Objective This study considers the evidence for elevated frequencies of “rare” diseases in ancient Panama. Indications of population isolation by multidisciplinary sources allow for the possibility that rare inherited conditions may have been maintained at relatively high prevalences in the region due to gene flow restriction. Materials A sample of 267 skeletal human remains with diverse demographical

Objective Was cancer a rare disease in the past? Our objective is to consider the various terminological, theoretical, and methodological biases that may affect perceptions of the rarity of cancer in the past. Materials and methods We discuss relevant malignant neoplastic biomedical and paleopathological literature and evaluate skeletal data. We selected 108 archaeological sites (n = 151 cancer cases)

Objective Differential diagnosis and tabulation of cases of dental agenesis in Middle and Upper Paleolithic Western Eurasian humans to synthesize this data and to test previous hypotheses about when recent human patterns of third molar agenesis were established. Materials 139 Late Pleistocene human remains and 149 individuals from three Epi-Paleolithic/ Holocene non-agricultural comparative collections

Objective To assesses the patterns of age-related changes and bone pathologies in modern non-draft cattle to assist archaezooological analysis of draft cattle remains from antiquity. Materials The study area is located in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals on the territory of Russia near the border with Kazakhstan. Methods Over 300 bones of modern cattle were examined, mostly metapodials and phalanges

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

Objective Detecting traces of ancient DNA of Vibrio cholerae to provide genetic information associated with the fifth cholera pandemic. Materials Sediment samples from the sacral foramina of four individuals were analyzed, recovered from a mass grave near an institution dedicated exclusively to the isolation and treatment of citizens infected with cholera in the late 19th century in the city of Cordoba

Objective This study discusses the challenges and possibilities of establishing a definition for Ancient Rare Diseases (ARD) in a probable case of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (LCPD) from the Bronze Age cemetery Kudachurt 14, situated in the Northern Caucasus. Materials We investigated the skeletal remains of a male aged 35–45 years at death. For comparison we examined other males buried at Kudachurt

Objective This paper reviews paleo- and archaeoparasitology publications to date, from Iran. The primary focus is the importance of differential diagnosis and the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaborations among parasitologists and other specialists. Methods All relevant articles and theses published in Iran through October 2020 are included and evaluated, with particular emphasis on the diagnostic

Objective : By applying a joint medico-historical and paleopathological perspective, this paper aims to improve our understanding of factors influencing past vitamin D deficiency in ten Dutch 17th to 19th-century communities of varying socioeconomic status and settlement type. Materials : Vitamin D deficiency is evaluated in 733 individuals of both sexes and all age groups: Silvolde (n = 16), Rotterdam

Objectives This research focused on osteoarthritis (OA) lesions on modern patients to 1) identify consistently observed lesions not included within current paleopathological measures of OA, 2) assess the correspondence of bone and cartilage lesions with clinical OA diagnostic criteria, and 3) discuss the correspondence of bone lesions with sources of pain reported in clinical literature. Materials

Objective To reconstruct the etiology of a perimortem injury observed on a Neolithic – Chalcolithic cranium (5060 – 4400 yrs cal. BP). Materials A cranium of an old adult male individual belonging to a collective burial from Cova Foradada site (Calafell, Tarragona, Spain). Methods The cranium was analyzed macroscopically and microscopically using micro-CT scan. Results The fracture on the right parietal

Objective To evaluate lesions on a cranium from the Iberian Peninsula and assess its medico-historical and paleopathological significance. Materials The skeletal remains of a juvenile individual found in a Medieval Islamic grave (10th -16th century) in Eastern Spain. Methods Macroscopic examination of the left and right temporal bones, binocular microscopy, X-ray, and Scanning Electron Microscopy -

Purpose To examine a possible case of Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) in an Indigenous pre-contact male from Canada, individual D of the Skinner site in Ontario. Methods Radiographs, CT scan and histological analysis. Results The histological analysis revealed the mosaic pattern that characterizes PDB. CT scans show advanced sclerosis of the cranium and a diminished diplӧe with osteolytic lesions. Conclusions

Objective To re-analyze one of the oldest cases of malignant bone neoplasm with different analytical techniques. Material The available skeletal remains of grave 138 (G138) from the Iron Age necropolis of Münsingen-Rain (Switzerland, 420–240 BC). Methods The bones are analyzed by means of morphological, radiographic, histological, and biogeochemical methods. Results The individual, a male aged between

Objectives This paper aims to provide an explicit theoretical model for the cognitive processes involved in paleopathological diagnosis. Methods The approach adopted is a dual process model (DPM). DPMs recognize that cognition is a result of both Type 1 (intuitive) and Type 2 (analytical) processes. DPMs have been influential for understanding decision-making in a range of fields, including diagnosis

