The analysis of burned remains is a highly complex process, and a better insight can be gained wi... more The analysis of burned remains is a highly complex process, and a better insight can be gained with advanced technologies. The main goal of this paper is to apply X-ray diffraction, partially supported by infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy to determine changes in burned human bones and teeth in terms of mineral phase transformations. Samples of 36 bones and 12 teeth were heated at 1050°C and afterwards subjected to XRD and ATR-IR. The crystallinity index was calculated for every sample. A quantitative evaluation of phases was documented by using the Rietveld approach. In addition to bioapatite, the following mineralogical phases were found in the bone: β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) (Ca3(PO4)2), lime (CaO), portlandite (Ca(OH)2), calcite (CaCO3), and buchwaldite (NaCaPO4). In the case of bone, besides bioapatite, only the first two mineralogical phases and magnesium oxide were present. We also observed that the formation of β-TCP affects the phosphate peaks used for ...
Current paleodietary studies about the Naviform and Talayotic groups that took place in Minorca (... more Current paleodietary studies about the Naviform and Talayotic groups that took place in Minorca (Balearic Islands) during the Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age (ca.1600–850/800 BC) have suggested a mixed and variable diet, largely depending on terrestrial sources of vegetables and meat. This study explores the nutritional pattern of the individuals buried in the Cova des Pas site (Minorca Island, Spain), a cave used as a collective sepulcher and the most exceptional and major human assemblage found in the Balearic Islands during this period. Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopic signatures were measured on extracted bone collagen from 49 individuals. Further, faunal remains from the Son Mercer de Baix site, the closest contemporaneous village to the collective sepulcher, were also analyzed to provide a baseline corpus of data to interpret human isotopic data. The results indicate a human diet based mainly on C3plants with an important consumption of animal protein. The δ15N...
The aim of this study was to analyze the infant burials found inside Iberian homes in relation to... more The aim of this study was to analyze the infant burials found inside Iberian homes in relation to a possible case of sex selection. The study included the remains of 11 infant individuals buried under the 10 houses excavated in the late Iberian village of Camp de les Lloses (Tona, Barcelona, Spain). Sex was determined using genetic analysis. Our results showed that almost all the burials were females. However, the age interval of death was wide enough to weaken the premise of infanticide, and the burials probably represent cases of natural death. Infanticide in its different forms has long been argued as an explanation for the infant remains found throughout various burial sites. Many authors thought that infanticide, mainly femicide, was the main method of population control in ancient times. However, there is no anthropological evidence (age distribution and sex analyzed genetically) to support the intentional killing of females in this or in other cases. We hypothesized that there was a positive selection for females to be buried inside the houses, probably related to their benefactor roles.
The study aims to reconstruct the demography and health of the individuals that lived during the ... more The study aims to reconstruct the demography and health of the individuals that lived during the medieval period in the northern coast of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The skeletal remains, unearthed during the archeological excavations conducted between 1980 and 1988, came from the Can Reiners necropolis overlaying the forum of the Roman city of Pollentia. The minimum number of the individuals analysed in this work is 216: 64% are adults and 36% are sub-adults. The high mortality and the low life expectancy is consistent with the expected values for ancient populations such as this one. The peak of mortality for the sub-adult phase is between the second and the fourth year of life, which could be related with weaning. For the adults, the highest peak is between the 35 and the 40 years of age. These demographic data along with the low frequencies of agerelated pathologies suggest that the people in this population did not reach the senile age range as a consequence of hard life conditions. The estimated stature is compared with other European populations of different periods. The results show that the mean male stature is consistent with the values from other European medieval cemeteries, whereas the female values are generally lower in Can Reiners than in the comparative samples. In addition, we suggest that migration, among other factors, could play an important role in the fact that females and sub-adults are underrepresented in this population.
Dental calculus, or calcified plaque, is a potential source of archaeological information relatin... more Dental calculus, or calcified plaque, is a potential source of archaeological information relating to the lives of past societies. The recovery and identification of organic micro‐remains entrapped within dental calculus provide new data regarding diet, health and lifestyle. This paper presents, for the first time, microscopic evidence of the sporangium annulus of a fern within the dental calculus of an adult male from the medieval necropolis of Can Reiners (Balearic Islands, Spain). The sporangium evidence was compared with modern sporangia collected in northern Mallorca and the Iberian Peninsula. The results revealed that the features of the Can Reiners sporangium sample were compatible with the species Asplenium trichomanes. Through a historical and modern botanical literature review, it is known that this species has been widely regarded as a cure for kidney stones and alopecia. Moreover, this species was used as an expectorant, diuretic, and emmenagogue (herb which provokes menstruation or abortion). Considering that sporangia are attached to leaves and when they are mature only spores are released in the air, the presence of the annulus within dental calculus provides direct evidence of the consumption of ferns by the population living in the Balearic Islands during the Middle Ages. Since the use of these plants as constituents of diet is not attested, we may suggest that they could be employed as medicinal plants.
