Middle Ages Research Articles

Leading with dysphagia… An unusual view of a common symptom.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS) is characterized by the classic triad of post-cricoid dysphagia, iron-deficiency anemia and esophageal webs. PVS is commonly found in women of middle age especially in the fourth and fifth decade of life. The prevalence of PVS has decreased due to early detection of iron deficiency and repletion of iron stores. We report a case of a 81-year-old female patient who had a classic presentation of PVS, treated successfully with endoscopic procedure. To our knowledge, the current case is the fourth case of dysphagia related to Plummer-Vinson syndrome reported in an octogenarian in the literature so far. Iron supplementation can resolve dysphagia in many patients, but dilation of esophageal webs may sometimes be required. PVS should be part of the differential diagnosis of sideropenic dysphagia, especially due the risk of pharyngeal and esophageal epidermoid neoplasia.

Deciphering Middle Stone Age Technological Behaviors: An Analysis of the Lithic Technology from Level VI-B at Mumba, Tanzania

Deciphering Middle Stone Age Technological Behaviors: An Analysis of the Lithic Technology from Level VI-B at Mumba, Tanzania

Halal and Makruk: Muslim archaeological fish assemblages as cultural identifiers in the Iberian Middle Ages?

<i>Halal</i> and <i>Makruk</i>: Muslim archaeological fish assemblages as cultural identifiers in the Iberian Middle Ages?

Результаты раскопок грунтового могильника Максимовка I в лесостепном Поволжье в 2019 г.

Introduction. The work publishes some results of excavations at the Maksimovka I grave field. Goals. So, the article seeks to introduce materials of the 2019 excavations. To facilitate this, the paper shall describe and characterize the investigated archaeological complexes, establish their cultural and chronological attributions. Materials. Archaeological material from the occupation layer comprises Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and eighteenth/twentieth century pottery, flint tools, and stone processing waste. Six burials were investigated at the site. Two burials had been destroyed and are nothing but heaps of heavily fragmented bones with no grave goods observed. In the third burial, the skeleton was lying on back in a northern-northwestern direction, accompanied by an iron knife and goat/sheep bones. The next burial consisted of four skulls and compact clusters of skeletal bones located nearby. The latter’s grave goods included flint arrowheads, a scraper, a bone spearhead, a pendant, beads, piercings and marmot incisors. The fifth burial contained a seated skeleton facing northeast and accompanied by a flint plate, an arrowhead and beads. In the last burial, the skeleton was lying on back in a northern-northwestern direction, accompanied by an ornamented clay vessel. A part of structure 1 was also examined. Results. The work shows that a total of three burials date back to the Late Chalcolithic, one — to the Late Bronze Age, and one — to the Middle Ages. The cultural and chronological attribution of the remaining burial has not been determined yet. Conclusions. The excavations at the Maksimovka I grave field have yielded materials from different cultures and periods, including Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Medieval complexes.

Models of Grinding Stone Manufacture, Use, and Discard from Tigrai, Ethiopia: Opportunities for Cultural Comparisons and Implications for Usewear Analysis

ABSTRACT Grinding stones are a worldwide technology, instrumental in processing food as far back as the African Middle Stone Age. Research interest in grinding stones, and the usewear on their surfaces, has grown in the last few decades. Models of grinding stone manufacture, use, and discard provide a reference for cross-cultural comparisons of practices and guide methodologies in planning usewear analysis based on kinetics. In Ethiopia, traditional knowledge of grinding stones is still accessible, and grinding stones remain in use. The models developed through interviews with, and observations of, local practitioners show processes and behaviors but also decisions made at various stages. Particular behaviors and decisions have impacts on tool wear.

Quantifying Aristotelian essences: On some fourteenth-century applications of limit decision problems to the perfection of species

ABSTRACT This paper explores a specific problem within an important philosophical genre of the fourteenth century: the debates over the perfection of species. It investigates how the problem of defining limits for continuous magnitudes – a problem typical of Aristotelian physics – was integrated into these debates at the levels of genera, species, and individuals as these entities began to be conceptualized in quantitative terms. After explaining the emergence of this problem within fourteenth-century metaphysics, the paper examines the contributions of three philosophers – Hugolinus of Orvieto, John of Ripa, and Paul of Venice – who offered varying solutions to the challenge of defining limits between species. It demonstrates that two primary solutions arose, inspired by continuous and discrete mathematical objects. It is shown that whereas Hugolinus of Orvieto advocates for a continuist model, John of Ripa proposes a discrete one. The last part of the paper examines Paul of Venice's hybrid approach, which combines elements from both models, facilitating a more comprehensive treatment of species particularly difficult to analyse, namely geometric figures. The conclusions of this comparative study underscore how profoundly the metaphysical reflections of the Middle Ages contributed to the analysis of the structure of the continuum and the extension of the notion of quantity to various objects.

