Original scientific paper
Bioarcheology of bone remains from medieval burials from Armenia
Anahit Yu. Khudaverdyan
orcid.org/0000-0002-1458-783X
Abstract
The aim of this article was to document the paleopathology of the individuals from the archeological sites of the Early Middle Age from burials from the Armenia (Lori and Syunik provinces). The examined groups consisted of osteological remains of 28 individuals (10 men, 5 women, 8 children and 5 adults of unknown). Standard bioarchaeological methods were used for sex and age-at-death determinations. The standard assessment program of skeletal pathological conditions, macroscopic and x-ray and histopathology methods were applied. Three cradle-deformed deformed skulls and artificial fronto-occipital deformation were identified. The analysed samples is characterised by the presence of pathological changes which are often associated with stressful episodes such as anaemia, inadequate nutrition, infectious diseases and the occurrence of parasites. Nine of the individuals in the samples presented with well-healed, healing or perimortem fractures. One case in particular showed signs of a traumatic death. The spread of signs of inflammatory processes in the adult and child population indicates the presence of a wide range of factors influencing the appearance of various infectious diseases of a non-specific nature, such as poor hygiene and population density (periostitis: № 1: 4-6 years, № 3: ♂ 40-49 years, № 4: ♂ 50-54 years, № 6: 5-6 years; leprosy: № 4: ♂ 50-54 years, dental abscess: № 5, ♂ 50-59). Probably meat was the basis of the diet of the medieval population of Armenia. Although the sample size was small in the case of 4 sites, bioarchaeological data from the studied historical population of Lori and Syunik provinces are useful in understanding the lifeways of the ancient Armenian population.
Keywords
Armenia; Early Middle Ages; paleopathology; occipital superstructure; artificial cranial modification
Hrčak ID:
288332
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2022.
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