International journal of legal medicine, Jan 30, 2018
This study aims to improve a previous study that reported new traits to characterize a perimortem... more This study aims to improve a previous study that reported new traits to characterize a perimortem fracture pattern in human long bones. This second study aims to acquire further knowledge about these perimortem traits, specifically by improving the experimental setting-by using a Blunt Force Trauma Simulator-and increasing the sample size with a total of 43 autopsy specimens and 57 reproduced fractures. Additionally, we investigated whether these traits could be related to muscular contractions by adding axial compression in the experimentally fractured specimens. If intra vitam traits can be found, it would consequentially be more valuable for forensic anthropologists to shorten the perimortem period. We demonstrate that all traits are perimortem traits. Furthermore, based on our results, we see the tendency that the combination of traits-instead of the presence of each trait individually-may make it possible to distinguish intra vitam from perimortem fractures. This study confirms...
Enchondromas occur with an estimated modern incidence rate of 27.7% of benign bone tumors (Hauben... more Enchondromas occur with an estimated modern incidence rate of 27.7% of benign bone tumors (Hauben and Hogendoorn, 2010), but few are represented in the paleopathological record. The medieval site of St. Pere in Spain has produced a convincing case. The diagnosis was confirmed by X-Ray, CT-scan and μ-CT scan. Therefore UF 755 from St. Pere - a male of more than 60 years old - can be confirmed as a femoral case of enchondroma, supported by evidence, in the paleopathological record.
International journal of legal medicine, Jan 3, 2018
Literature on timing of rib trauma is scarce but remains challenging during forensic cases. This ... more Literature on timing of rib trauma is scarce but remains challenging during forensic cases. This study analysed the macroscopic fracture patterns of perimortem rib fractures and compared them to experimentally reproduced rib fractures on fresh and dry ribs. Six distinctive macroscopic traits were found in ribs that might provide information about the timing of trauma, fracture mechanism and/or trauma circumstances. These traits are peels, folds, differential fracture edges, incomplete fractures, plastic deformation and longitudinal lines. Peels, folds and plastic deformation might provide information about trauma timing. Folds and different fracture edges might provide information about the fracture mechanism. Statistical analyses showed that longitudinal lines, folds and incomplete fractures might provide information about the trauma circumstances and that age might have an influence on the occurrence of complete fractures, longitudinal lines and peels (p ≤ 0.05). The new insights ...
The analysis of burned remains is a highly complex process, and a better insight can be gained wi... more The analysis of burned remains is a highly complex process, and a better insight can be gained with advanced technologies. The main goal of this paper is to apply X-ray diffraction, partially supported by infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy to determine changes in burned human bones and teeth in terms of mineral phase transformations. Samples of 36 bones and 12 teeth were heated at 1050°C and afterwards subjected to XRD and ATR-IR. The crystallinity index was calculated for every sample. A quantitative evaluation of phases was documented by using the Rietveld approach. In addition to bioapatite, the following mineralogical phases were found in the bone: β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) (Ca3(PO4)2), lime (CaO), portlandite (Ca(OH)2), calcite (CaCO3), and buchwaldite (NaCaPO4). In the case of bone, besides bioapatite, only the first two mineralogical phases and magnesium oxide were present. We also observed that the formation of β-TCP affects the phosphate peaks used for ...
Current paleodietary studies about the Naviform and Talayotic groups that took place in Minorca (... more Current paleodietary studies about the Naviform and Talayotic groups that took place in Minorca (Balearic Islands) during the Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age (ca.1600–850/800 BC) have suggested a mixed and variable diet, largely depending on terrestrial sources of vegetables and meat. This study explores the nutritional pattern of the individuals buried in the Cova des Pas site (Minorca Island, Spain), a cave used as a collective sepulcher and the most exceptional and major human assemblage found in the Balearic Islands during this period. Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopic signatures were measured on extracted bone collagen from 49 individuals. Further, faunal remains from the Son Mercer de Baix site, the closest contemporaneous village to the collective sepulcher, were also analyzed to provide a baseline corpus of data to interpret human isotopic data. The results indicate a human diet based mainly on C3plants with an important consumption of animal protein. The δ15N...
The aim of this study was to analyze the infant burials found inside Iberian homes in relation to... more The aim of this study was to analyze the infant burials found inside Iberian homes in relation to a possible case of sex selection. The study included the remains of 11 infant individuals buried under the 10 houses excavated in the late Iberian village of Camp de les Lloses (Tona, Barcelona, Spain). Sex was determined using genetic analysis. Our results showed that almost all the burials were females. However, the age interval of death was wide enough to weaken the premise of infanticide, and the burials probably represent cases of natural death. Infanticide in its different forms has long been argued as an explanation for the infant remains found throughout various burial sites. Many authors thought that infanticide, mainly femicide, was the main method of population control in ancient times. However, there is no anthropological evidence (age distribution and sex analyzed genetically) to support the intentional killing of females in this or in other cases. We hypothesized that there was a positive selection for females to be buried inside the houses, probably related to their benefactor roles.