Eating through time: Understanding dietary practices across late prehistory in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula.

This study seeks to contribute to the current understanding of dietary variation in the late Prehistory of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula by examining buccal dental microwear patterns alongside archeological data from the same populations. Teeth from 84 adult individuals from eight distinct samples spanning the Middle-Late Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age (Cova de l'Avi, Cova de Can Sadurní, Cova de la Guineu, Cova Foradada, Cova del Trader, Roc de les Orenetes, Cova del Gegant, Cova dels Galls Carboners) were analyzed using optical microscopy to examine buccal dental microwear patterns. The analysis did not reveal clear chronological contrasts in the dietary habits of these samples. Nevertheless, significant differences emerged among the samples, leading to their classification into two distinct sets based on the abrasiveness of the diet informed by the microwear patterns. These findings offer similarities and differences among samples in the Iberian Peninsula, shedding light on the diverse lifestyles of these individuals. Integrating our new results with other available proxies points to a multifaceted specialization in dietary patterns among these samples, influenced by factors such as habitat, resource selection, and available technology. By contextualizing the results within the broader context of the Iberian Peninsula, this research discerns shared characteristics and distinctive adaptations in the dietary practices and subsistence strategies of these groups. Ultimately, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between culture and environment in shaping human diets throughout late Prehistory.

Duke William’s 1066 campaign, the historical climatology

ABSTRACT A number of studies have examined historical climatological trends back to the Middle Ages. However, few have investigated these trends near important historical sites such as medieval battlefields. Most studies on medieval battles and battlefields focus almost exclusively on interpreting the written records from a literary standpoint and on knowledge of the site on which the battle took place, with rarely much consideration for other perspectives. While the written records are important, only focusing on them limits understanding and ignores the environment itself. A historical climatological perspective would contribute to the study of medieval warfare by exploring relevant long-term climatic proxies as well as mapping weather conditions around the time of the campaign and battle. As an example, this study will investigate the weather during Duke William’s voyage to England in 1066. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of these techniques for applying weather analyses to other historical events.

Analysis of the quality of surgical care for patients with consequences of gunshot combat wounds of the maxillofacial area

One of the most pressing problems of maxillofacial surgery (MFS) is the provision of specialized medical care to the wounded and injured in combat conditions. Even more complex tasks are reconstructive surgical treatment at the stages of evacuation and the most complete rehabilitation of patients with the consequences of combat injuries to the maxillofacial area (MFA). Gunshot combat wounds of the MFA are characterized by severe anatomical and functional disorders, they can manifest themselves as significant defects and severe deformations, which in turn leads to an increase in sanitary losses of army personnel, disability of young and middle (working) age patients, a decrease in the quality of their life, long-term and expensive treatment that requires special knowledge and manual skills from specialists. All this determines not only the medical, but also the socio-economic significance of the topic of this study.Objective. Present an analysis of the quality of surgical care provided to patients with consequences of gunshot combat wounds of the MFA.Methods. The study was carried out by specialists from the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution «Maxillofacial Hospital for War Veterans» of the Moscow Department of Health, under the guidance of the chief, PhD, professor, main specialist in MFS – V.A. Belchenko, for the period from October 2022 to July 2023. Diagnosis, planning and surgical treatment of adult patients with the consequences of gunshot combat wounds of the MFA were carried out at the stages of treatment and evacuation measures. A sample of medical documentation was made, the data obtained was processed by the generally accepted statistical method. The results were analyzed and compared with data from similar studies.Results. The study group included 55 males, aged from 23 to 56 years, the average age of the patients was 36.16±7.79 years. We divided the studied patients into subgroups according to the conditional zones of damage to the MFA: 1st – upper zone of the face (n=3, 5.45%), 2nd – middle zone of the face (n=28; 50.91%), 3rd – lower zone of the face ( n=32; 58.18%). The number of patients with isolated injuries is 18.18% (n=10); with multiple – 81.81% (n=45); with combined – 72.72% (n=40). The article presents the characteristics of patients with the pathology under study, discusses some features of diagnosis and planning, discusses tactics and problems associated with the surgical stage of treatment, as well as further rehabilitation measures.Conclusion. Despite the emergence of new medical equipment, equipment for diagnostics, planning and solving complex problems of surgical intervention, there is a clear need for training specialists, developing and improving the applied medical recommendations, with a clear indication of the method of choosing tactics and methods of surgical treatment. Medical care for adult patients with the consequences of gunshot combat wounds of the MFA must be comprehensive and carried out on the basis of specialized centers, and must include both surgical and orthopedic components, which will minimize the number of errors and complications, increase the effectiveness of treatment and, as a result, make rehabilitation as complete as possible.

