50th Annual Paleopathology Association Meeting Los Angeles, 2024
Any increased mortality risk due to congenital conditions for a fetus in utero becomes multiplied... more Any increased mortality risk due to congenital conditions for a fetus in utero becomes multiplied after birth due to exposure of the newborn to the extra-uterine environment. One of the most severe and lethal congenital diseases is anencephaly (prevalence of 5.1 per 10,000 births), a condition triggered by a malformation of the neural tube during gestation that results in a markedly underdeveloped brain mass and, consequently, in the absence of a cranial vault. Biomedical research reveals that individuals with anencephaly may present an array of cranial structural anomalies, emphasizing the importance of correctly diagnosing this condition. This work presents three possible cases of anencephaly identified in non-adults exhumed in the S. Domingos children’s necropolis in Lisbon, Portugal (late 17th to early 19th centuries). The three individuals are fairly complete and well-preserved and were evaluated through macroscopic features and metric analysis. The age at death was estimated between 1.5 and 4.5 months based on dental calcification and eruption. They show an absence of the upper region of the skullcap characterized by different alterations of the cranial bones: premature fusion of pars lateralis with pars squama in one individual, and abnormal stages of development and shape of pars lateralis, sphenoid, petrous, temporal, zygomatic and frontal bone in the three individuals. With these examples, we intend to improve the recognition of anencephaly in archaeological contexts and contribute to the understanding of different ways of bone expressions within the same condition, aiming to complement the subject of rare diseases in paleopathology.
49th Annual Paleopathology Association Meeting, Denver, Colorado , 2022
In 2018 an archaeological intervention at the cloister of the former Convent of S. Domingos, in L... more In 2018 an archaeological intervention at the cloister of the former Convent of S. Domingos, in Lisbon (Portugal), revealed an unknown necropolis of non-adults with a circumscribed chronology (1755-1836 AD). This osteological collection comprises, up to now, 2327 individuals, most of them 95% (n=2208), perinates, and infants (birth to 3 years). This report presents a case of a perinatal individual (birth ± 2 weeks) with exuberant bone alterations. They include abnormal bone size and shape changes: severe shortening (micromelia) and bowing of the long bones, thickening of the pars basilaris and scapulae, short ribs with cupped ends and platyspondyly. These findings may be suggestive of TD1 (thanatophoric dysplasia type 1), SADDAN (severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans), or ACG (achondrogenesis). With this first approach based only on the macroscopic analysis of the bones and X-rays, the precise diagnosis is unattainable. We expect to achieve the diagnosis with the help of molecular genetics analysis in the near future
Brazilian Journal of Forensic Anthropology & Legal Medicine (BJFA&LM), 2020
Adults’ age at death is one of the most problematic parameters in the assessment of biological pr... more Adults’ age at death is one of the most problematic parameters in the assessment of biological profile, particularly in forensic contexts, despite a large number of methods that can be applied to the different parts of the skeleton. Regarding the estimation of age at death in adults through the skull, the method which still stands out for its popularity continues to be the one of cranial sutures’ obliteration. However, th
6 accuracy of the results achieved is far from being consensual. The aim of this study was precisely to test its effectiveness and try to understand what information can be gained from the closure of the vault sutures combined with palatine sutures, and how its study can help us to more accurately estimate age ranges for adults, specifically middle-aged and elderly. For that purpose, we analyzed a sample of 200 identified subjects aged older than or equal to 50 years from two identified skeletal collections, chronologically spaced apart by a century and both belonging to the Department of Life Sciences of Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra. The results allowed us to conclude that there is a gradual increase in the degree of sutures closure until about age 70 and after that a slight decrease. The comparison between the two collections only revealed different results for the palatine sutures. We also noted that there are differences in the obliteration of the sutures between females and males, the males showing an earlier closure time than females. The correlation between the chronological age and the age estimated, the biological one, from the observed degree of obliteration revealed very low values due to large individual variability, which, in turn, lies on the cranial sutures obliteration. These results lead us not to advise the use of this method alone, yet not neglect its value when inserted in a global context as a general and secondary age indicator.
