Abstract
*th , 2012; revised December 21 st , 2012; accepted January 3 rd , 2013 Palaeopathology integrates knowledge and methods from physical anthropology and medicine. It aims to obtain information concerning the type of pathological conditions, their antiquity, palaeoepidemiology and etiology in past populations. However, practice shows that despite the use of new techniques, it is often difficult or impossible to make a correct differential diagnosis of diseases based on the study of archaeological skeletal series. Here we present a case study of differential diagnosis of pathological conditions which have been observed on the bones of the skeleton of a 30 - 34 years old female from Tell Masaikh (Syria). Morphological, histological, radiological and molecular methods have been applied in order to assess the pathological lesions. The molecular analysis shows no evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis although this should be regarded as absence of evidence and not evidence of absence. Subsequently our diagnosis was narrowed to traumatic changes related to infection. This illustrates the complications associated with differential diagnosis of pathological conditions from ancient bones.
Highlights
Palaeopathological analysis constitutes a significant part of anthropological research as it allows researchers to obtain information and gain knowledge about disease and health in past populations as well as on the antiquity, prevalence and etiology of certain conditions
In this paper we present a case study of differential diagnosis of pathological conditions which have been observed on the bones of the skeleton of a 30 - 34 years old female from Masaikh, Middle Euphrates Valley, Syria
All the observed distinct palaeopathological changes were only affecting the left side of the specimen
Summary
Palaeopathological analysis constitutes a significant part of anthropological research as it allows researchers to obtain information and gain knowledge about disease and health in past populations as well as on the antiquity, prevalence and etiology of certain conditions. Practice shows that differential diagnosis of many conditions is often difficult or impossible due to taphonomic aspects such as the preservation of bone and the degree of completeness/fragmentation of certain skeletal features For this reason, in many cases palaeopathological analysis can only narrow down the diagnosis to one or more possible conditions. The age of the individual was estimated on the basis of changes in the morphology of the pubic symphysis using the Brooks and Suchey (1990) system and standards for changes in the topography of the auricular surface (cf Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994; White & Folkens, 2000) Based on these criteria the individual represents female, the age of death was assessed as 30 - 34 years
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