The key characters of animal-style art in the Middle and Late Bronze Age

This paper aims to illuminate the archaeological cultures of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages in the neighboring regions of Mongolia. It delves into the phases and chronology of Mongolia’s Bronze Age development, scrutinizing key characters and their symbols in early animal-style art. The artistic expressions stemming from the nomadic way of life are categorized as “animal-style art,” wherein nomads transitioned the characters from two-dimensional to three-dimensional representations a significant and invaluable contribution to the history of global art. The distinctive characters of art from the Middle and Late Bronze Age not only played a central role in subsequent cultures such as Arjan, Pazyryk, Chandman- Sagil, Slab Burial, and Tagar but also evolved in terms of expressive meaning, attaining a heightened level of perfection. In other words, the origins of this distinctive “animal-style art” can be traced back to the 13th century BC in Central Asia, particularly within the territory of present-day Mongolia. Subsequently, it proliferated across the expansive plains of Eurasia, reaching its artistic zenith between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.

Sitwe 23, a Complex ESA/MSA Locality in the Northern Luangwa Valley, Zambia

AbstractThis paper describes the lithic aggregates from Sitwe 23 (SW23), a Stone Age locality in a previously unstudied region of the northern Luangwa Valley, Zambia. This area yielded two surface lithic scatters containing abundant artifacts derived from Pleistocene sediments on uplifted terrain and exposed by recent erosion on two adjacent terraces. The scatters are time-averaged palimpsests formed by deflation, but most of the lithics lack evidence of significant fluvial transport or post-depositional damage, indicating minimal horizontal displacement. Typological and attribute analyses of samples from both spurs reveal predominantly simple and expedient core and flake technologies, as well as sophisticated biface manufacture and Levallois technique producing flakes and points that are differentially distributed between the terraces. The artifacts identified in this analysis include types conventionally considered diagnostic of the Acheulean, Sangoan, and Middle Stone Age, suggesting that the collections may document one or more temporal windows during the Chibanian age (770–126 ka). Whether artifacts in these samples were originally deposited sequentially or concurrently is not yet known and alternative hypotheses are presented and discussed. The collections are compared to sites in Zambia and the northern Lake Malawi basin and found to be similar technologically but typologically different. Given the paucity of previously known Ston Age archaeological sites in the region, our work now demonstrates that northern Luangwa has significant archaeological potential and deserves further study.

Do Societies Have Emotions?

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the study of emotions, demonstrating their importance in understanding diverse human and social dynamics. However, as this field of study develops and diversifies, a structural yet simple question remains virtually undiscussed: Is it really possible to say that societies possess emotions or a certain sensitivity akin to individual experiences? This exploratory study, based on documentary analysis, endeavours to identify and examine emotional patterns across six different periods, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. Among the eight secondary findings, three fundamental conclusions stand out: (1) throughout history, societies have experienced different emotional atmospheres, sometimes simultaneously; (2) although societies generally propose an emotional model to follow, the reality does not always conform to it; and (3) it is mainly through the culture that society creates a certain emotional harmony, allowing the social body to remain cohesive and develop, thus postponing or preventing its disintegration. This study aims to offer a modest contribution to the complex and under-explored discussion on the correlation between specific emotional climates and particular social contexts.

“Dare to feel full”—A group treatment method for sustainable weight reduction in overweight and obese adults: A randomized controlled trial with 5-years follow-up

Objectives To assess the long-term effects on weight reduction and health of a group-based behavioral weight intervention over six months focusing eating for fulfillment as compared to a control regime with brief intervention. Method Overweight or obese adults (n = 176, 80% female, mean BMI 33.8 ± 4.7 kg/m2, mean age 55.2 ±10.1 years) were randomized to a group treatment or control receiving a brief intervention. Ninety-three participants (53% of original sample) completed the 5-year follow-up. Anthropometrics, blood pressure and biochemical measurements, self-rated lifestyle habits, quality of life and medication were obtained at baseline, at the end of the 6-month intervention, and once a year for five years following randomization. Results A per-protocol analysis, performed due to a high drop-out rate, found that weight reduction was small and similar in the two groups after five years. Reduction of waist/hip ratio, total-cholesterol and triglycerides were somewhat larger in the control group than in the treatment group. No changes regarding blood pressure, quality of life or medication use between the treatment and control groups were found. Conclusions No effect on weight reduction of the group intervention was found as compared to brief intervention but both groups achieved small weight loss over time. Findings indicate that any intervention or merely regular follow-ups might be promotive for weight maintenance in middle age.