Arqueologia em Portugal / 2023 – Estado da Questão, 2023
O antigo Convento dos Lóios situa-se numa plataforma da colina do castelo de São Jorge com uma vi... more O antigo Convento dos Lóios situa-se numa plataforma da colina do castelo de São Jorge com uma vista privile- giada sobre a cidade de Lisboa e o Rio Tejo, demonstrando uma ocupação humana desde tempos remotos até aos dias de hoje. As sondagens arqueológicas de subsolo permitiram confirmar a presença do edifício conventual e de parte da sua Igreja. A escavação da necrópole revelou uma amostra que compreende 74 indivíduos, dez não adultos e 64 adultos de ambos os sexos que refletem diferentes tipos de alterações patológicas ósseas e dentárias. O espólio que acompanhava estes indivíduos é um interessante conjunto de objetos maioritariamente de índole religioso, onde se destaca a presença de um anel de ouro com a letra A impressa.
This study aims to describe a non-adult individual with bone features suggestive of β-Thalassemia... more This study aims to describe a non-adult individual with bone features suggestive of β-Thalassemia, diseases frequent in malaria-endemic regions today and in the past. The skeleton of a 5.5-6.5-year-old child exhumed from a 16th -18th centuries CE necropolis in Almeirim (Portugal) was examined macroscopically, with scanning electron microscope, and by conventional radiology and computed tomography. This individual shows frontoparietal diploic hyperplasia with a slight hair-on-end radiographic appearance and an exuberant serpiginous pattern. The orbital roofs have a plaque-like formation and facial bones display new bone proliferation and porosity. The teeth show caries, calculus deposition, anomalies on the four deciduous canine roots, and linear enamel hypoplasia on the first permanent right upper central incisor. The postcranial skeleton presents developmental delay, osteopenic trabecular appearances, cribra humeralis and cribra femoralis, the latter associated with malaria. A seco...
Os trabalhos arqueológicos realizados no Largo do Terreiro da Feira, em Mértola, enquadraram-se n... more Os trabalhos arqueológicos realizados no Largo do Terreiro da Feira, em Mértola, enquadraram-se no âmbito do projecto de execução que prevê a criação de uma área polivalente, de forma a dotar esta zona de infraestruturas que funcionem como áreas de estacionamento, zonas para realização de feiras e mercados, incluindo ainda a construção de um pavilhão multiusos. A execução deste projecto engloba uma zona para a qual é já conhecida, através de fontes bibliográficas e documentais, a existência uma necrópole, para a qual se avançou com uma cronologia da Idade do Ferro (Barros, 2008; 2013), assim como o uso do ritual de incineração por parte das populações que habitavam o núcleo de Myrtilis nesta fase.The archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the project that foresees the construction, in this area, of parking spaces for fairs and markets and the construction of a multipurpose pavilion. The execution of this project will affect an area f...
he archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the ... more he archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the project that foresees the construction, in this area, of parking spaces for fairs and markets and the construction of a multipurpose pavilion. The execution of this project will affect an area for which the existence of a necropolis is already known, through bibliographic and documentary sources. An Iron Age chronology has been proposed for it (Barros, 2008; 2013), as its use at this stage, for the practice of incineration by the populations living in Myrtilis.
