Hidden Insights: Comprehensive Radiological Analysis of Four Skeletal Populations From 13th–19th Century Southern Finland Reveals Neoplastic and Other Lesions Invisible on Bone Surfaces

ABSTRACT This study aims to identify lesions confined to the internal structures of bones. A radiographic analysis was performed on 219 archaeological, historical period skeletons from southern Finland. Although the study examines nearly all preserved skeletal elements using plain radiographs, it does not incorporate computed tomography. Notably, 17 individuals (7.8%) were preliminarily diagnosed with neoplastic lesions. The 7.8% prevalence of neoplasia includes benign lesions, malignant lesions, and some lesions where there was uncertainty as to whether they were neoplasia or other diagnoses. We observed lesions that are not detectable on the bone surface. In addition, we identified lesions that had been previously overlooked in the macroscopic analysis, or initially interpreted as taphonomic alterations. However, upon re‐evaluation with X‐ray imaging, these are now considered indicative of tumors. In previous macroscopic analyses, only benign neoplastic lesions were identified. These findings highlight the significance of comprehensive radiological examination of skeletal remains in advancing the understanding of the historical prevalence and development of bone neoplastic formations.