Mislav Čavka

In limestone caves, environmental processes often cause alterations of human or animal skeletal remains, complicating classical analytical methods. Exemplary, a proximal femoral skeletal fragment, enclosed by a thick layer of speleothemic calcite deposits, was discovered during the exploration of the Bedara cave in Žumberak, Croatia. An examination without removal of the surrounding mineral deposits, possibly leading to damage of the specimen, was, therefore, desirable. We describe and discuss the applied techniques, including clinical computed tomography, virtual cleaning by a specially developed segmentation protocol using an open-source DICOM viewer, and virtual visualisation and dimensioning using computer-aided design software, so that this "hidden" specimen could be non-invasively examined in great detail. We also report on the circumstances and origin of the find, the results of radiocarbon dating, and its anatomical and taxonomic identification, according to which, the bone fragment belonged to a wild boar (Sus scrofa) from the timeframe of the Middle Eneolithic Retz-Gajary culture in the region (4,781 ± 35 years before present). This study provides a reference for future paleontological and anthropological analyses, seeking to unlock the enormous potential of anatomical studies of comparable skeletal remains that are either petrified or enclosed in speleothemic deposits. A novel virtual visualisation approach for fossilised skeletal remains non-invasively reveals their original shape and surface in great detail. We present a combination of computed tomography, a specially developed segmentation protocol, and virtual visualisation and dimensioning. Non-invasive methods of analysis leave bioarchaeological finds preserved for future generations. We provide a reference for future palaeontological and anthropological analyses, seeking to unlock the enormous scientific potential of fossilised skeletal remains.

Archaeological excavations at the Early/Middle Neolithic site at Smilči c-Barica in 2016/2017 revealed skeletal remains of three people. Of particular interest is the skeleton from Grave 2, directly dated to 5616 and 5485 cal BCE, that is, to the Early Neolithic Impresso Pottery Culture. The skeleton was positioned on its left side, in a crouched position with bended knees and its right arm flexed at the elbow. Based on metric and morphological observations, the skeleton belongs to a young male, aged between 25 and 35 years. The most interesting feature is a penetrating trauma, probably caused by a projectile, located at intertrochanteric crest on the posterior proxi-mal side on the left femur. A 15 × 4 × 3 mm lithic fragment is still embedded in the bone. Due to post-mortem damage around the injury, it was not possible to establish possible signs of healing and/or inflammation. However, osteogenic reaction around the fragment is noted on computer tomography, indicating survival for a longer period. This is the earliest example of interpersonal violence recorded on the eastern Adriatic coast. K E Y W O R D S eastern Adriatic, intentional violence, penetrating trauma, prehistory

Paleoradiology plays an important role in archeology since its first implementation soon after discovery of X-rays. Computed tomography (CT) as a paleoradiological tool in studies of ancient cremation urns is described only in few articles. Clinical magnetic resonance (MR) has never been used in studying ancient cremation remains. We report the use of ultrashort echo time (UTE) MR sequence to three cremation urns from the Bronze age from Croatia. MR overcame the problem of the similar densities between soil and bones on the CT and clearly showed superior contrast resolution.

Barice-Gređani group was first defined on a basis of cemetery finds from cemetery Barice near Gornja Orahovica and it was long known in literature as a group of Barice-Gređani type cemeteries. That was supported by a number of excavated and published cemeteries and lack of settlement research in Slavonian and Bosnian Posavina was present at that time. The first material from settlement of Barice-Gređani group was partially published in late 1980s. A numerous new settlements and cemeteries of Urnfield Culture were discovered and excavated in last 30 years due to intensive building of
infrastructure, organising museum networks and monument protection system. In that light it is now possible to reinterpret older finds and make more complex contextualisation of Barice-Gređani group burial ritual. Three bone beads found in burial 16 belong to rare finds in the cemeteries of Barice-Gređani group. Only two cemeteries except Mačkovac from area that covers group Barice-Gređani have similar worked bone finds. Bone objects are exposed to funeral pyre together
with deceased in all excavated contexts.

Archaeological excavations of the Medieval ‘Njive’ – Ivandol site resulted in the discovery of a total of 37 burials. Even though the skeletal material was not in a good state of preservation, extensive osteoblastic and osteolytic lesions (approx. 10×10mm in diameter) were observed in an adult male skeleton aged to more than 60 years at time of death. Most of the macroscopically observable lesions were located around the pelvic and the thoracic area. Radiographic analysis revealed numerous lesions within trabecular bone that have not penetrated the cortex, and were located throughout the body.
Radiographic analysis was carried out using MDCT unit (Emotion 16; Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Isometric 1.5 mm slices were obtained using 16x1.2 mm with reconstruction increment 1.5. 3D maximum intensity projection (MIP), volume rendering technique (VRT) and multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) provided more details of the bone cavities.
Based on patient’s age at the time of death, permeative pattern of lesion and multiple lesions differential diagnosis would include metastatic disease, and multiple myeloma.

Over the last years, much Egyptological research has been conducted in Croatia across various different fields. The Croato-Aegyptica Electronica (CAE) project has been in progress and, at several museums across the country, ancient Egyptian artefacts have been analysed and new exhibitions created. At the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, a radiological study of Egyptian mummies has been conducted and open lectures with a variety of keynote speakers, as well as a workshop
on the language of Middle Egypt, have been held. Finally, university curriculums have changed, new publications (articles, catalogues and books) have appeared and international conferences have taken place.
In this paper, the authors aim to provide an overview of the Egyptological activity which has occurred in Croatia over the past decade.

I. Povijest / History
Liber i Mumija - Atrakcija i enigma Arheološkoga muzeja u Zagrebu
Liber and the Mummy — Attraction and the enigma of the
Archaeological Museum in Zagreb
Igor Uranić

Etruščani - Podrijetlo i vjerovanja naroda zaogrnutoga misterijom (in brevis)
The Etruscans —The origin and beliefs of a people shrouded in mystery (in brevis)
Kornelija A. Giunio

II. Etrurski jezik / The Etruscan language
Hipoteze o podrijetlu etrurskoga jezika
Hypotheses on the origin of the Etruscan language
Ante Petrović

Lingvistički opis etrurskog jezika
A linguistic description of the Etruscan language
Kristina Šekrst

III. Nova istraživanja / Recent research
Grafička tehnologija Zagrebačke lanene knjige
Graphics technology and design of the Linen Book of Zagreb
Dorela Dujmušić, Damir Modrić, Vesna Džimbeg-Malčić

X paleoradiologija
X paleoradiology
Mislav Čavka