The archaeological intervention of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, revealed an extensiv... more The archaeological intervention of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, revealed an extensive diachrony, with archaeological findings dating chronologically between the Late Bronze Age and the Contemporary Period. The findings associated with the use of the space as a funerary site, during the Roman Imperial Period deserve special attention. The area, taking advantage of an old and small natural platform located in the foothills of the Encosta de Sant´Ana, was certainly close to Olisipo’s “Via Norte”, the main axis of the city’s land communications, integrating for this reason the so-called “Necropolis NO”. This paper presents the funerary context, articulating the contextual, artefactual and bioanthropological data, aiming at a comprehensive interpretation of this burial ground
Procedeu-se ao estudo de um hipogeu funerário da Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), no qual tinha... more Procedeu-se ao estudo de um hipogeu funerário da Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), no qual tinha sido depositado um corpo em decúbito lateral, acompanhado de dádivas funerárias que consistiam num punção e num copo/taça tipo Odivelas. Após se proceder à análise antropológica dos restos ósseos do esqueleto inumado, foi o mesmo datado pelo radiocarbono, o que permitiu atribuir-lhe uma cronologia dos finais do primeiro quartel ou dos inícios do segundo quartel do II Milénio a.C. Tendo em atenção a datação obtida, bem como as características das dádivas funerárias registadas no hipogeu, conjuntamente com outra evidência arqueológica, designadamente no referente à variada tipologia das estruturas funerárias características do Bronze do Sudoeste e respectiva cronologia, procedeu-se a uma revisão crítica da partição efectuada por Schubart (Bronze 1 e Bronze 2), a qual tem sido seguida, na generalidade, até hojeA funerary hypogeum at Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), in which a body was de...
During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74,... more During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15th and the18th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an “ante quem/post quem” date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
No nº 84 a 90 da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão foi identificado um espaço de necrópole que vem co... more No nº 84 a 90 da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão foi identificado um espaço de necrópole que vem contribuir de forma muito significativa para o estado atual dos nossos conhecimentos relativo à ocupação romana de Lisboa. Uma abordagem mais específica orientada para as suas práticas funerárias e associadas evidências materiais permite o enquadramento deste contexto nos séculos III a inícios do IV d.C., época de importantes transformações na organização urbana de Olisipo.
During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74,... more During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15th and the18th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an “ante quem/post quem” date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
Dissertacao de mestrado em Medicina (Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses) apresentada a Faculdade ... more Dissertacao de mestrado em Medicina (Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses) apresentada a Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra
RESUMO: Na sequência dos trabalhos de reabilitação do imóvel 74, situado na Rua dos Lagares, fora... more RESUMO: Na sequência dos trabalhos de reabilitação do imóvel 74, situado na Rua dos Lagares, foram identificados e intervencionados contextos arqueológicos preservados que retratam a ocupação do local entre finais do séc. XV e séc. XVIII (período Baixo-Medieval/Moderno). Distinguem-se duas fases de ocupação do espaço enquanto necrópole, uma islâmica (posterior ao final do século XV), e uma judaica (vandalizada em 1497). Ambas as fases são seladas/intercaladas por níveis de descarte das unidades de produção oleira concentradas no Largo das Olarias. O estudo do espólio cerâmico possibilitou a datação ante quem/post quem das realidades intervencionadas, figurando uma colecção excepcionalmente representativa do intervalo cronológico apresentado. ABSTRACT: During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner.74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15 th and the18 th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15 th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an " ante quem/post quem " date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
50th Annual Paleopathology Association Meeting Los Angeles, 2024
Any increased mortality risk due to congenital conditions for a fetus in utero becomes multiplied... more Any increased mortality risk due to congenital conditions for a fetus in utero becomes multiplied after birth due to exposure of the newborn to the extra-uterine environment. One of the most severe and lethal congenital diseases is anencephaly (prevalence of 5.1 per 10,000 births), a condition triggered by a malformation of the neural tube during gestation that results in a markedly underdeveloped brain mass and, consequently, in the absence of a cranial vault. Biomedical research reveals that individuals with anencephaly may present an array of cranial structural anomalies, emphasizing the importance of correctly diagnosing this condition. This work presents three possible cases of anencephaly identified in non-adults exhumed in the S. Domingos children’s necropolis in Lisbon, Portugal (late 17th to early 19th centuries). The three individuals are fairly complete and well-preserved and were evaluated through macroscopic features and metric analysis. The age at death was estimated between 1.5 and 4.5 months based on dental calcification and eruption. They show an absence of the upper region of the skullcap characterized by different alterations of the cranial bones: premature fusion of pars lateralis with pars squama in one individual, and abnormal stages of development and shape of pars lateralis, sphenoid, petrous, temporal, zygomatic and frontal bone in the three individuals. With these examples, we intend to improve the recognition of anencephaly in archaeological contexts and contribute to the understanding of different ways of bone expressions within the same condition, aiming to complement the subject of rare diseases in paleopathology.
