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This research aims to provide a framework for identifying vestiges of vertebral haemangioma (VH), a benign tumour originating from the cells that form blood or lymphatic vessels, in archaeological human skeletal remains. The macroscopic alteration was observed in the fourth thoracic vertebral body of a female aged 2535 years at death from the necropolis of Pontecagnano (Salerno, Italy), dated to 725650 BCE; the adult individual was associated with the skeletal remains of an infant. Macroscopic assessment was combined with stereomicroscopy, micro-CT, and 3D reconstruction. Macroscopically, areas of cortical bone loss enabled evaluation of trabecular thickening and rarefaction. Radiographically, small punctuate areas of sclerotic bone resulting from the replacement of the normal cancellous bone by vertically oriented and thickened vertical trabeculae were typified as polka-dot on the axial plane and corduroy sign on the sagittal image. The bone alterations are considered pathognomonic of an intraosseous VH. This study, which describes one of the few cases of VH in the palaeopathological literature, highlights the importance of combining macroscopic assessment and advanced imaging techniques for the diagnosis of VHs in archaeological human skeletal remains.

Objective: Present study delineates to explore the relation of actual body weight and body self-image perception among tribal adolescent girls and boys. Materials and methods: This cross sectional study is conducted at Purulia district of West Bengal. A total number of 395 Santal adolescent (Girls: 181; Boys: 214); aged 1418 years are recruited for the current study. Structured questionnaire is used to access data on body image and body weight perception. Height and weight are taken for estimation of Body Mass Index. Results: More overweight female participants regarded themselves as normal. Considerable section of overweight male participants perceived their own body weight as both overweight and normal. Overall Appearance Evaluation (OAE) score is significantly more in male overweight. Overweight female and male participants scored highest for Fatness Evaluation (FE) Scale. Height Dissatisfaction (HD) Score is significantly greater among male overweight participants. Drive for Thinness (DT) and Body Dissatisfaction (BD) score both are significantly more among male underweight participants. Multivariate Analyses of variance (MANOVA) find BMI of female and male participants have statistical significant effect on various body self-image perception scores. Conclusion: Barring overweight participants faulty body weight perception is absent in present study participants. Weight management behaviours are not prevalent among them. They belong from lower socio-economic background and have less media exposure. All these might be the reason of their nonspecific dietary intake and practices.

The restoration works of the Church of San Giacomo Apostolo in Torricella Peligna (Abruzzo, Italy) have brought to light a mummified body, in a good state of preservation. Studies on the body have dated the burial and highlighted the anthropological and pathological aspects. The mummy dates back to the seventeenth century and belongs to an adult male individual which probably held an administrative position within the Viceroyalty of Naples. The remains of the individuals clothing and the results of the examinations performed provided both cultural and palaeobiological new information for a geographic area in a historical period that is still little studied.

The internal branches of R1b-M269 (R1b1a1b) have been poorly analyzed in the Portuguese population. The present study aims to improve the understanding of the phylogenetic structure of this main haplogroup within the country. We analyzed 94 individuals, primarily from the central region of Portugal, previously identified as having the derived allele for the R1b-M269 marker. The R1b-M269 subhaplogroups S116/P312 and U106 were found with frequencies of 88.3% and 5.32%, respectively. Regarding the sublineages of S116/P312, the subhaplogroup DF27 was the most common (60.64%) compared with the two additional subclades U152 and M529 found with frequencies of 6.38% and 15.96%, respectively. The dissection of the subhaplogroup DF27 for its most known sublineages revealed a high frequency of the F1343 subtype (18 in 94 M269 samples) representing a frequency of 19.15%. Among the other DF27 sublineages, only the Z196/Z195 derived allele was found with a frequency of 8.51%. In conclusion, we have identified several main branches of R1b-M269 in a population sample from Portugal. For the first time, we report F1343 as a common sublineage within DF27 among an Iberian population. This new finding enhances the understanding of the phylogenetic structure of haplogroup R1b-DF27, particularly within Iberian populations where this lineage is most prevalent.

This study examines population changes during a key transitional period in medieval Hungary, with particular emphasis on the question of the survival of Avar-age populations. Craniometric data were analysed from 1657 individuals dated between the 1^st and 11^th centuries CE. Six of the most reliably preserved cranial measurements were used in the analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied separately for males and females. The analysis identified three principal components in males and two in females, suggesting sex-based differences in cranial size proportions. The mean PCA scores, calculated by archaeological period, revealed considerable variability across time but showed similar trends between the sexes. Notably, the Avar-age populations particularly females consistently stood out from both earlier and later groups. This distinction may reflect their unique anthropological characteristics, likely linked to their Asian origins. To statistically validate these observations, a linear mixed model (LMM) was applied with archaeological periods as fixed effects. Pairwise comparisons confirmed significant differences between the Avars and other groups. For males, PC1 distinguished Late Avars from the Hungarian conquest period; for females, both PCs showed significant divergence. Among the archaeological periods studied, the Avar populations exhibited the most distinct cranial dimensions. These findings challenge the notion that a substantial segment of the Avar population persisted beyond the Hungarian conquest. In contrast to previous research, this study offers novel evidence of a demographic discontinuity following the end of the Avar period.