Were the 2022 Summer Heatwaves a Strong Cause of Europe’s Excess Deaths?

During the 2022 summer, Europe experienced heatwaves with record temperatures, and a study has argued that they caused about 62,000 deaths between 30 May and 4 September. The total number of excess deaths during the same period was about 137,000, indicating that the heatwaves were a substantial contributor. Not ruling out that explanation entirely, this paper argues that it was unlikely a strong cause. First, if the heatwaves were a strong cause of numerous deaths, one would assume that the older and deprived were relatively likely to die. However, during the 2022 summer heatwaves in England, which were claimed to have caused about 2900 deaths, the oldest age cohort did not have a higher excess death rate than the middle age cohort, and the excess death rate actually decreased with deprivation status. Moreover, Iceland had among Europe’s highest excess death rates during the summer, which cannot be attributed to heatwaves. During June, July, and August 2022, comparable southern hemisphere countries furthermore had high excess death rates, which cannot be attributed to heatwaves either, as it was during their winter. Also, Europe’s excess death rate was higher during the 2022–2023 winter than during the 2022 summer, and intuitively not attributed to heatwaves, but neither to cold weather, as that winter was abnormally mild. Finally, the paper discusses the puzzling issue that about 56% more women than men, relative to the population, presumably died from the heatwaves.

Discoidal carbonaceous compressions from the Early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation: a fossil example of microbial biofilm

Discoidal carbonaceous compressions are the most common type of Precambrian macrofossils with a long temporal range starting from the late Paleoproterozoic. However, their unsolved biological nature restricts our understanding of the early evolution of macroscopic life. Here we report an assemblage of well-preserved discoidal carbonaceous macrofossils from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation in North China, which provides insights into this problem. They are preserved in round to elliptical shapes with sizes ranging from millimeters to several centimeters. Petrographic thin sections show that the macrofossils consist of laminated structures with alternating organic matter along with clay minerals and dolomites. Neither cellular structures nor individual microfossils were identified within them, but their regular shape, internal structures, and associated mineral constituents suggest that they are probably remains of the microbial biofilms, rather than multicellular organisms. It presents a well-preserved fossil example of microbial biofilms with macroscopic size and regular overall morphology. It further implies a possible origin of microbial biofilm for some of the early carbonaceous macrofossils and calls for detailed reexaminations of those macrofossils to exclude such possibilities. Our finding is consistent with previous studies that biofilms may have played an important role in survival for early microorganisms in the Precambrian ecosystem. Thematic collection: This article is part of the The North China Craton as a window to Earth’s middle age collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/the-north-china-craton-as-a-window-to-earths-middle-age

“Under the Law and Customs of War”: Treaties and Prisoners of War

The law of war in the Middle Ages extended beyond the considerations of when to initiate a war (the concept of ius belli), the treatment of prisoners, and the permissibility of plunder and destruction. These dimensions were shaped by the contributions of medieval jurists and, significantly, by the influence of Christianity. Despite the concerted efforts to regulate warfare, certain practices persisted, such as the capture of peasants, women, and children – the non-combatants. The expansion of Christianity to the East, particularly to the Baltic Sea region, saw these principles advancing hand in hand, especially through the Teutonic Order and Western nobility. This article endeavors to analyze, primarily drawing from normative sources, the criteria for becoming a prisoner of war during the conflicts involving the Teutonic Order, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It explores the process of prisoner distribution and examines the prevailing customs and rules outlined in treaties. Notably, the peace treaties of Salynas (1398), Thorn (1411), Melno (1422), and Brest (1435) highlight evolving formulations in the quest to define who qualified as a “prisoner of war,” the conditions for regaining freedom, and the challenges surrounding the effectiveness of international treaties on the matter of captives.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Götz von Berlichingen, and the “Iron Hands”

Knight Götz von Berlichingen (1480–1562) was born into a time of upheaval during the transition from the late Middle Ages to modern times [...]