The study aims to reconstruct the demography and health of the individuals that lived during the ... more The study aims to reconstruct the demography and health of the individuals that lived during the medieval period in the northern coast of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The skeletal remains, unearthed during the archeological excavations conducted between 1980 and 1988, came from the Can Reiners necropolis overlaying the forum of the Roman city of Pollentia. The minimum number of the individuals analysed in this work is 216: 64% are adults and 36% are sub-adults. The high mortality and the low life expectancy is consistent with the expected values for ancient populations such as this one. The peak of mortality for the sub-adult phase is between the second and the fourth year of life, which could be related with weaning. For the adults, the highest peak is between the 35 and the 40 years of age. These demographic data along with the low frequencies of agerelated pathologies suggest that the people in this population did not reach the senile age range as a consequence of hard life conditions. The estimated stature is compared with other European populations of different periods. The results show that the mean male stature is consistent with the values from other European medieval cemeteries, whereas the female values are generally lower in Can Reiners than in the comparative samples. In addition, we suggest that migration, among other factors, could play an important role in the fact that females and sub-adults are underrepresented in this population.
Dental calculus, or calcified plaque, is a potential source of archaeological information relatin... more Dental calculus, or calcified plaque, is a potential source of archaeological information relating to the lives of past societies. The recovery and identification of organic micro‐remains entrapped within dental calculus provide new data regarding diet, health and lifestyle. This paper presents, for the first time, microscopic evidence of the sporangium annulus of a fern within the dental calculus of an adult male from the medieval necropolis of Can Reiners (Balearic Islands, Spain). The sporangium evidence was compared with modern sporangia collected in northern Mallorca and the Iberian Peninsula. The results revealed that the features of the Can Reiners sporangium sample were compatible with the species Asplenium trichomanes. Through a historical and modern botanical literature review, it is known that this species has been widely regarded as a cure for kidney stones and alopecia. Moreover, this species was used as an expectorant, diuretic, and emmenagogue (herb which provokes menstruation or abortion). Considering that sporangia are attached to leaves and when they are mature only spores are released in the air, the presence of the annulus within dental calculus provides direct evidence of the consumption of ferns by the population living in the Balearic Islands during the Middle Ages. Since the use of these plants as constituents of diet is not attested, we may suggest that they could be employed as medicinal plants.
International journal of legal medicine, Jan 30, 2018
This study aims to improve a previous study that reported new traits to characterize a perimortem... more This study aims to improve a previous study that reported new traits to characterize a perimortem fracture pattern in human long bones. This second study aims to acquire further knowledge about these perimortem traits, specifically by improving the experimental setting-by using a Blunt Force Trauma Simulator-and increasing the sample size with a total of 43 autopsy specimens and 57 reproduced fractures. Additionally, we investigated whether these traits could be related to muscular contractions by adding axial compression in the experimentally fractured specimens. If intra vitam traits can be found, it would consequentially be more valuable for forensic anthropologists to shorten the perimortem period. We demonstrate that all traits are perimortem traits. Furthermore, based on our results, we see the tendency that the combination of traits-instead of the presence of each trait individually-may make it possible to distinguish intra vitam from perimortem fractures. This study confirms...
Enchondromas occur with an estimated modern incidence rate of 27.7% of benign bone tumors (Hauben... more Enchondromas occur with an estimated modern incidence rate of 27.7% of benign bone tumors (Hauben and Hogendoorn, 2010), but few are represented in the paleopathological record. The medieval site of St. Pere in Spain has produced a convincing case. The diagnosis was confirmed by X-Ray, CT-scan and μ-CT scan. Therefore UF 755 from St. Pere - a male of more than 60 years old - can be confirmed as a femoral case of enchondroma, supported by evidence, in the paleopathological record.
International journal of legal medicine, Jan 3, 2018
Literature on timing of rib trauma is scarce but remains challenging during forensic cases. This ... more Literature on timing of rib trauma is scarce but remains challenging during forensic cases. This study analysed the macroscopic fracture patterns of perimortem rib fractures and compared them to experimentally reproduced rib fractures on fresh and dry ribs. Six distinctive macroscopic traits were found in ribs that might provide information about the timing of trauma, fracture mechanism and/or trauma circumstances. These traits are peels, folds, differential fracture edges, incomplete fractures, plastic deformation and longitudinal lines. Peels, folds and plastic deformation might provide information about trauma timing. Folds and different fracture edges might provide information about the fracture mechanism. Statistical analyses showed that longitudinal lines, folds and incomplete fractures might provide information about the trauma circumstances and that age might have an influence on the occurrence of complete fractures, longitudinal lines and peels (p ≤ 0.05). The new insights ...
Uploads