Human mummies are an invaluable resource for bioarchaeology, providing insights into past diseases, behaviors, and funerary practices. However, their long-term preservation poses challenges, particularly when displayed publicly or stored in uncontrolled environments. This study seeks to assess the condition of an assemblage of spontaneously mummified religious dignitaries from Sicily, located in the recently reopened crypt of the mother church of Militello Rosmarino (province of Messina, Italy). Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, we used the microbial community present on the remains as an indicator of both their condition and the environment in which they are stored. Samples were collected from the skin of 6 out of 41 individuals based on accessibility and overall preservation, yielding 54 isolates consisting of fungi and bacteria. Microorganisms were examined through cultivation, morphological characterization, biochemical tests, and molecular analyses such as RISA, 16S rDNA, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequencing. Hydrolytic activity assays revealed biodeterioration potential linked to cellulolytic and proteolytic microorganisms. Results showed that although the mummies had been neglected for a long time and covered in dust, they had been colonized by diverse cultivable fungi and bacteria with moderately harmful characteristics. The study emphasizes that, despite their predominantly environmental origin, the identified microorganisms could lead to both biodeterioration of the mummified remains and health risks for visitors. Therefore, appropriate cleaning and conservation interventions, along with constant monitoring of environmental parameters, are necessary to preserve this remarkable evidence of past funerary practices.

Objective: Evaluation and verification of morphological and osteometric methods for the sex diagnosis of skeletons of subadult individuals by comparison with molecular genetic sex determinations. Material: 53 individuals (almost exclusively subadult individuals) buried in a medieval mass grave in Creuߥn, Germany. Methods: Morphological methods referring to the morphology of the pelvis, mandible and facies auricularis, an osteometric method on the pelvis and molecular genetic sex determination by the detection of X- and Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs). Results: None of the morphological and metric characteristics tested achieved the required minimum assurance level of 75%. Conclusions: None of the tested methods is a reliable criterion for determining the sex of subadult individuals of the studied skeletal series. Significance: In the literature, morphological sex diagnosis on childrens skeletons is repeatedly criticised, but is a common subject of anthropological investigation. In this paper, once again, attention is drawn to the unreliability of the methods, using the skeletal remains from a medieval mass grave in Creuߥn, Germany. Limitations: The study is limited to the skeletal series presented in this paper and cannot automatically be applied to other skeletal series. Other series from different geographical locations or chronological classifications could lead to different results. Suggestions for further research: Critical consideration of morphological and osteometric sex diagnosis in skeletons of other subadult individuals.

This report investigates a probable aortic aneurysm in a skeleton from Kedainiai, Lithuania, assessing cardiovascular signs within a sample of 22 adults. Notably, sternal bone changes indicative of chronic aneurysmal pressure were observed. The remains, identified as those of a middle-aged adult male (ca. 50 years old), exhibited an oval-shaped perforation and surrounding erosion and remodeling on the sternal body, consistent with chronic pressure exerted by a dilated ascending aorta. These findings were systematically compared with documented cases of aortic aneurysms from osteological specimens. The observed pathology aligns with thoracic aortic aneurysms, often associated with aging, hypertension, and connective tissue weakening. Based on osteological evidence alone, malignancies, genetic syndromes such as Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos, and infectious diseases like syphilis were ruled out as primary causes; however, syphilis cannot be entirely excluded. This case underscores the intersection of genetic predisposition, lifestyle, and diet in ancient societies and highlights the value of bioarchaeology in tracing the evolution of cardiovascular diseases. By focusing on skeletal markers, this research provides critical insights into the prevalence and impact of aortic aneurysms in historical populations, offering a framework for understanding their implications in modern medicine. The case also emphasizes bioarchaeological investigations relevance in tracing disease evolution and informing contemporary medical approaches.

Excavation of a non-spoiled burial cave located among the lava blocks of La Grieta (Las Cañadas, Tenerife, Canary Islands), led to the recovery of a 940 year-antique, 10-year-old pre-Hispanic (Guanche) child (genetically sexed), who presented a marked cervical hyperlordosis and a rectification of the remaining spine (until L1), together with microporotic changes of the cranial vault, a bowed right tibia, and a rough, porotic appearance of the metaphyseal plates. A divergence was observed between age at death estimated by dental remains and that estimated by skeletal remains. Spine changes are compatible with some forms of congenital myopathy (for instance, Emery-Dreifuss disease), that could have severely impaired swallowing, leading to malnutrition and stunted growth. The skull presented numerous Wormian bones and supernumerary sutures.

Background: The purpose of the study was to select factors which importantly influencing the decision of breastfeeding in the first period of life over twenty years in the three cohorts in central Poland. Materials and methods: The analysis included 2159 children (1017 girls and 1142 boys). The data come from three cohorts investigated in the following years: 1993-1997, 2004-2008 and 2015-2017. In each cohort, parents completed questionnaires on the type of nutrition in the first months of life (breastfeeding versus formula feeding), child-birth parameters, duration of pregnancy, age and education of parents, and maternal smoking during pregnancy. Information about birth parameters, i.e., birth weight, birth length, birth head and chest circumference, gestational age (week of pregnancy) and Apgar score were taken from children's medical records. The Chi² test, U-Mann Whitney test and logistic regression were performed to check which factors significantly affected mother decision of breastfeeding. Results: We observed differences between factors which favor breastfeeding among three investigated cohorts. The factors significantly associated with breastfeeding only in cohort 1993-1997 were: birth parameters (higher birth length, higher body mass and higher chest circumference) and lower prevalence of exposition to cigarettes smoke during pregnancy. However, independently on tested cohort the logistic regression model indicated that the following factors correlated with the lack of breastfeeding: lower gestational age (E = -0.1663, p = 0.0182), higher maternal age (E = 0.1326, p < 0.0001), lower paternal age (E = -0.0526, p = 0.0345), secondary paternal education (E = 0.5138, p = 0.0024) vs. higher, lower maternal education (E = 0.7577, p = 0.0003) vs. higher, other season of birth than summer (E = -0.3650, p = 0.0439). Conclusions: Factors influencing the mother's decision to breastfeed independently on tested cohort were as a following: parental education and parental age, season of birth and duration of pregnancy.