Objective: To evaluate erosive pathological lesions on a skeleton from medieval Transylvania. Materials: A skeleton from a Szekely archaeological site in Transylvania was examined and radiocarbon dated to Cal 1300 CE - 1415 CE. Methods: The skeletal remains were examined macroscopically and with radiographic imaging. A differential diagnosis was conducted following established protocols. Results: The individual was estimated to be a probable adult female. Periarticular erosive lesions involving multiple synovial joints, particularly on the small joints of the hands and feet, were observed. Conclusions: A differential diagnosis identifies lesions characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis dating prior to the mid-15th century. Significance: The significance of this diagnosis is great since researchers debate the antiquity and spread of rheumatoid arthritis. Some researchers hypothesize that RA originated in the Americas and spread to Europe after the mid-15th century. However, this study asserts that RA existed in Europe prior to European colonization of the Americas. Limitations: Only 30-40 % of the skeletal material was excavated, potentially impacting the differential diagnosis. Suggestions for further research: This case encourages researchers to explore the presence of RA in other medieval groups within and beyond Transylvania as a means to reconstruct the antiquity and geographical distribution of the condition.

When multiple sets of skeletonized human remains exist in the same context, they can become commingled due to multifactorial circumstances that affect the postmortem environment. Numerous techniques exist for reassociating commingled skeletal remains (e.g., visual pair-matching, and osteometric pair-matching); however, the scale of commingled skeletal assemblages influences the effectiveness of these approaches. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has recently been proposed as a rapid technique for obtaining elemental signatures from skeletal elements of multiple individuals and then reassociating those elements with their correct individual. This study evaluates the potential of portable LIBS as a useful tool for reassociating commingled human skeletal remains in forensic contexts. In this study six skeletons drawn from the donated skeletal collection at the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science, at the University of South Florida, were used to assess whether LIBS data could be used to reassociate multiple skeletal elements from the same individual. LIBS data were collected at 206 anatomical locations from 28 individual bones across each skeleton in the sample. LIBS data were reassigned to their individual with an accuracy of 91 % using quadratic discriminant analysis of dimensionally reduced data (via principal component analysis). The study demonstrates that portable LIBS has potential for reassociating commingled human skeletal remains from forensic contexts.

The catacombs of Santa Lucia were built during the 3rd century CE in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, as a burial site for members of the local Christian community until the early 8th century CE. This site is an important cemeterial context of the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. The tombs and artifacts found suggest that individuals of varying wealth were buried in the catacombs. Historical accounts also confirm the presence of a significant Christian community from Syria and the Levant in Siracusa during this period. The objective of this research is to investigate the life histories of the Late Antique community interred in the catacombs using stable isotope analysis. This technique aimed to clarify the dietary differences between individuals of different social status and geographical origins, in order to re-evaluate the data from historical documents. To achieve this, we conducted stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses on skeletal samples from 25 individuals recovered from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, using established methods. The results revealed significant dietary diversity among the individuals buried in the catacombs, with evidence of the consumption of both C3 and C4 plants, as well as fish from both freshwater and sea sources. The oxygen isotopes show a particularly broad range in both the small sample set of bones and the larger set of teeth, suggesting a significant degree of mobility for most of the individuals tested. The high variability found in the diet and the evidence of mobility for most of the individuals tested not only between early age and adulthood, but also throughout their lives. It raises new questions and calls for the consideration of the archaeological and historical implications of these novel discoveries.

