Early medieval diet in childhood and adulthood and its reflection in the dental health of a Central European population (Mikulčice, 9-10 centuries, Czech Republic).

Objectives: The aim of this study is to provide a detailed view of dental health in relationship to the diet of the Great Moravian population, with emphasis on childhood diet.

Design: We studied skeletal samples of the early medieval population of the Mikulčice agglomeration (Czech Republic) originating from the cemetery of the church VI (91 adults). Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen (intra-individual sampling - tooth and bone) was performed on this material, and dental characteristics (carious lesions, intensity of caries (I-CE), dental wear, linear enamel hypoplasia) evaluated.

An isotopic case study of individuals with syphilis from the pathological-anatomical reference collection of the national museum in Prague (Czech Republic, 19th century A.D.).

Objective: This paper aims at investigating the possible existence of isotopic offsets in δC and δN values in relation to tertiary syphilis.

Material: Based on materials from the 19th c. A.

A time of change: dietary reconstruction of the Merovingian cemetery of Norroy-le-Veneur, France.

The aim of this work was to analyse the diet of a Merovingian population sample of 80 individuals buried at Norroy-le-Veneur, France, with regard to their social status and chronology. A carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human adult bone collagen and related fauna from the same cemetery showed a diet based primarily on C plants, supplemented with animal protein in a range comparable to other contemporary sites. No significant contribution of C plants (e.

Rich table but short life: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and its possible consequences.

The exhumation of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was performed in 2010 to verify speculative views on the cause of his death. Previous analyses of skeletal and hair remains recovered from his grave refuted the presumption that he died from poisoning. These studies also outlined the possibility that he actually died from an acute illness, echoing the rather vague and inaccurate testimony of some historical records.

Urban and rural infant-feeding practices and health in early medieval Central Europe (9th-10th Century, Czech Republic).

In the Central European context, the 9th and 10th centuries are well known for rapid cultural and societal changes concerning the development of the economic and political structures of states as well as the adoption of Christianity. A bioarchaeological study based on a subadult skeletal series was conducted to tackle the impact of these changes on infant and young child feeding practices and, consequently, their health in both urban and rural populations. Data on growth and frequency of nonspecific stress indicators of a subadult group aged 0-6 years were analyzed.

Urban-rural differences in stature in the population of medieval Bohemia.

This study explores differences in stature and their diachronic trends between the urban and rural medieval populations of Bohemia. We estimated stature from the lengths of the long bones of subjects living in Prague (urban) and rural areas of present Czech territory. Our results indicate the absence of significant urban/rural differences in stature in the population living between the 11th and 14th century.