberty is a well‐established area of bioarcheological research, which greatly enhances our understanding of adolescence and growth in the past. Since the publications of Shapland and Lewis' works, which have become "standards" for estimating puberty in skeletal material, no additional osteological indicators of puberty have been proposed. Nevertheless, clinical practice constantly develops skeletal maturation markers that could be useful in bioarcheology. This study aims to assess the applicability and reliability of novel puberty indicators as a complementary tool to estimate puberty in skeletal remains. Materials and Methods: Four new maturation markers including spheno‐occipital synchondrosis, humeral head ossification, calcaneal apophysis ossification, and mandibular premolar mineralization were selected and applied to a sample of 85 adolescents from pre‐Roman southern Italy (Pontecagnano, 7th–4th BCE). Results: Despite some limits in adapting the original clinical methods to osteoarcheological material, the use of these novel skeletal indicators had moderate to excellent scoring repeatability and an overall high agreement with the puberty and menarche status previously estimated with standard methods. These results encourage us to apply these markers in bioarcheology. In some cases, minor adaptations of the original scoring systems are suggested to enhance reliability. Discussion: Including the proposed indicators in routine puberty data collection allows us to refine puberty estimation and improve the ability to identify key growth milestones in poorly preserved skeletons. Further application to osteological collections with diverse chronology and geographical differences is needed to assess how and to what extent the newly proposed maturation markers perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a detailed evaluation of a case of secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) and to explore insights into the presence and consequences of disease in medieval rural Italy. The skeleton of a male (US 4405) with an estimated age at death of 51–69 years excavated from the medieval rural site of Pieve di Pava (Siena, Italy). Macroscopic and radiological (x-ray, CT) analyses were performed. Symmetrical extensive periosteal new bone formation on the diaphyseal and metaphyseal regions of this individual's long bones; the lower limbs were more extensively and severely affected than the upper limbs and the distal segments were more severely altered in comparison to the proximal ones. The macroscopic and radiological features are highly consistent with a diagnosis of secondary HOA. The excellent state of preservation allowed the evaluation of rarely noted skeletal manifestations of HOA and provided insight into aspects of rural life in medieval Italy. Molecular analysis was not successful in sequencing the aDNA of tuberculosis, therefore the underlying primary cause of secondary HOA, whether pulmonary or extrapulmonary, remains obscure in this case. It is advisable to regularly revisit the data available from osteoarchaeological collections in order to identify further cases of HOA, along with to further investigate the known cases to search for the underlying primary disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our objective was to identify the relationship between biocultural factors of sex‐gender and age and patterns of femoral cross‐sectional geometry with historical evidence about labor and activity from an archeological skeletal sample excavated from the rural Medieval site Pieve di Pava. Materials and Methods: The study site, Pieve di Pava, was a rural parish cemetery in Tuscany with osteoarcheological remains from the 7th to 12th centuries. Cross‐sectional geometric analysis of femora from 110 individuals dated to the 10th‐12th centuries were used to examine trends in bone quantity, shape, and bending strength between age and sex groups, as well as in clusters identified through Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). Results: Overall, our study sample showed remarkable heterogeneity and our cluster analysis revealed a complex underlying structure, indicating that divisions of labor did not follow a strict gender binary in our sample. We found high levels of bilateral asymmetry in our sample in multiple cross‐sectional areas for a significant proportion of the population. We found minimal differences between age groups or sex. Discussion: Our results suggest that males and females had varied experiences of labor and work during their lives that did not reflect the strict binary gender roles sometimes documented for medieval Europe. One important axis of difference is the direction and magnitude of bilateral asymmetry observed in our femur sample, which is associated with divergent trends in section moduli and bone area measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of physiological stress markers offers direct insights into the health status of ancient communities, shedding light on their adaptive strategies, at different life stages, to the cultural and biological environment. The present