Author, as appears in the article.: Rissech, C; Witzel, C; Guardia, M; López-Costas, O; Götherström, A; Krzewinska, M; Kirdök, E; Mendiela, S; Merino, M; Francès, J
Department: Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques
URV's Author/s: Merino Pérez, Marta / Rissech Badalló, Maria del Carmen
Keywords: Tooth histology Putative infanticide victims Perinatal individuals Neonatal line Adna tooth histology sex identification roman villa site risk-factors neonatal line forensic anthropology enamel hypoplasia deciduous teeth archaeological sites ancient dna adna
Abstract: Burial customs in the Iberian Period (Iron Age II) included cremation. Only perinatal and newborn infants were buried directly beneath floor settlement. These infants represent the very few unburned human remains recovered from Iberian sites. The interpretation of these infant burials is in debate, focusing on whether they are unnatural or natural deaths. Our aim is to infer mortality patterns and developmental conditions of these individuals, in order to respond if infanticide was present in these assemblages. A large perinatal human skeletal sample from the Ca n’Oliver site (sixth century to 50 years BCE) from the Iberian Period of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula was analysed, combining osteological methods together with tooth histology and aDNA analysis. Combining osteological and odontological estimates indicated ages between 22 and 42 weeks of gestation for 47 out of a total of 48 individuals. The remaining individual died at about 6 months after birth. Tooth height and enamel histology indicated in 9 out of a subgroup of 13 individuals a low probability of live birth. The remaining 4 individuals possibly survived birth for less than 2 months. According to morphological and molecular results, the sex ratio of this sample is approximately 1:1 male to female. The mortality distribution is consistent with natural mortality. These perinatal deaths were probably spontaneous abortions and neonatal deaths, reflecting an endogenous mortality profile due to genetic and maternal influences. The present study will serve to broaden our knowledge on perinatal individuals of the Iberian Period.
Thematic Areas: Historia Geosciences, multidisciplinary Geociências Ciencias sociales Ciencias humanas Archeology (arts and humanities) Archeology Archaeology Antropologia / arqueologia Antropología Anthropology
licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
Author's mail: marta.merino@urv.cat carme.rissech@urv.cat marta.merino@urv.cat
Author identifier: 0000-0002-1014-8813
Record's date: 2024-06-15
Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Link to the original source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12520-023-01863-9#citeas
Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
Papper original source: Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences. 15 (10): 158-
APA: Rissech, C; Witzel, C; Guardia, M; López-Costas, O; Götherström, A; Krzewinska, M; Kirdök, E; Mendiela, S; Merino, M; Francès, J (2023). Skeletal remains of human perinatal individuals from the fortified Iberian Period settlement of Ca n’Oliver (6th century to 50 years BCE). Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences, 15(10), 158-. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01863-9
Article's DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01863-9
Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Journal publication year: 2023
Publication Type: Journal Publications
Repositori URV