49th Annual Paleopathology Association Meeting, Denver, Colorado , 2022
In 2018 an archaeological intervention at the cloister of the former Convent of S. Domingos, in L... more In 2018 an archaeological intervention at the cloister of the former Convent of S. Domingos, in Lisbon (Portugal), revealed an unknown necropolis of non-adults with a circumscribed chronology (1755-1836 AD). This osteological collection comprises, up to now, 2327 individuals, most of them 95% (n=2208), perinates, and infants (birth to 3 years). This report presents a case of a perinatal individual (birth ± 2 weeks) with exuberant bone alterations. They include abnormal bone size and shape changes: severe shortening (micromelia) and bowing of the long bones, thickening of the pars basilaris and scapulae, short ribs with cupped ends and platyspondyly. These findings may be suggestive of TD1 (thanatophoric dysplasia type 1), SADDAN (severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans), or ACG (achondrogenesis). With this first approach based only on the macroscopic analysis of the bones and X-rays, the precise diagnosis is unattainable. We expect to achieve the diagnosis with the help of molecular genetics analysis in the near future
Brazilian Journal of Forensic Anthropology & Legal Medicine (BJFA&LM), 2020
Adults’ age at death is one of the most problematic parameters in the assessment of biological pr... more Adults’ age at death is one of the most problematic parameters in the assessment of biological profile, particularly in forensic contexts, despite a large number of methods that can be applied to the different parts of the skeleton. Regarding the estimation of age at death in adults through the skull, the method which still stands out for its popularity continues to be the one of cranial sutures’ obliteration. However, th
6 accuracy of the results achieved is far from being consensual. The aim of this study was precisely to test its effectiveness and try to understand what information can be gained from the closure of the vault sutures combined with palatine sutures, and how its study can help us to more accurately estimate age ranges for adults, specifically middle-aged and elderly. For that purpose, we analyzed a sample of 200 identified subjects aged older than or equal to 50 years from two identified skeletal collections, chronologically spaced apart by a century and both belonging to the Department of Life Sciences of Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra. The results allowed us to conclude that there is a gradual increase in the degree of sutures closure until about age 70 and after that a slight decrease. The comparison between the two collections only revealed different results for the palatine sutures. We also noted that there are differences in the obliteration of the sutures between females and males, the males showing an earlier closure time than females. The correlation between the chronological age and the age estimated, the biological one, from the observed degree of obliteration revealed very low values due to large individual variability, which, in turn, lies on the cranial sutures obliteration. These results lead us not to advise the use of this method alone, yet not neglect its value when inserted in a global context as a general and secondary age indicator.
Arqueologia em Portugal / 2023 – Estado da Questão, 2023
O antigo Convento dos Lóios situa-se numa plataforma da colina do castelo de São Jorge com uma vi... more O antigo Convento dos Lóios situa-se numa plataforma da colina do castelo de São Jorge com uma vista privile- giada sobre a cidade de Lisboa e o Rio Tejo, demonstrando uma ocupação humana desde tempos remotos até aos dias de hoje. As sondagens arqueológicas de subsolo permitiram confirmar a presença do edifício conventual e de parte da sua Igreja. A escavação da necrópole revelou uma amostra que compreende 74 indivíduos, dez não adultos e 64 adultos de ambos os sexos que refletem diferentes tipos de alterações patológicas ósseas e dentárias. O espólio que acompanhava estes indivíduos é um interessante conjunto de objetos maioritariamente de índole religioso, onde se destaca a presença de um anel de ouro com a letra A impressa.