Objective: This project evaluates a cranial lesion from a Hellenistic-era individual excavated by the Mugla Archaeological Museum in Gulagzi, Turkey.Materials: An osseous tumor measuring 3.02 x 3.54 x 2.98 cm originating from the occipital bone of a probable young adult male. Methods: The tumor was examined using gross morphological inspection, plain radiography (x-ray), and computed tomography (CT) imaging to identify potential differential diagnoses for the osseous cranial tumor.Results: The lesion in question displays features highly consistent with both osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma. The tumor had a non-sclerotic, sharply demarcated border, a radiolucent nidus measuring less than 2 centimeters in diameter, and homogeneous sclerotic bone surrounding the nidus. Conclusions: Differential diagnosis determined the osseous tumor to be a benign neoplasm, and in this case the features of the tumor are highly consistent with a diagnosis of either osteoblastoma or osteoid osteoma. Significance: The identification of novel neoplastic cases in paleopathology represents an important contribution to ongoing discussions regarding the temporality and regional variability of neoplastic conditions in the past. Additionally, a rigorous diagnostic study augmented by x-ray, CT scans, and 3D modeling provides data that can be utilized in future paleopathological studies.Limitations: Diagnostic interpretation would be aided by histological examination of the tumor, which was impossible in this case. Histological examination would provide a definitive diagnosis. Suggestions for further research: Given the high incidence of benign tumors in the clinical literature but a paucity of reports in the paleopathological record, further research is indicated to better understand the implications of benign neoplasms in antiquity.

Colombia faces the complex humanitarian challenges of locating approximately 100,000 missing persons and identifying thousands who are deceased. Identification is a difficult task in many cases, because the skeletonized bodies are deteriorated, missing person data are unavailable for comparison, and the provenance of the remains is often totally unknown. Isotopic analysis of human tissues (e.g., bone, hair, nails, and teeth) aid in the identification process of unknown individuals because they can provide valuable information on possible geographic origin. This project evaluated the isotopic variability of carbon (C), oxygen (O), strontium (Sr), and lead (Pb) in modern Colombian teeth according to city, department (a political designation similar to "state" in the US or Mexico), and one of four geographically determined regions of origin; and assessed its utility for human identification in Colombia. Isotopic data (O-C-Sr-Pb) were analyzed from modern Colombians originating from the cities of Bogota, Cali, and Neiva (n = 95); and these data were compiled with published Colombian data of individuals mainly from the city of Medellin (n = 61). Results indicate a wide range and overlap of O-C-Sr-Pb isotopic distribution according to the defined categories. However, differences between coastal and lowland individuals are observed when using & delta;18O values, and differences between mountainous regions are observed when using 87Sr/86Sr values. In addition, this study suggests that the usefulness of isotopic analysis for unidentified individuals in Colombia would be with assigning them geographically using the designations of North, Central Andes, Eastern Andes, or Southwest Andes versus making classifications at a city or department level.

"An outstanding opportunity for the investigation of the ruined medieval church emerged through the cooperation between the Haaz Rezső Museum and the Canadian company ArchaeoTek, who backed the archaeological excavation in support of academic training. As a result, anthropology students take part in the excavation, after which they analyze and interpret the discovered bones. During six seasons of work we finished the excavation of the entire church, and also we documented 661 graves. Excavation and analysis at the Papdomb site follow American bioarchaeological methods and interpretive strategies. Over the last forty years, bioarchaeology has developed into a sophisticated and collaborative enterprise that draws from a range of people and skillsets to answer social questions using biological data. Areas of expertise and analysis being applied at the Papdomb site include: skeletal excavation methods; the development of biological profiles; radiocarbon dating; diet analysis through isotope testing; and, sex and biological relationship investigation through ancient DNA. The overarching goal in using the bioarchaeological approach is to add valuable insight and complement what historians and other experts of Szekler history already know. Furthermore, work at the Papdomb site stands out for its international and multi‑scalar collaborative approach. An international team of experts works with the descendant community to preserve and study the site and the human remains. Finally, the excavation and materials produced are a valuable teaching tool for aspiring bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists because human remains excavation and large human skeletal collections are not common in the United States or are not available for training."

