Numerous caves in the Finalese area (Liguria region, northwestern Italy) yielded some of the most important Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean, but it is unclear whether those were cemeteries, or places were only a sub-section of the population was buried. Excavations date back to the late 19th/early 20th centuries, resulting in poorly documented and chrono-culturally defined skeletal collections. Our reassessment of the nine burials from Arma dell’Aquila (excavated in the 1930s) dated one in a lithic cyst to 4730-4550 calBCE 2σ (Square-Mouth-Pottery chrono-cultural phase; SMP), five to an earlier phase (5360-4840 calBCE 2σ), and one to 5650-5540 calBCE 2σ, well within the Impresso-Cardial-complex timeframe. The scattered human remains yielded a MNI of nine additional individuals. The five burials are aligned NE-SW, crouched on the left side, without lithic cyst or grave goods, and oriented feet-against-feet, head-against-head. They constitute the earliest evidence of an apparently organized funerary space in the Neolithic of northern Italy. Two adults from this alignment show lesions suggestive of osteoarticular tuberculosis, and skeletal alterations (periostitis, arthritis, maxillary abscesses, cranial lesions) that are present in other individuals. This adds to the SMP burial, which was previously diagnosed with tuberculous spondylitis. Tuberculosis leaves skeletal traces in 2-5% of cases, and is rare in the archaeological record. Therefore, either the prevalence of this disease was exceptionally high throughout the Ligurian Neolithic, or selective burial practices may have been in place. The joint analysis of paleodemographic and paleopathological data in the Ligurian Neolithic offers a unique opportunity to untangle this issue.

Untangling the relationship between paleopathology and funerary behavior in the Italian Neolithic: new data from Arma dell'Aquila (Finale Ligure, Liguria region, northwestern Italy)

Starnini, Elisabetta
Penultimo
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
2018-01-01

Abstract

Numerous caves in the Finalese area (Liguria region, northwestern Italy) yielded some of the most important Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean, but it is unclear whether those were cemeteries, or places were only a sub-section of the population was buried. Excavations date back to the late 19th/early 20th centuries, resulting in poorly documented and chrono-culturally defined skeletal collections. Our reassessment of the nine burials from Arma dell’Aquila (excavated in the 1930s) dated one in a lithic cyst to 4730-4550 calBCE 2σ (Square-Mouth-Pottery chrono-cultural phase; SMP), five to an earlier phase (5360-4840 calBCE 2σ), and one to 5650-5540 calBCE 2σ, well within the Impresso-Cardial-complex timeframe. The scattered human remains yielded a MNI of nine additional individuals. The five burials are aligned NE-SW, crouched on the left side, without lithic cyst or grave goods, and oriented feet-against-feet, head-against-head. They constitute the earliest evidence of an apparently organized funerary space in the Neolithic of northern Italy. Two adults from this alignment show lesions suggestive of osteoarticular tuberculosis, and skeletal alterations (periostitis, arthritis, maxillary abscesses, cranial lesions) that are present in other individuals. This adds to the SMP burial, which was previously diagnosed with tuberculous spondylitis. Tuberculosis leaves skeletal traces in 2-5% of cases, and is rare in the archaeological record. Therefore, either the prevalence of this disease was exceptionally high throughout the Ligurian Neolithic, or selective burial practices may have been in place. The joint analysis of paleodemographic and paleopathological data in the Ligurian Neolithic offers a unique opportunity to untangle this issue.
2018
Sparacello, Vitale S.; Panelli, Chiara; Rossi, Stefano; Dori, Irene; Varalli, Alessandra; Goude, Gwenaelle; Kacki, Sacha; Partiot, Caroline; Mannino, Marcello; Talamo, Sahra; Richards, Michael P.; Roberts, Charlotte A.; Moggi-Cecchi, Jacopo; Starnini, Elisabetta; Biagi, Paolo
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/1042610
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