This study aims to describe a non-adult individual with bone features suggestive of β-Thalassemia... more This study aims to describe a non-adult individual with bone features suggestive of β-Thalassemia, diseases frequent in malaria-endemic regions today and in the past. The skeleton of a 5.5-6.5-year-old child exhumed from a 16th -18th centuries CE necropolis in Almeirim (Portugal) was examined macroscopically, with scanning electron microscope, and by conventional radiology and computed tomography. This individual shows frontoparietal diploic hyperplasia with a slight hair-on-end radiographic appearance and an exuberant serpiginous pattern. The orbital roofs have a plaque-like formation and facial bones display new bone proliferation and porosity. The teeth show caries, calculus deposition, anomalies on the four deciduous canine roots, and linear enamel hypoplasia on the first permanent right upper central incisor. The postcranial skeleton presents developmental delay, osteopenic trabecular appearances, cribra humeralis and cribra femoralis, the latter associated with malaria. A seco...
Os trabalhos arqueológicos realizados no Largo do Terreiro da Feira, em Mértola, enquadraram-se n... more Os trabalhos arqueológicos realizados no Largo do Terreiro da Feira, em Mértola, enquadraram-se no âmbito do projecto de execução que prevê a criação de uma área polivalente, de forma a dotar esta zona de infraestruturas que funcionem como áreas de estacionamento, zonas para realização de feiras e mercados, incluindo ainda a construção de um pavilhão multiusos. A execução deste projecto engloba uma zona para a qual é já conhecida, através de fontes bibliográficas e documentais, a existência uma necrópole, para a qual se avançou com uma cronologia da Idade do Ferro (Barros, 2008; 2013), assim como o uso do ritual de incineração por parte das populações que habitavam o núcleo de Myrtilis nesta fase.The archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the project that foresees the construction, in this area, of parking spaces for fairs and markets and the construction of a multipurpose pavilion. The execution of this project will affect an area f...
he archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the ... more he archaeological works carried out at Largo do Terreiro da Feira, in Mértola, were part of the project that foresees the construction, in this area, of parking spaces for fairs and markets and the construction of a multipurpose pavilion. The execution of this project will affect an area for which the existence of a necropolis is already known, through bibliographic and documentary sources. An Iron Age chronology has been proposed for it (Barros, 2008; 2013), as its use at this stage, for the practice of incineration by the populations living in Myrtilis.
The archaeological intervention of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, revealed an extensiv... more The archaeological intervention of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, in Lisbon, revealed an extensive diachrony, with archaeological findings dating chronologically between the Late Bronze Age and the Contemporary Period. The findings associated with the use of the space as a funerary site, during the Roman Imperial Period deserve special attention. The area, taking advantage of an old and small natural platform located in the foothills of the Encosta de Sant´Ana, was certainly close to Olisipo’s “Via Norte”, the main axis of the city’s land communications, integrating for this reason the so-called “Necropolis NO”. This paper presents the funerary context, articulating the contextual, artefactual and bioanthropological data, aiming at a comprehensive interpretation of this burial ground
Procedeu-se ao estudo de um hipogeu funerário da Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), no qual tinha... more Procedeu-se ao estudo de um hipogeu funerário da Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), no qual tinha sido depositado um corpo em decúbito lateral, acompanhado de dádivas funerárias que consistiam num punção e num copo/taça tipo Odivelas. Após se proceder à análise antropológica dos restos ósseos do esqueleto inumado, foi o mesmo datado pelo radiocarbono, o que permitiu atribuir-lhe uma cronologia dos finais do primeiro quartel ou dos inícios do segundo quartel do II Milénio a.C. Tendo em atenção a datação obtida, bem como as características das dádivas funerárias registadas no hipogeu, conjuntamente com outra evidência arqueológica, designadamente no referente à variada tipologia das estruturas funerárias características do Bronze do Sudoeste e respectiva cronologia, procedeu-se a uma revisão crítica da partição efectuada por Schubart (Bronze 1 e Bronze 2), a qual tem sido seguida, na generalidade, até hojeA funerary hypogeum at Quinta do Castelo (Salvada, Beja), in which a body was de...
During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74,... more During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15th and the18th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an “ante quem/post quem” date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
No nº 84 a 90 da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão foi identificado um espaço de necrópole que vem co... more No nº 84 a 90 da Rua das Portas de Santo Antão foi identificado um espaço de necrópole que vem contribuir de forma muito significativa para o estado atual dos nossos conhecimentos relativo à ocupação romana de Lisboa. Uma abordagem mais específica orientada para as suas práticas funerárias e associadas evidências materiais permite o enquadramento deste contexto nos séculos III a inícios do IV d.C., época de importantes transformações na organização urbana de Olisipo.
