Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.33254/piaz.37.6
Late medieval/early modern population from Ivankovo, eastern Croatia: the results of the (bio)archaeological analysis
Siniša Krznar
orcid.org/0000-0001-6709-4193
; Institute of Archaeology, Zagreb, Croatia
Tamás Hajdu
; Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
This paper presents the results of rescue archaeological excavations conducted around the church of the Birth of St. John the Baptist in Ivankovo near Vinkovci during which 55 graves were excavated. Based on the stratigraphic relationships between the graves and archaeological finds of material culture, this Roman Catholic parish cemetery can be dated to the period from the end of the 13th to the 18th century, i.e. to the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The archaeological finds are scarce and usually include parts of costumes and jewelry (rings, belts, belt buckles, hook-and-eye fasteners, pins, knives), which is common for this period. Aside from the archaeological finds, historical sources also attest to the existence of the parish and the cemetery during the Ottoman rule. The deceased were laid in grave pits, which were usually oriented in the west-east direction. Most graves were damaged by later burials and the skeletons themselves are also relatively poorly (partially) preserved. A detailed bioarchaeological analysis of skeletal remains from Ivankovo could be conducted on 53 people (10 children, 13 women, and 30 men). Dentoalveolar disease analysis showed a high frequency of caries and ante mortem tooth loss, which suggest poor oral health, but also a diet based on carbohydrates, i.e. grains. High rate of physiological stress indicators (cribra orbitalia and linear enamel hypoplasia), periostitis, and the presence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis indicate that most residents were in poor health condition. The distribution and morphology of skeletal injuries from Ivankovo assemblage suggest that they were caused by accidents that probably occurred during everyday activities within the community, such as working in the field, with cattle, or in the house.
Keywords
Slavonia; Roman Catholic parish cemetery; material culture; skeletal remains; paleopathology
Hrčak ID:
247812
URI
Publication date:
14.12.2020.
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