Objective Paleopathological evidence of cancer from past populations is rare, especially outside of Europe and North Africa. This study expands upon the current temporal and spatial distribution of cancer by presenting a probable case of multiple myeloma from Bronze Age China. Material The human skeletal remains of an adult male from the Qijia culture horizon (1750−1400 BCE) of the Bronze Age cemetery

Objective Concha bullosa is a rather common condition of the nasal turbinates, rarely reported in archaeological skeletal collections. This paper examines a case of concha bullosa as seen in a female cranium from a burial in central Italy, dated to the Longobard domination in the Peninsula (mid-7th– early 8th century CE). Materials The individual under investigation (T86/17) comes from the funerary

Objective To differentially diagnose a calcified formation recovered from a 13th century AD grave from the Tuscan monastery of Badia Pozzeveri, Lucca, Italy. Materials A calcified formation from the thoraco-abdominal region of a skeleton buried in the monastery cemetery. Methods Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy. Results A hollow, calcified

Objective To encourage the use of different methodological approaches for the identification of paleopathological lesions and to evaluate osteolytic lesions found on a temporal bone from La Llana cave (Spain). Materials Cranial remains recovered from from La Llana cave (Spain) dated to the Bronze Age, 3300 ± 25 BP (1631−1509 cal BC). Methods The cranium underwent macroscopic, microscopic and computed

Objective To define SEM characteristics that may aid identification of sialoliths. Materials: Two sialoliths from modern patients affected by sialadenitis. Methods Samples were coated with silver and subjected to scanning electron microscopy using an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector. Samples were then sectioned to permit study of the internal structure. Results Sialoliths show an external

Objective Documented cases of actinomycosis in archaeological skeletons are very rare, especially from Central Europe. Our contribution will help facilitate the differential diagnosis of this disease for other paleopathologists. Material This paper describes a pathological finding of the skeleton of a 40-year-old male from a burial ground in Sady-Špitálky (Czech Republic) dated to the 10th-12th century

Objective To present for the first time in the north-western Spanish osteological record prevalence data on Stafne’s bone defect, to compare the results with those reported by other studies, and to increase the dataset for future inter-population comparisons. Material In all, 143 complete adult mandibles recovered from two necropolises were analyzed (n = 118, San Juan Bautista of Guardo, Palencia province

Objective To undertake a differential diagnosis of a large mass found in the left maxillary sinus of a cranium dated to the 16th–17th-century, and to expand knowledge of the diagnosis of osseous tissue formation in osteoarchaeological studies. Material A cranium recovered from the cemetery of San Salvador de Palat de Rey church, León (Spain). Methods Macroscopic analysis, CT scanning. Results Macroscopic

Objective This study was designed to search for ancient parasites in abdominal content and coprolites from Bolivian mummies. Materials Twelve mummified individuals from the Andean highlands, housed at the National Museum of Archaeology (MUNARQ) in La Paz, Bolivia. Methods Microscopic analysis of rehydrated samples (coprolites and abdominal content), following Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique

Objective This paper looks to broaden the methodological possibilities for diagnosing osteomalacia in archaeological bone using micro-CT analysis. Increasing the identification of osteomalacia in paleopathology will provide support for important interpretive frameworks. Materials Nine embedded and two unembedded rib fragments were sourced from St. Martin’s Birmingham and Ancaster, UK, and Lisieux Michelet

Objective This study investigated microstructural changes of the right and left midshaft femur in an archaeological individual afflicted with left-sided hip joint ankylosis to assess whether increased cortical porosity was present as a result of leg disuse. Materials The individual is a middle-aged adult male excavated from the Metal Period (∼2000 BP) Nagsabaran, Luzon Island, Philippines. Methods

Objective Describe pathological features on internal and external aspects of the skull of an ancient grey wolf. Materials Wolf remains that were found at the southwestern settlement Area A of Gravettian site Pavlov I. Methods Visual observation and description; microcomputed tomography; porosity and fragmentation indices for internal and external skull features; histological section of the fourth upper

Objectives This study aimed to reconstruct the dietary behavior of two early medieval individuals who display gnathic malformation. Material Two skeletons affected by temporomandibular ankylosis were analyzed, one from the Great Moravian burial site of Rajhradice (9th century AD, Czech Republic), and the other from the Avar burial site of Schӧnkirchen (8th century AD, Austria). Methods Carbon and nitrogen

Objective We test the hypothesis that physiological stress increased in response to increasing social turmoil following waves of colonization and social transition. The ways local conditions, including variation in geography, environment, and levels of urbanization impact physiological stress are also explored. Materials In Albania, the historic period is a sequence of different waves of colonization

