ANTROPOLOGICKÁ, PALEODEMOGRAFICKÁ A PALEOPATOLOGICKÁ ANALÝZA HISTORICKEJ POPULÁCIE Z HRADU DEVÍN

• Authors: Radoslav Beňuš , Soňa Masnicová

Title variants

EN

Anthropological, paleodemographical and paleopathological analysis of the historical population from Devín castle

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

210 individuals from the 11th – 12th century were analysed, 81 individuals were younger than 20 years, with medium life expectancy determined at 22.0 years, sex was determined in 124 cases (57 men, 67 women). According to anthropometrical characteristics the individuals of both sexes were mesocephalic, body height reaching 167.4 cm for men and 160.4 for women. Of paleopathological lesions, traumatic and developmental lesions were observed, manifestations of physical stress, metabolic diseases (osteoporosis), diseases of teeth and periodontium, neoplastic lesions and manifestations of unspecific stress (cribra orbitalia, hypoplasia of tooth enamel, inflammatory changes in paranasal sinuses). All in all, in case of 25.2   % of individuals at least one traumatic lesion was found. Most numerous occurrences included Schmorl´s nodes, fractures of ribs and ferearm bones. Manifestations of interpersonal violence were found only in the case of 8 men. Women had 19.5 % of impression fractures on skull. Based on the analysis of degenerative-productive lesions (osteoarthrosis, spondylosis), enthezopathiae and traumatic lesions, men from this site were involved mainly in agriculture, though there were also craftsmen and soldiers. Women were engaged in heavy manual work in agriculture and domestic works. Condition of teeth, characterised by the intensity of cariosity (I-CE of men 21.7 %; women 30.7 %) and frequency of cariosity (F-CE of men 84.3 %; women 97.5 %), is not markedly different from populations of similar dating in central Europe. Of paleopathological markers of unspecific stress, there were observed cribra orbitalia (25.8 % in the whole population; 28.3 % in non-adult individuals), hypoplasia of tooth enamel (27.5 % in adult population; 11.4 % in non-adult indivi¬duals), and inflammatory processes in paranasal sinuses (14.3 % of population). As for the developmental defects, there was most frequent occurrence of spina bifida occulta (23.9 %), and in one individual the congenital luxation in hip joint. Tumour diseases were most often represented by benign (“button”) osteoma found in six individuals. In case of one adult woman lesions were identified on the left pelvic bone, probably caused by carcinoid of endocrine cells in large intestine. Five women had significantly decreased values of the amount of cortical as well as trabecular bone, and one of them displayed values of marked osteoporosis.

Keywords

EN

SLOVAKIA; OSTEOLOGY; PALEOPATHOLOGY; PALEOEPIDEMIOLOGY; PALEODEMOGRAPHY; TRAUMATIC LESION; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; STRESS; OSTEOPOROSIS; DEVÍN CASTLE

• Publisher: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Archaeological Institute
• Journal: Slovenská archeológia (Slovak Archaeology)
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 119 – 156

Contributors

author

Radoslav Beňuš

• Prírodovedecká fakulta UK, Katedra antropológie, Mlynská dolina B2, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

author

Soňa Masnicová