Objective

This study describes the first evidence of a probable paleopathological case of leprosy from northern Portugal.

Materials

An adult male, skeleton 403, exhumed from the Christian cemetery associated with the church dedicated to Saint Mamede (Travanca, Santa Maria da Feira), dated from the 17th-19th century AD.

Methods

Standard bioarchaeological methods were used for sex and age-at-death determinations, and leprosy-related bone lesions were identified through macroscopic analysis guided by paleopathological diagnostic criteria.

Results

The macroscopic observation revealed probable leprosy-related skeletal lesions, namely tenuous rhinomaxillary changes, bilateral proliferative periosteal reactions on the tibiae and fibulae, as well as concentric atrophy, acro-osteolysis and ankyloses of foot bones.

Conclusions

Skeleton 403 represents a probable case of leprosy according to the nature and distribution pattern of bony lesions observed.

Significance

This finding fills an important gap in the history of leprosy in Portugal. Although historical sources show that the majority of leprosaria were located in the northern part of the country, suggesting that leprosy was more prevalent in this area of Portugal in the past, no paleopathological evidence of this disease was reported for this region to date. Furthermore, the inhumation of a leprosy sufferer in a 17th-19th century AD Christian parish cemetery is deeply imbued with social meaning.

Suggestion for future research

The future detailed study of the remaining skeletons unearthed from the cemetery of the Church of São Mamede will hopefully reveal further osteological evidence of leprosy in addition to the application of ancient DNA analysis to confirm the presence of the pathogen of this disease. Also, further documentary research is needed in order to expand appreciation of the epidemiological and social impact of leprosy in the 17th-19th century AD Portugal.

中文翻译：

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在葡萄牙北部（特拉万卡，圣玛丽亚达费拉）出土的男性（公元 17 至 19 世纪）的第一个可能的麻风病证据

客观的

这项研究描述了葡萄牙北部可能的麻风病古病理学病例的第一个证据。

材料

从公元 17 至 19 世纪与献给圣马梅德 (Travanca, Santa Maria da Feira) 的教堂相关的基督教墓地中挖掘出的成年男性骨骼 403。

方法

使用标准的生物考古学方法确定性别和死亡年龄，并在古病理学诊断标准的指导下通过宏观分析确定麻风病相关的骨病变。

结果

肉眼观察发现可能与麻风有关的骨骼病变，即鼻上颌骨细小改变，双侧胫骨和腓骨的增生性骨膜反应，以及足骨向心性萎缩、肢端骨质溶解和强直。

结论

根据观察到的骨病变的性质和分布模式，骨架 403 代表一个可能的麻风病例。

意义

这一发现填补了葡萄牙麻风病历史上的一个重要空白。尽管历史资料显示大部分麻风病都位于该国北部，这表明过去麻风病在葡萄牙这一地区更为普遍，但迄今为止，该地区没有报告这种疾病的古病理学证据。此外，在公元 17 世纪至 19 世纪的基督教教区墓地中对麻风病患者进行的埋葬具有深刻的社会意义。

对未来研究的建议

未来对从圣马梅德教堂墓地出土的剩余骨骼进行详细研究，除了应用古代 DNA 分析来确认麻风病病原体的存在外，有望进一步揭示麻风病的骨学证据。此外，还需要进一步的文献研究，以扩大对公元 17 至 19 世纪葡萄牙麻风病的流行病学和社会影响的认识。