During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74,... more During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner. 74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15th and the18th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an “ante quem/post quem” date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
Dissertacao de mestrado em Medicina (Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses) apresentada a Faculdade ... more Dissertacao de mestrado em Medicina (Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses) apresentada a Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra
RESUMO: Na sequência dos trabalhos de reabilitação do imóvel 74, situado na Rua dos Lagares, fora... more RESUMO: Na sequência dos trabalhos de reabilitação do imóvel 74, situado na Rua dos Lagares, foram identificados e intervencionados contextos arqueológicos preservados que retratam a ocupação do local entre finais do séc. XV e séc. XVIII (período Baixo-Medieval/Moderno). Distinguem-se duas fases de ocupação do espaço enquanto necrópole, uma islâmica (posterior ao final do século XV), e uma judaica (vandalizada em 1497). Ambas as fases são seladas/intercaladas por níveis de descarte das unidades de produção oleira concentradas no Largo das Olarias. O estudo do espólio cerâmico possibilitou a datação ante quem/post quem das realidades intervencionadas, figurando uma colecção excepcionalmente representativa do intervalo cronológico apresentado. ABSTRACT: During a rehabilitation project involving archaeological excavations at Rua dos Lagares, ner.74, in Lisbon, several archaeological contexts were identified, dated from the period between the15 th and the18 th century (Medieval/Modern times transition). Two main phases of this space as a necropolis were identified: an Islamic (post late 15 th century) and a Jewish one (vandalized in 1497). Both were sealed by deposits of discarded pottery belonging to units of mass pottery prodution located at the neighbouring Largo das Olarias. The study of the ceramic collection made it possible to attribute an " ante quem/post quem " date to the realities intervened, which represent an excepcional collection for the presented timeline.
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This work presents three possible cases of anencephaly identified in non-adults exhumed in the S. Domingos children’s necropolis in Lisbon, Portugal (late 17th to early 19th centuries). The three individuals are fairly complete and well-preserved and were evaluated through macroscopic features and metric analysis. The age at death was estimated between 1.5 and 4.5 months based on dental calcification and eruption. They show an absence of the upper region of the skullcap characterized by different alterations of the cranial bones: premature fusion of pars lateralis with pars squama in one individual, and abnormal stages of development and shape of pars lateralis, sphenoid, petrous, temporal, zygomatic and frontal bone in the three individuals.
With these examples, we intend to improve the recognition of anencephaly in archaeological contexts and contribute to the understanding of different ways of bone expressions within the same condition, aiming to complement the subject of rare diseases in paleopathology.
comprises, up to now, 2327 individuals, most of them 95% (n=2208), perinates, and infants (birth to 3 years).
This report presents a case of a perinatal individual (birth ± 2 weeks) with exuberant bone alterations. They include abnormal bone size and shape changes: severe shortening (micromelia) and bowing of the long bones, thickening of the
pars basilaris and scapulae, short ribs with cupped ends and platyspondyly. These findings may be suggestive of TD1 (thanatophoric dysplasia type 1), SADDAN (severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans),
or ACG (achondrogenesis).
With this first approach based only on the macroscopic analysis of the bones and X-rays, the precise diagnosis is unattainable. We expect to achieve the diagnosis with the help of molecular genetics analysis in the near future
6 accuracy of the results achieved is far from being consensual. The aim of this study was precisely to test its effectiveness and try to understand what information can be gained from the closure of the vault sutures combined with palatine sutures, and how its study can help us to more accurately estimate age ranges for adults, specifically middle-aged and elderly. For that purpose, we analyzed a sample of 200 identified subjects aged older than or equal to 50 years from two identified skeletal collections, chronologically spaced apart by a century and both belonging to the Department of Life Sciences of Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra. The results allowed us to conclude that there is a gradual increase in the degree of sutures closure until about age 70 and after that a slight decrease. The comparison between the two collections only revealed different results for the palatine sutures. We also noted that there are differences in the obliteration of the sutures between females and males, the males showing an earlier closure time than females. The correlation between the chronological age and the age estimated, the biological one, from the observed degree of obliteration revealed very low values due to large individual variability, which, in turn, lies on the cranial sutures obliteration. These results lead us not to advise the use of this method alone, yet not neglect its value when inserted in a global context as a general and secondary age indicator.