OBJECTIVE:To link an antemortem cranial injury on the left parietal bone with potential neurocognitive consequences.MATERIALS:The skeleton of a male individual from a Székely archaeological site in Transylvania was examined. The skeleton was radiocarbon dated to Cal AD 1450 and AD 1640 and presented a well-healed antemortem penetrating cranial injury on the left parietal bone.METHODS:Macroscopic and radiographic analyses were conducted and the cranium was also archived digitally with a Faro FreeStyle3D scanner. In addition, well-known literature from neuroscience was synthesized in order to better understand the likely neurological consequences of the injury.RESULTS:The literature suggests that tasks of attention and working memory, sensory processing, language processing, and vision are affected when the parietal lobe of the brain is injured.CONCLUSIONS:Burial 195 did not likely return to a 'normal' life after he survived the cranial injury.SIGNIFICANCE:This study demonstrates that bioarcheological interpretations involving antemortem cranial injuries can be enhanced by collaboration with neuroscientists. Bioarcheological interpretations are improved when the consequences of soft tissue injuries are understood.LIMITATIONS:This study was limited by a lack of historical documents relevant to the region, time period, and specific case study. In addition, interpretations are cautionary because brain functioning cannot be assessed in vivo in the absence of life.SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:Bioarcheologists who study antemortem cranial injuries should continue to collaborate with neuroscientists.

Since the professionalization of US-based forensic anthropology in the 1970s, ancestry estimation has been included as a standard part of the biological profile, because practitioners have assumed it necessary to achieve identifications in medicolegal contexts. Simultaneously, forensic anthropologists have not fully considered the racist context of the criminal justice system in the United States related to the treatment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; nor have we considered that ancestry estimation might actually hinder identification efforts because of entrenched racial biases. Despite ongoing criticisms from mainstream biological anthropology that ancestry estimation perpetuates race science, forensic anthropologists have continued the practice. Recent years have seen the prolific development of retooled typological approaches with 21st century statistical prowess to include methods for estimating ancestry from cranial morphoscopic traits, despite no evidence that these traits reflect microevolutionary processes or are suitable genetic proxies for population structure; and such approaches have failed to critically evaluate the societal consequences for perpetuating the biological race concept. Around the country, these methods are enculturated in every aspect of the discipline ranging from university classrooms, to the board-certification examination marking the culmination of training, to standard operating procedures adopted by forensic anthropology laboratories. Here, we use critical race theory to interrogate the approaches utilized to estimate ancestry to include a critique of the continued use of morphoscopic traits, and we assert that the practice of ancestry estimation contributes to white supremacy. Based on the lack of scientific support that these traits reflect evolutionary history, and the inability to disentangle skeletal-based ancestry estimates from supporting the biological validity of race, we urge all forensic anthropologists to abolish the practice of ancestry estimation.

In this article, we explore aspects of daily life through the lens of non-adult diet in the High and Late Medieval (1000–1500 CE) and Early Modern (1500–1800 CE) periods using skeletons from a church cemetery located in Mugeni (Bögöz in Hungarian), Romania. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was conducted on dentin collagen samples from 20 non-adults as well as bone collagen from 3 non-adults. The mean dentin δ13C (−18.4‰ ± 1.7‰) and δ15N (12.5‰ ± 1.2‰) measurements reveal a variable overall non-adult diet consisting primarily of terrestrial proteins and the use of both C3 and C4 grains to varying degrees. An average decrease in nitrogen values over the non-adult life course additionally provides context on the weaning process and other dietary changes.

