The reconstruction of infant biological history and mortality profiles provides biocultural insig... more The reconstruction of infant biological history and mortality profiles provides biocultural insights into adulthood morbidity, maternal health, parental caregiving practices, and social dynamics. However, interpreting biological data from cremated infant remains in archaeological contexts can be challenging due to their often poor preservation and potential biases. Tophets, sanctuaries for distinct burial of cremated infant remains present in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean area, offer an ideal case study. This study presents the first virtual histology performed in X-ray Microscopy-based imaging (XRM) on a sample of crowns of cremated deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya (Sicily, 6 th century BC). The observation of the Neonatal Line (NL) in enamel tissue offers important informations on the community demographic profile, age-at-death classes and life-histories of the buried individuals. Results are consistent with previous studies on other human remains found in the main Tophets in Mediterranean basin and highlight the importance of using non-invasive techniques to collect and analyse data that are useful for the interpretation of newborns and infants burial practices.
The reconstruction of infant biological history and mortality profiles provides biocultural insig... more The reconstruction of infant biological history and mortality profiles provides biocultural insights into adulthood morbidity, maternal health, parental caregiving practices, and social dynamics. However, interpreting biological data from cremated infant remains in archaeological contexts can be challenging due to their often poor preservation and potential biases. Tophets, sanctuaries for distinct burial of cremated infant remains present in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean area, offer an ideal case study. This study presents the first virtual histology performed in X-ray Microscopy-based imaging (XRM) on a sample of crowns of cremated deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya (Sicily, 6 th century BC). The observation of the Neonatal Line (NL) in enamel tissue offers important informations on the community demographic profile, age-at-death classes and life-histories of the buried individuals. Results are consistent with previous studies on other human remains found in the main Tophets in Mediterranean basin and highlight the importance of using non-invasive techniques to collect and analyse data that are useful for the interpretation of newborns and infants burial practices.
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Papers by Martina Trocchi
health, parental caregiving practices, and social dynamics. However, interpreting biological data from cremated infant remains in
archaeological contexts can be challenging due to their often poor preservation and potential biases. Tophets, sanctuaries for distinct
burial of cremated infant remains present in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean area, offer an ideal case study.
This study presents the first virtual histology performed in X-ray Microscopy-based imaging (XRM) on a sample of crowns of cremated
deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya (Sicily, 6 th century BC). The observation of the Neonatal Line (NL) in enamel tissue offers
important informations on the community demographic profile, age-at-death classes and life-histories of the buried individuals. Results
are consistent with previous studies on other human remains found in the main Tophets in Mediterranean basin and highlight the
importance of using non-invasive techniques to collect and analyse data that are useful for the interpretation of newborns and infants
burial practices.
health, parental caregiving practices, and social dynamics. However, interpreting biological data from cremated infant remains in
archaeological contexts can be challenging due to their often poor preservation and potential biases. Tophets, sanctuaries for distinct
burial of cremated infant remains present in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean area, offer an ideal case study.
This study presents the first virtual histology performed in X-ray Microscopy-based imaging (XRM) on a sample of crowns of cremated
deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya (Sicily, 6 th century BC). The observation of the Neonatal Line (NL) in enamel tissue offers
important informations on the community demographic profile, age-at-death classes and life-histories of the buried individuals. Results
are consistent with previous studies on other human remains found in the main Tophets in Mediterranean basin and highlight the
importance of using non-invasive techniques to collect and analyse data that are useful for the interpretation of newborns and infants
burial practices.