Note on the earliest records of genus Macrocephalites Zittel: implications for biostratigraphic correlations

ABSTRACT The Bathonian‒Callovian (Middle Jurassic) genus Macrocephalites Zittel is distributed worldwide, and several of its species are used for inter- and intrabasinal biostratigraphic correlations. Here, the earliest occurrence of genus Macrocephalites, using an integrated approach incorporating data from ammonites, calcareous nannofossils and magnetostratigraphy from the Kachchh Basin of western India is presented. The calcareous nannofossils were extracted from the Macrocephalites triangularis Spath (m) sample, and the magnetostratigraphic data also comes from the same ammonite-bearing bed (Yellow Bed, bed A4), in the core of the Jumara Dome, Kachchh Basin. The sample yielded age-diagnostic calcareous nannofossil taxa with FOs (First Occurrence) of Pseudoconus enigma, Cyclagelosphaera margerelii, Octopodorhabdus decussatus and Watznaueria barnesiae, and the LO (Last Occurrence) of Carinolithus magharensis, thus, bracketing the age of the Yellow Bed between early to early middle Bathonian. An early middle Bathonian age was also proposed previously based on an ammonite assemblage and correlated with the Standard European early middle Bathonian Progracilis Zone. The magnetostratigraphic data yielded an early Bathonian age, but, it is of very low resolution, and possibly re-magnetised. The occurrence of M. aff. triangularis Spath from eastern Crimea from below the Bremeri Zone (middle Bathonian), corroborating the early middle Bathonian age arrived at for the earliest occurrence of M. triangularis in the Kachchh Basin, is also evaluated. The stratigraphic occurrence of a heavily encrusted M. triangularis specimen from Germany, and assigned to the lower Callovian, is also evaluated. The present data suggests that genus Macrocephalites Zittel was already well-established even in the early middle Bathonian, if not earlier, and that a relook/resampling is urgently needed with an integrated approach for southern Tethyan margin localities such as Madagascar and Sula Island.

CLINICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL TUBERCULOSIS VISITING A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN INDIA

Background: Musculoskeletal tuberculosis a major cause of mortality and morbidity in India and other developing countries. Musculoskeletal TB comprises around 10 to 30% of all EPTB cases. Even though skeletal tuberculosis is an important debilitating disease, the literature in statistical data regarding the socio-demographic distribution and clinical presentation of disease is very scarce. Objective: To study the socio- demographic and clinical profile of musculoskeletal tuberculosis patients reaching the Orthopaedics Department in a tertiary care hospital in India. Methodology: 186 patients with musculoskeletal tuberculosis who have completed treatment were called for a follow up and data regarding demographic, person and illness related factors affecting disease were collected and were tabulated and represented in various charts and diagrams, and analysed. Results: Almost equal sex distribution was seen. Maximum proportion (26%) of the patients were belonging to 40-49 age group, with a mean age of 49.6 years. Patients with age &lt;40 had less incidence compared to middle aged and elderly patients. Maximum number of patients were belonging to upper lower class (102 out of 186). Spine was the commonest site involved among the 138 cases. Spinal involvement was predominant in dorso- lumbar junction followed by thoracic spine and lumbar spine. 100% patients had pain as the presenting complaint and other complaints were not consistent. Only 16% of the patients had history of pulmonary tuberculosis and history of contact with tuberculosis case was present in 25% cases. 28% cases were diabetic and other comorbidities were less frequent. 19% of the cases had multi drug resistance. Conclusion: It was seen that Musculoskeletal tuberculosis is most frequently seen in middle age with majority of spine affected cases. The study reinforces the acquaintance of tuberculosis with low socioeconomic status and to some extend the debilitating diseases. It often has an atypical presentation leading to delay in diagnosis.

The Reconstruction of Kranj after the Fire of 1749

The author investigated the consequences of the fire that destroyed most of the town of Kranj in 1749. Based on numerous damage inventories and correspondence between the town authorities and regional and state offices, he determined the reasons for the disaster (lack of water in the town), the extent of the damage, life in the town during the reconstruction, and the plans and methods of rehabilitation over a period of twenty years. The state authorities only partially co-financed the renovation with financial grants and limited tax exemptions. The townspeople bore the majority of the burden, which is why the revitalisation of Kranj took a long time. Mainly due to the lack of money and despite the ambitious initial ideas, the town, which was already in debt, was not notably urbanised or improved in terms of fire prevention compared to the Middle Ages. Some of the more notable changes in Kranj did not take place until the aftermath of another disastrous fire in 1811.