As sondagens arqueológicas de subsolo permitiram confirmar a presença do edifício conventual e de parte da sua Igreja. A escavação da necrópole revelou uma amostra que compreende 74 indivíduos, dez não adultos e 64 adultos de ambos os sexos que refletem diferentes tipos de alterações patológicas ósseas e dentárias. O espólio que acompanhava estes indivíduos é um interessante conjunto de objetos maioritariamente de índole religioso, onde se destaca a presença de um anel de ouro com a letra A impressa.
This work presents three possible cases of anencephaly identified in non-adults exhumed in the S. Domingos children’s necropolis in Lisbon, Portugal (late 17th to early 19th centuries). The three individuals are fairly complete and well-preserved and were evaluated through macroscopic features and metric analysis. The age at death was estimated between 1.5 and 4.5 months based on dental calcification and eruption. They show an absence of the upper region of the skullcap characterized by different alterations of the cranial bones: premature fusion of pars lateralis with pars squama in one individual, and abnormal stages of development and shape of pars lateralis, sphenoid, petrous, temporal, zygomatic and frontal bone in the three individuals.
With these examples, we intend to improve the recognition of anencephaly in archaeological contexts and contribute to the understanding of different ways of bone expressions within the same condition, aiming to complement the subject of rare diseases in paleopathology.
comprises, up to now, 2327 individuals, most of them 95% (n=2208), perinates, and infants (birth to 3 years).
This report presents a case of a perinatal individual (birth ± 2 weeks) with exuberant bone alterations. They include abnormal bone size and shape changes: severe shortening (micromelia) and bowing of the long bones, thickening of the
pars basilaris and scapulae, short ribs with cupped ends and platyspondyly. These findings may be suggestive of TD1 (thanatophoric dysplasia type 1), SADDAN (severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans),
or ACG (achondrogenesis).
With this first approach based only on the macroscopic analysis of the bones and X-rays, the precise diagnosis is unattainable. We expect to achieve the diagnosis with the help of molecular genetics analysis in the near future
6 accuracy of the results achieved is far from being consensual. The aim of this study was precisely to test its effectiveness and try to understand what information can be gained from the closure of the vault sutures combined with palatine sutures, and how its study can help us to more accurately estimate age ranges for adults, specifically middle-aged and elderly. For that purpose, we analyzed a sample of 200 identified subjects aged older than or equal to 50 years from two identified skeletal collections, chronologically spaced apart by a century and both belonging to the Department of Life Sciences of Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra. The results allowed us to conclude that there is a gradual increase in the degree of sutures closure until about age 70 and after that a slight decrease. The comparison between the two collections only revealed different results for the palatine sutures. We also noted that there are differences in the obliteration of the sutures between females and males, the males showing an earlier closure time than females. The correlation between the chronological age and the age estimated, the biological one, from the observed degree of obliteration revealed very low values due to large individual variability, which, in turn, lies on the cranial sutures obliteration. These results lead us not to advise the use of this method alone, yet not neglect its value when inserted in a global context as a general and secondary age indicator.
As sondagens arqueológicas de subsolo permitiram confirmar a presença do edifício conventual e de parte da sua Igreja. A escavação da necrópole revelou uma amostra que compreende 74 indivíduos, dez não adultos e 64 adultos de ambos os sexos que refletem diferentes tipos de alterações patológicas ósseas e dentárias. O espólio que acompanhava estes indivíduos é um interessante conjunto de objetos maioritariamente de índole religioso, onde se destaca a presença de um anel de ouro com a letra A impressa.