Naslov
The Living Conditions and Mortality in Subadult Mediaeval and Post-Mediaeval Populations. The Case Study of Crkvari - St. Lawrence Church (Northern Croatia)

Autori
Jokić, Mirna ; Tkalčec, Tatjana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Izvornik
European Anthropology in a Changing World: From Culture to Biology, 20th Congress of the European Anthropological Association / - , 2016

Skup
20th Congress of the European Anthropological Association

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 24.08.2016. - 28.08.2016

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
Crkvari; archaeological investigation; cemetery; child burials; life conditions; mortality; middle ages; modern period

Sažetak
A consolidation of archaeological and anthropological analyses yields an insight into the frequency of subadult burials in the excavated part of the cemetery in Crkvari near Orahovica. Out of the total of 599 excavated graves, 227 are belonging to children: 67 were buried during the Medieval Period from the late 11th to the early 16th century (29.52 %) and 160 were buried during the Early Modern Period from the early 16th to the 19th century (70.48%). This research comments on distinct differences in the distribution of mortality while considering historical conditions and developmental stages of a child, according to which age groups were formed. The distribution of the subadult graves in the cemetery (especially newborns) gives an insight into the burial customs and beliefs of the population, which were different in the Medieval and the Early Modern Period. In order to gain insight into the health of the subadult population of Crkvari and understand the relationship between observed mortality and frequencies of certain pathologies within different age groups, certain parameters were extracted from gathered osteological data for further analysis. For this purpose, cribra orbitalia (CO) served as an indicator of childhood anemia which, combined with other possible indicators (periostitis, enamel hypoplasia), suggests poor living conditions. The entire sample consisting of 137 preserved orbital bones contained 52 observed cases of CO. Differences in frequencies of CO between the two periods are analyzed, as well as the relationship with periostitis as an indicator of non-specific diseases. Results suggest periods of severe stress subadult population was subjected to at certain age, which was most likely caused by inappropriate nutrition and susceptibility to parasitism and infectious diseases.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Arheologija

POVEZANOST RADA