Portugal (11th–13th centuries), using multi-isotope analysis to understand population dynamics during this complex conquest period. Skeletal remains from two key populations were analysed: the final Muslims buried in Loulé before the Christian conquest (necropolises of Quinta da Boavista and Hospital da Misericórdia) and the earliest Christians buried in Cacela-a- Velha following the Order of Santiago’s capture...
Skeletal remains of two equid species, Equus caballus (horse) and Equus asinus (donkey), have been found in archaeological contexts throughout Iberia since the Palaeolithic and Chalcolithic periods, respectively. These two species play different economic and cultural roles, and therefore it is important to be able to distinguish between the two species to better understand their relative importance in the past ...
Background: The nephrotoxicity of gadolinium [Gd (III)] has been reported, raising concerns about the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA). Gd (III) exposure, in renal tubular cells (HK-2), causes apoptosis, and leads to upregulation of genes related to lipogenesis/lipolysis and to signaling pathways related to inflammation/hypoxia [1].Gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA), a macrocyclic GBCA, appears to be one...
Horses have inhabited Iberia (present-day Spain and Portugal) since the Middle Pleistocene, shaping a complex history in the region. Iberia has been proposed as a potential domestication centre and is renowned for producing world-class bloodlines. Here, we generate genome-wide sequence data from 87 ancient horse specimens (median coverage = 0.97X) from Iberia and the broader Mediterranean to reconstruct their g...
This study examines trends in infant diet, breastfeeding and weaning in Portugal through time in Roman, Medieval Muslim and Christian skeletal assemblages (1st to the 15th century CE). New stable carbon (delta 13C) and nitrogen (delta 15N) measurements were collected from 143 non-adults and 46 adults that are analysed alongside comparative published datasets from contemporaneous Iberian populations. A statistic...
Archaeological data and historical research suggest that the Medieval Islamic Period (711-1249 A.D.) in Iberia was associated with conditions more favourable for child growth than the post-Islamic Christian Period (1249-1650 A.D.). This is due to agricultural prosperity, greater medical knowledge, and better hygienic practices of the former. As child growth is a sensitive indicator of environmental insults, it ...
Horses have inhabited Iberia (present-day Spain and Portugal) since the Middle Pleistocene, shaping a complex history in the region. Iberia has been proposed as a potential domestication centre and is renowned for producing world-class bloodlines. Here, we generate genome-wide sequence data from 87 ancient horse specimens (median coverage = 0.97X) from Iberia and the broader Mediterranean to reconstruct their g...
In around 716 AD, the city of Santarém, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2–8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santarém (8th– 10th century). In this study, skeletal material f...
This study examines trends in infant diet, breastfeeding and weaning in Portugal through time in Roman, Medieval Muslim and Christian skeletal assemblages (1st to the 15th century CE). New stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) measurements were collected from 143 non-adults and 46 adults that are analysed alongside comparative published datasets from contemporaneous Iberian populations. A statistical package...
This study investigates mobility during the transition from Muslim to Christian rule in the Algarve, southern Portugal (11th–13th centuries), using multi-isotope analysis to understand population dynamics during this complex conquest period. Skeletal remains from two key populations were analysed: the final Muslims buried in Loulé before the Christian conquest (necropolises of Quinta da Boavista and Hospital da...