Ergebnisse mikroskopischer und röntgenologischer Untersuchungen zur Differentialdiagnose von Krankheitsspuren an ausgewählten Skeletproben der frühbyzantinischen Kinderpopulation vom Arslantepe/Malatya (Türkei)

This study shows that the microscopic analysis of bone samples can provide reliable diagnoses of disease burdens. In this case, the analysis was used to study an early Byzantine child population in southern Central Anatolia. In anthropology and archaeology, skeletal remains are typically examined macroscopically and, in select cases, by radiography. However, this method does not always lead to reliable diagnoses, as diagenetic factors affecting the bones over time can simulate macroscopic signs of disease. These signs can usually be clarified through microscopic analysis. This paper highlights the possibilities and limitations of paleopathological examination. The evaluation focuses on detecting deficiency diseases, such as scurvy, rickets, and anemia. The examined skeletal remains originate from the well-known Arslantepe site, an excavation site near Malatya in present-day Turkey. Early Byzantine children's skeletons from this period (600-800 CE) were examined macroscopically, microscopically, and radiologically, and the results were compared. Traces of disease on the skeletal remains allow us to draw conclusions about the social, political, and cultural conditions of populations at that time.