Publicação
Underneath the surface: examining “hidden lesions” with paleoimaging at Moita do Sebastião, Mesolithic Muge, Portugal
| Resumo: | Discovered 160 years ago, the Muge archaeological sites in Portugal yield the most significant documentation of human skeletons from the Mesolithic period in Western Europe (8200-7100 cal B.P.). However, sediment weight has caused significant postmortem alterations that have limited previous studies. Paleoimaging techniques were applied to overcome these limitations and provide previously inaccessible information. Thirteen crania from Moita do Sebasti & atilde;o (one of the Muge shell middens) were CT scanned for virtual reconstruction and morphological analysis. Meticulous examination of 2D and 3D images revealed bone changes not visible to the naked eye and unrelated to postmortem alterations. A comprehensive differential diagnosis was carried out identifying various pathological conditions including epidermoid or dermoid cysts, intraosseous hemangioma, and a possible case of anemia. These "hidden pathologies" offer new insights into the health status of one of Europe's last hunter-gatherer populations. |
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| Autores principais: | Nogueira, Dany Coutinho |
| Outros Autores: | Gaspar, Rosa Ramos; Carreiro, Inês; Godinho, Ricardo Miguel; Umbelino, Cláudia |
| Assunto: | Anatomical variant Hunter-gatherer Mesolithic Paleoimaging Paleopathology |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso restrito |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Algarve |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve |
| Resumo: | Discovered 160 years ago, the Muge archaeological sites in Portugal yield the most significant documentation of human skeletons from the Mesolithic period in Western Europe (8200-7100 cal B.P.). However, sediment weight has caused significant postmortem alterations that have limited previous studies. Paleoimaging techniques were applied to overcome these limitations and provide previously inaccessible information. Thirteen crania from Moita do Sebasti & atilde;o (one of the Muge shell middens) were CT scanned for virtual reconstruction and morphological analysis. Meticulous examination of 2D and 3D images revealed bone changes not visible to the naked eye and unrelated to postmortem alterations. A comprehensive differential diagnosis was carried out identifying various pathological conditions including epidermoid or dermoid cysts, intraosseous hemangioma, and a possible case of anemia. These "hidden pathologies" offer new insights into the health status of one of Europe's last hunter-gatherer populations. |
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