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

Objective This work describes a new method for recording nasal fracture in skeletonized individuals, suitable for use in biocultural studies of violence and fracture in past societies. Methods The method consists in recording the ‘side of fracture’, ‘side of deviation’, ‘type of fracture’, ‘other facial fractures’, and stage of ‘bone remodeling’. Results A lateral impact force to the facial area is

Objectives We aim to discuss the presence of treponemal infections in three individuals belonging to a large (∼400 individuals) Late Medieval cemetery (14th -16th century) that archaeological and documentary sources place within a Jewish context, and to discuss the role of these diseases in a biocultural perspective. Materials and methods An anthropological and paleopathological study was conducted

Objective This research is designed to evaluate the occurrence of external auditory exostoses (EAEs) in skeletal remains from the oldest known water wells in the world (Kissonerga-Mylouthkia, Cyprus, 8,200-7,200 BCE). Materials Six individuals (MNI = 6), five fragmentary temporalia, two preserved auditory canals. Methods Macroscopic and microscopic (up to x30) observation, with illumination; presence

In modern clinical medical practice, middle-ear infection is a frequently reported condition. If untreated, persistent inflammation caused by infection may lead to perforation of the mastoid process or other portions of the temporal bone. When the middle-ear abscess penetrates the surrounding bone and invades the mastoid process, it causes mastoiditis. Abnormal osseous fistulae were observed on the

This paper reviews the significant advances in isotopic investigations in Andean South America and directs scholars to explore new theoretical and analytical directions, specifically the applicability of isotope data to paleopathology. Excellent preservation and large skeletal collections of human remains make the Central Andes ideal for biogeochemical reconstructions and advancements in isotopic methods

Objective To describe the oral pathological conditions of Ohalo II H2, an Early Epipaleolithic human from southwest Asia. Materials The dentognathic skeleton of Ohalo II H2 and relevant comparative data from similar chronological and/or geographic contexts. Methods Gross and x-ray observations of oral pathological conditions and occlusal wear were made following published protocols. A differential

Objective This paper explores the potential of analyzing pathological lesions and entheseal changes in the identification of working reindeer. Methods The skeletons of 26 modern working reindeer from Siberia and Northern Finland are analyzed for pathological lesions and entheseal changes. Results Working results in elevated frequencies of pathological lesions, specifically joint disease in cervical

Objective This case-study provides a summary of skeletal lesions seen in a case of diagnosed juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis with extensive multifocal bony lesions. Materials Skeleton of a 9-year-old girl who died in the 1940s in Lisbon, Portugal. The remains of this individual are part of the Lisbon skeletal reference collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History and Science. Methods

Objective and materials This research evaluates the presence and chronology of tuberculosis (TB) in the northeastern highlands of Peru (CE 800–1535) through the analysis of osseous lesions from Pre-Contact Kuelap, Chachapoyas. Methods We examined macroscopic lesion morphology and distribution from the skeletal series (MNI = 207). Results We determined that skeletal evidence was highly consistent with

Objectives To highlight conditions that may cause early-onset degenerative joint disease, and to assess the possible impact of such diseases upon everyday life. Material Four adults aged under 50 years from a medieval skeletal collection of Prague (Czechia). Methods Visual, osteometric, X-ray, and histological examinations, stable isotope analysis of bone collagen. Results All four individuals showed

Objective This case study describes a perimortem hip fracture in a documented individual from the Robert J. Terry Skeletal Collection. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend how co-occurring conditions contributed to fracture risk and to understand the effect of the injury on this individual. Materials and Methods A 73-year-old female from the Terry Collection with a fracture of the left proximal

In the 20 years since the publication of John Verano’s foundational paper “Advances in Paleopathology of Andean South America,” paleopathological and bioarchaeological investigations of human skeletal remains in the region have increased dramatically. Today, primary foci have grown to span the identification of disease, detailed reconstructions of biocultural interactions, embodied social experiences

Objective This paper reports a new case of treponemal disease in a pre-Columbian hunter-gatherer inhabiting the desert coast of South America. Materials A well-preserved adult male skeleton from the “Vertedero Municipal” archaeological cemetery, located near the city of Antofagasta (Northern Chile). Methods The skeleton was radiocarbon dated, and isotopic analyses were performed to assess diet and

Objective Actinomycosis infection of bone is rare and its diagnosis challenging. Here, we aim to identify and verify its microstructural features and the potential value for differential diagnosis. Materials We investigated the dry preparation of the lumbar vertebrae and pelvic ring of a purported case of actinomycosis documented by a post-mortem examination in 1891. Methods Macroscopic inspection