research pertains to the paleopathological investigation of 109 individuals, inhumated in the funerary sector of Di Renna, within the eastern necropolis of Pontecagnano (Salerno), one of the best archaeologically-documented pre-Roman sites of Italy; the burials are dated back to the Iron Age and Archaic period (8th - 6th century BC), but most of them to the Classical period (5th-4th century BC). The purpose of this research is to explore general health conditions, through the analysis of several skeletal and dental stress markers, including adult and non-adult stature, dental enamel hypoplasia, cranial porosities, cribra femoris, and periosteal reaction of the lower limbs. High prevalence of these lesions and some cases of short adult stature were detected, suggesting evidence of stress episodes, frailty, and nutritional deficiencies, occurring not only in childhood, but also during growth spurt and adulthood. These results might be interpreted evaluating the socio-economic transformation of the site during the Classical period, characterized by mobility of Samnite groups and cultural admixture with Greeks, Etruscans and other Italic people already settled in the area. The individuals likely experienced a complex relationship with adverse environmental conditions (e.g., food shortage, poor sanitation, elevated risk of disease) and they coped with these constraints with long-term skeletal consequences as adaptive response to stressors, possibly related to the different historical phases of Pontecagnano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents a case study of seven out 25 non-adult individuals, from a larger paleopathological and isotopic investigation of the Etruscan Orientalizing (720-580 BC) skeletal sample from the eastern necropolis of Pontecagnano - Chiancone II property (southern Italy). The osteological analysis of these infants identified pathological lesions including diffuse micro-porosities and periosteal new bone formation on the skull and long bones. The distribution and morphology of these abnormalities allowed us to conclude that these non-adults probably suffered from scurvy (vitamin C deficiency). The dietary profile of these individuals will be investigated by incremental dentine sampling for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel carbonate with the aim at reconstructing early life-histories and testing the hypothesis of a possible correlation between malnutrition and pathological conditions of the non-adult portion of the burial assemblage. This sampling method will provide high-resolution data on dietary changes and metabolic outcomes in a time span from pre-birth to the time of death. While paleopathological analysis of the sample revealed a framework typical of metabolic disease, this research discusses how morbidity is tightly linked to environmental conditions. Pontecagnano, indeed, was characterized by marshlands that were drained to convert them into fertile arable farmland especially between the 6th-4th centuries BC, therefore agricultural practices, access to adequate food resources, and sanitary conditions were strongly compromised in this period. Finally, this study strives to encourage a dialogue between biochemistry, archaeology and paleopathology for a broader interdisciplinary research approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between dental diseases and dietary habits in ancient populations has been largely investigated in the anthropological literature, providing significant insights for the reconstruction of past lifestyles. While most researchers have investigated the pattern of dentoalveolar pathologies in lower social classes, only a few reports concerning oral health conditions in upper social classes can be traced. The purpose of this research is the examination of dental conditions and their interplay with dietary habits and foodways in elite members belonging to three high-class samples dated back to the Italian Renaissance. Dentoalveolar pathologies were investigated in the skeletal and mummified remains of the Guinigi family of Lucca (14th-17th centuries, Tuscany), the Medici family of Florence (16th-17th centuries, Tuscany), and the Saint Domenico series of Naples (16th-17th centuries, Campania), as representative of three important aristocratic classes of the Italian Renaissance and Early Modern Age. Human skeletal remains of 129 adult individuals and 1846 teeth were macroscopically examined for dentoalveolar diseases including caries, abscesses, antemortem tooth loss, periodontitis and calculus. The results indicate that the prevalence of all considered dentoalveolar diseases is very high, especially dental caries turns to be extraordinarily widespread, with a prevalence in the female subsample compared to the male counterpart. Males exhibit higher frequency for abscesses, while no appreciable differences have been observed in ante-mortem tooth loss. The Guinigi sample shows the highest frequencies of dentoalveolar diseases, particularly evident in the caries rate. These findings are probably related to changes in dietary habits during the transition from