Mandibular morphology and the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Westernmost Iberia

Neolithic farming and animal husbandry were first developed in the Near East ~ 10,000 BCE and expanded westwards, reaching westernmost Iberia no later than 5500 BCE. It resulted in major social, cultural, economic and dietary changes. Yet, the impact of this change on human mandibular morphology in Iberia is yet to be assessed, which is regrettable because mandible form is impacted by population history and diet. In this study we used Mesolithic to Chalcolithic Iberian samples to examine the impact of this transition on mandibular morphology. We also compared these samples with a Southern Levantine Chalcolithic population to assess their relationship. Lastly, we assessed dental wear to determine if the morphological differences identified were related to the material properties of the diet. We found differences between samples in mandibular shape but not size, which we attribute to contrasting population histories between Mesolithic and later populations. Some differences in the severity of dental wear were also found between Mesolithic and later Iberian samples, and smaller between the Mesolithic Iberians and southern Levantines. Little relationship was found between wear magnitude and mandibular shape. Altogether, our results show that the Mesolithic-Neolithic Iberian transition resulted in a meaningful change in mandibular morphology, which was likely driven more by population history than by dietary change.

Changes in dental wear magnitude in the last ∼8000 years in southwestern Iberia

OBJECTIVE

This study examines changes in dental wear magnitude in the past ∼8000 years, i.e., since Mesolithic until the 19th century, in southwestern Iberia. Thus, it encompasses the transition from hunting-gathering to agro-pastoralism, and then to the industrialization of food production and pre-processing.

DESIGN

Dental wear magnitude was scored in a total of 191 individuals and 1557 teeth from Mesolithic (individuals=56; teeth=643), Neolithic (individuals=35; teeth=169), Chalcolithic (individuals =35; teeth=221), Modern Age (individuals=17; teeth=209), and Late Modern Age (individuals=48; teeth=315) samples originating in southwestern Iberia (i.e., present central and southern Portugal) and according to the 8 levels ordinal scale of Smith (1984).

RESULTS

Results show a general trend for decreased wear magnitude in these two major transitions and during this timespan (although the hunting-gathering - agro-pastoralism transition had larger impact). The only meaningful differences in wear rate were found between the Late Modern Age and all remaining samples.

CONCLUSION

Dental wear generally decreased during this timespan (although wear magnitude was less impacted by the industrialization of food production and pre-processing). Our results are consistent with studies documenting skull morphological gracilization associated with reduced masticatory demands due to the adoption of softer diets.

The Unidentified Skeletal Collection of Capuchos Cemetery (Santarém) housed at the University of Coimbra

The aim of this article is to present to the scientific and academic community the Unidentified Skeletal Collection of the Capuchos Cemetery. The skeletons, of contemporary individuals, were collected from the same cemetery as those of the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection, but their identification is unknown. The collection is composed of 73 individuals, of which 68 are adults of both sexes (34 females, 33 males, and one individual of unknown sex) and five are non-adults. The skeletons are reasonably preserved although several are incomplete as result of taphonomic changes during inhumations, but also due to the experimental research made so far. Most of the adult individuals present nonmetric characters, being the scapular notch the most frequent. Regarding the osteopathology, it was observed that the majority of adult individuals have pathological changes, with degenerative pathology being the most frequent. In addition, some individual exhibit medical devices and/or signs of chirurgical procedures. The Unidentified Skeletal Collection of the Capuchos Cemetery is an osteological collection that, although not containing individual biographical data, has contributed to teaching and research in Biological and Forensic Anthropology in subjects such as osteology, morphology, biological profile, paleopathology, cremains, and the development of new methods.

The exceptional finding of Locus 2 at Dehesilla Cave and the Middle Neolithic ritual funerary practices of the Iberian Peninsula

There is a significant number of funerary contexts for the Early Neolithic in the Iberian Peninsula, and the body of information is much larger for the Late Neolithic. In contrast, the archaeological information available for the period in between (ca. 4800-4400/4200 cal BC) is scarce. This period, generally called Middle Neolithic, is the least well-known of the peninsular Neolithic sequence, and at present there is no specific synthesis on this topic at the peninsular scale. In 2017, an exceptional funerary context was discovered at Dehesilla Cave (Sierra de Cádiz, Southern Iberian Peninsula), providing radiocarbon dates which place it at the beginning of this little-known Middle Neolithic period, specifically between ca. 4800-4550 cal BC. Locus 2 is a deposition constituted by two adult human skulls and the skeleton of a very young sheep/goat, associated with stone structures and a hearth, and a number of pots, stone and bone tools and charred plant remains. The objectives of this paper are, firstly, to present the new archaeological context documented at Dehesilla Cave, supported by a wide range of data provided by interdisciplinary methods. The dataset is diverse in nature: stratigraphic, osteological, isotopic, zoological, artifactual, botanical and radiocarbon results are presented together. Secondly, to place this finding within the general context of the contemporaneous sites known in the Iberian Peninsula through a systematic review of the available evidence. This enables not only the formulation of explanations of the singular new context, but also to infer the possible ritual funerary behaviours and practices in the 5th millennium cal BC in the Iberian Peninsula.

Massa óssea cortical e fraturas de fragilidade na Coleção de Esqueletos Identificados do séc. XXI

A osteoporose é uma patologia metabólica óssea com maior incidência nas mulheres pós-menopáusicas e nas camadas mais idosas das populações atuais. Caracteriza-se pelo decréscimo da massa e da resistência ósseas, com aumento subsequente do risco de fratura. No presente trabalho, propõe-se, como objetivo principal, a compreensão dos padrões epidemiológicos da perda de massa óssea cortical numa amostra de indivíduos pertencente à Coleção de Esqueletos Identificados do século XXI (CEI/XXI) e da sua relação com as fraturas de fragilidade. Foram analisados 136 indivíduos {F = 68; M= 68} pertencentes à CEI/XXI. Para a avaliação da perda de massa óssea procedeu-se  análise radiogramétrica do 2.º metacárpico. Verificou-se também a presença/ausência de fraturas de fragilidade (anca, úmero proximal, rádio distal e corpo vertebral). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a perda de massa óssea está intimamente relacionada com o envelhecimento, sobretudo no sexo feminino. As fraturas de fragilidade são mais comuns nos indivíduos femininos e a idade aparenta serum fator de risco para a sua ocorrência, contrariamente ao que acontece nos indivíduos masculinos.

Ectopic eruption of a lower permanent molar from the mediaeval necropolis of Alcáçova do Castelo, Mértola, Portugal

The mediaeval necropolis of Alcáçova do Castelo is located in Mértola, Southern Portugal, and dates from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The archaeological campaigns started in 1978 and continue today, having yielded more than 759 graves. This report discusses an ectopic tooth eruption observed in skeleton 535, an adult female individual. A distal right permanent lower molar presents an ectopic eruption at the posterior margin of the coronoid process. On the opposite side, the first and second permanent molars are present, the left permanent lower third molar is absent and the mandibular ramus cannot be evaluated since it is broken off and lost. Tooth migration (heteropia) is a common pathological condition documented in clinical literature. However ectopic eruption of lower distal molars is a rare event, and there are few known cases. This is the first case described in archaeological populations worldwide.