Objective To reconstruct breastfeeding and weaning practices, metabolic stress including tuberculosis-induced wasting, and residential mobility of children in Neolithic and Metal Ages to infer their local ecologies. Materials Seven permanent teeth from individuals dated to the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages buried in nearby caves in western Liguria, Italy. Methods Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur

We set out to assemble this Special Issue of IJPP with three goals in mind: (1) to familiarize Anglophone readers with research on paleopathology conducted by Chinese scholars; (2) to enhance interest in paleopathological research among Chinese scholars, and to foster the use of differential diagnosis as the key mode of paleopathological analysis; and (3) to initiate integration of pathological analysis

Objectives In this brief communication we discuss issues concerning scientific rigour in palaeopathological publications, particularly studies published in clinical or general science journals, that employ skeletal analysis to elucidate the lives and deaths of historical figures or interpret “mysterious” assemblages or burials. We highlight the relationship between poor methodological rigour and lack

Objective To explore the differential diagnoses of a fused left knee joint and the subsequent impairment. Materials An adult female skeleton from the Medieval cemetery of St Mary Spital (London, England). Methods We employed digital radiography and macroscopic observation to record the changes observed throughout the skeleton. We also used the Index of Care to explore the subsequent impairment. Results

Andean paleopathological research has significantly enhanced knowledge about the geographical distribution and evolution of tuberculosis (TB) in pre-Columbian South America. In this paper, we review the history and progress of research on ancient tuberculosis (TB) in the Andean region, focusing on the strengths and limitations of current approaches for the molecular detection of ancient pathogens,

Objective To better understand the pathogenesis of DISH, identifying early or pre-DISH lesions in the spine and investigating the relationship between spinal and extra-spinal manifestations of DISH. Material 44 skeletonized individuals with DISH from the WM Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. Methods For each vertebra, location, extension, point of origin and appearance of vertebral outgrowths were recorded

Foot-binding was a widespread custom in China for hundreds of years, though the severity and type of binding varied considerably over time and space. To examine the morphological consequences of extremely severe foot-binding, this paper uses 35 sets of bound and 33 sets of unbound foot bones, from the remains of women excavated from the Xinzhi cemetery in northern Shandong Province. Based on macroscopic

Objective To differentially diagnose two calcified objects found with the well-preserved and nearly complete skeletal remains excavated in June 2012 by the Haáz Rezső Múzeum in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania. Material Two objects measuring 25.55 × 18.23 mm and 17.62 × 16.38 mm found with the skeletal remains of a probable female approximately 25–35 years old at the time of death. Methods Analysis utilized

Objective The objective of this study is to estimate the frequency and types of tarsal coalition represented in medieval remains from Exeter, England. Materials 183 individuals from the Cathedral Green site in Exeter, England. Methods Gross macroscopic analysis combined with radiographic examination and comparison with clinical and archaeological literature. Results Eight coalitions of various forms

Objective This study evaluates patterns of human growth in the Neolithic to make inferences about environmental correlates of developmental disturbances. Materials 33 children/adolescents from the Neolithic of Liguria (Italy), 29 of which date between 4,800-4,400 cal BCE. Methods Neolithic patterns of growth are compared with a modern sample (the Denver Growth Study; DGS). Dental development was used

Objective To explore the frequency and severity of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) and its causative factors in a skeletal assemblage from the prehistoric site of Chelechol ra Orrak, Palau, western Micronesia. Materials 50 temporomandibular joint surfaces (mandibular condyles and articular eminences), representing a minimum of 22 adult individuals, 17 of which retain teeth. Methods

Objective To assess developmental disturbances through the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency and to infer environmental stress and life history within Neolithic communities from Liguria (Italy). Materials 43 unworn/minimally worn permanent anterior teeth of 13 individuals recovered from nearby caves and dated to c. 4800−4400 cal. BCE. Methods LEH defects were identified with high-resolution

Because of a rich cultural history and excellent preservation of archaeological materials the south coast of the Central Andes is a region where many anthropological questions can be explored, using the latest methods and techniques. Over the last 20 years, multidisciplinary paleopathological studies have revealed interesting and unanticipated perspectives regarding the lives and cultures of the peoples

This paper presents a case study of a young adult from the late Neolithic Yangshao cultural period site (∼3300–2900 years BC) of Guanjia (关家) located in Henan Province on the Central Plains of China, who has evidence for skeletal dysplasia characterised by proportional stunting of the long bones and a small axial skeleton, generalised osteopenia, and non-fusion of epiphyses. We provide a detailed differential

Objective This study was undertaken to identify pathological conditions within the population living at Atalla (1000-500 BCE), an important early village site and ritual center located in Huancavelica, Peru. Materials Articulated burials (N = 3) and commingled human remains excavated during the 2015 and 2016 field seasons. Methods Osteological remains were analyzed for macroscopic evidence of pathological