the medieval period to the Modern Age when cariogenic and refined foods were largely introduced and consumed in the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A middle meningeal artery (MMA) aneurysm is a variety of intracranial aneurysm that is not completely understood in clinical medicine and has been rarely documented especially in pediatrics, since juvenile cases are particularly infrequent. Vascular disorders have occasionally been identified in osteoarchaeological remains, confirming their occurrence in past times. The present report illustrates a lesion that is highly consistent with a case of an MMA aneurysm detected in a child, brought to light during the archaeological excavations in the Etruscan site of Pontecagnano (Salerno, southern Italy) and dated back to the 7th to 6th century BC. Macroscopic examination and radiological analysis revealed an oval depression in the endocranial region corresponding to the parietal branch of the right MMA. The absence of a bone reaction and the localized thinning of the bone were consistent with a long-lasting compression of vascular origin compatible with an MMA aneurysm. The differential diagnosis rejected benign neoplastic conditions, primary malignant bone tumors, bone metastasis among other non-neoplastic conditions, such as eosinophilic granuloma, sarcoidosis, and calvarial venous malformations, despite the occurrence of other disorders, including dural arteriovenous fistulas, could not be ruled out. It could not be excluded that extradural hemorrhage and/or intracranial hemorrhage subsequent rupture could have caused the death of the child, though it was not possible to confirm whether the MMA aneurysm was symptomatic. From a paleopathological standpoint, the case described offers a compelling historical perspective on an uncommon neurovascular disease that continues to be discussed in modern clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study offers the first investigation of the biological transition from childhood to adulthood in pre-Roman Italy. Thanks to the recent development of innovative method for assessing stages of pubertal growth in osteoarchaeological remains, puberty is emerging as a new compelling indicator of adolescent life conditions and health status in past societies. With the purpose of contributing to the exploration of this crucial phase of life course, stages of pubertal development were assessed in 84 adolescents dated back to the Etruscan and Samnite periods of Pontecagnano, southern Italy (7th-4th centuries BC). The average ages of onset and completion of puberty were detected, in addition to the achievement of relevant milestones such as menarche and sexual maturation, representing not only significant physical transitions, but also crucial passages in the social identity of individuals. In Pontecagnano, distinctive peculiarities in the timings and the duration of puberty were identified, such as an important interindividual variability and a stretched pubertal tempo. We argue that these specific trends derived from the biocultural interactions of this population with the unicity of Pontecagnano environment, that includes the presence of endemic diseases characteristic of marshy landscape, such as malaria and thalassemia, and endocrine-disrupting pollutants produced by the Etruscan and Samnite metallurgical industries. The reconstruction of past pubertal patterns can thus offer unprecedented direct insights into past life courses and adolescent growth, providing unique perspectives on medical debates about contemporary variations in pubertal trends, and challenging common assumptions about what is "normal" and "pathological" in pubertal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the possible etiology of multiple osteomata on a skull and long bones from an individual from a medieval site in Tuscany, Italy., Materials: Human skeletal remains dating to the 10 th -12 th century AD from the parish church of S. Pietro in Pava, in the province of Siena (Tuscany, Central Italy)., Methods: Macroscopic and imaging analyses (Cone Beam Computed Tomography)., Results: Nine round-shaped new bone formations are observed on a female individual aged 40-50 years. The lesions have a smooth surface and range from 2.2-6 mm in diameter., Conclusions: Cone Beam Computed Tomography confirmed that the lesions were composed of compact bone. Macroscopic and radiological features suggest the presence of nonsyndromic multiple osteomata., Significance: Single cranial osteomata are commonly observed in osteoarchaeological remains, but multiple osteomata are rare and might assist in our understanding of neoplastic conditions in the past., Limitations: The lack of soft tissues prevents the diagnosis of complex disorders, such as the Gardner syndrome, which is characterised by multiple osteomata and polyposis of the colon., Suggestions for Further Research: Careful investigation and reporting of all neoplastic lesions in ancient human remains in order to increase our knowledge about the etiology in past human populations., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)