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Evidence of probable subadult scurvy in the Early Medieval cemetery of Castel Tirolo, South Tyrol, Italy

Bibliographic Data

ID12371793
AuthorsA Paladin (0000-0001-5397-195X, Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies Bolzano Italy, corresponding author), Joachim Wahl (0000-0002-5733-8905, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, WG Palaeoanthropology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany), Albert Zink (0000-0002-1461-747X, Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies Bolzano Italy)
Year2018
Volume28
Issue6
Pages714-726
Publication date2018-07-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.2694
OpenAlexW2884150310
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited66

The study of subadult scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), also known as Möller‐Barlow's disease, is of growing interest in palaeopathology. However, in Italy, there is still a paucity of knowledge on nutritional stress diseases in human skeletal remains. In the present work, the anthropological and palaeopathological study on subadults found in the Early Medieval cemetery of Castel Tirolo, in South Tyrol (Italy) is reported. Referring to the macroscopic and palaeopathological features described in the literature, abnormal pores, and abnormal new bone formations were analysed in multiple cranial and postcranial skeletal regions. Based on our study, 58% individuals ( N = 14/24) displayed abnormal lesions: three subadults were nonspecific pathological cases; nine showed few indicative, but not diagnostic, lesions; and two cases (TCT13 and TCT14) exhibited abnormal lesions highly consistent with scurvy. As a reliable diagnosis of vitamin C deficiency is still challenging, we conducted a differential diagnosis of the recorded lesions that supported the probable presence of scurvy in the two cases. This work presents the first documentation of scurvy in Early Medieval Italy revealing new insights into the health condition and nutritional stress in historical communities in the Eastern Italian Alps

Biology · Paleopathology · Pathological · Pathology · Postcrania · Scurvy · Taxon · Vitamin C · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Medicine · Otolaryngology and Infectious Diseases · Paleopathology and ancient diseases

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year0,5
Citation span2024 - 2024 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
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