Objective: To differentially diagnose two calcified objects found with the well-preserved and nearly complete skeletal remains excavated in June 2012 by the Haaz Rezso Muzeum in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania. Material: Two objects measuring 25.55 x 18.23 mm and 17.62 x 16.38 mm found with the skeletal remains of a probable female approximately 25-35 years old at the time of death. Methods: Analysis utilized X-ray, SEM, EDS, CT scanning, and gross morphology to assess pathological conditions with calcification as a common sign. Results: Multiple analyses of the objects revealed two roughened ovoid nodes with internal hollows and openings. Elemental analysis indicated an organic origin, likely representing calcified soft tissue. Conclusions: Differential diagnosis determined the calcified nodules to be consistent with calcified tumors, and most consistent with a calcified leiomyoma with cystic degeneration, potentially uterine. Significance: The identification of the calcified nodules as most consistent with calcified uterine leiomyomas adds to the paucity of paleopathological literature on calcified leiomyomas and calcified tumors more broadly. It also allows for an important discussion of the health of women in medieval Transylvania. Limitations: Interpretation would be aided if a more precise origination within the body was known. Careful excavation and improved recognition of organic objects is necessary for a more definite diagnosis. Suggestions for further research: Soft tissue calcifications are a common process in a wide variety of diseases and can arise in all areas of the body. Pathological calcifications are relatively common in modern contexts, but remain rare in paleopathological literature.

Editor, Historians of the 21st century will examine the year 2020 and the confluence of seismic events which impacted everyday life in the United States and served to highlight systemic inequalities that have permeated the nation for centuries. Between the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and the homicides of numerous Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement officials, we have all been reminded about the fragility of life, and the failures of our society to live up to the ideals enshrined in the foundational documents which established the United States of America over two centuries ago. Tackling these failures seems overwhelming at times; however, changes can be enacted with candid and reflexive discussions about the status quo. In writing this letter, we direct our comments to the forensic anthropology community in the United States in hopes of sparking a discussion about the long-standing practice of ancestry estimation and changes that are frankly long overdue. Herein, we argue two primary points: (i) we urge an immediate moratorium on the use of morphoscopic cranial traits in the estimation of ancestry given the lack of comprehensive inquiry into why the traits exist and the fact that their use serves to bolster the debunked biological race concept; and (ii) we issue a call to action for forensic anthropologists to scrutinize the way that ancestry estimates in forensic anthropology reports might hinder identification efforts. Starting with the modernization of forensic anthropology in the mid-twentieth century, the estimation of ancestry has figured prominently in our methodological toolkit. It has been accepted as fact that estimates of “race,” “ancestry,” “population affinity,” or “bioaffinity” (hereafter ancestry) are compulsory for the process of human identification, in concert with other parameters such as age-at-death to include or exclude possible missing persons in cases when unidentified human remains are recovered. However, at this moment in the histories of our discipline and our country, it is time to rethink the forensic anthropological canon and critically evaluate why we have relied on traits that we do not understand. Indeed, morphoscopic traits may best be viewed through a historical lens that signal a time when many leading anthropologists believed that Homo sapiens could be winnowed into a small number of discrete groups. Ultimately, it is our firm opinion that morphoscopic traits are forensic anthropology's Lost Cause and it is time for our field to abandon the façade of their importance and utility. Today, forensic anthropologists hold that estimating ancestry which includes the use of morphoscopic traits and craniometric distances is possible because variables related to worldwide human variation are reflected in the skeleton and are ultimately linked to heritability (1, 2). However, herein lies the problem: The skeletal nonmetric traits which for decades have been studied by biological anthropologists and population geneticists are not the morphoscopic traits utilized by forensic anthropologists to generate estimates of an unknown decedent's ancestry. Practitioners of forensic anthropology have glossed over this point and have not only failed to explicitly recognize that the heritability of morphoscopic traits remains unknown, but a similarly egregious transgression is the failure to initiate lines of empirical inquiry into this question. The former is a problem because of the faulty logic inherent in the assumption that these traits have classificatory power when we do not understand important details such as how and why a person inherited the traits from their ancestors; the latter is particularly telling and highlights the inextricable nature of the science we practice and the society in which we were enculturated—namely, one where the reality of social race hierarchies and differences dictates part of our worldview. Indeed, the fact that we have arrived at a point where we could formulate these opinions is a result of the confluence of our unique lived experiences in this particular time and place. It may be that the intention of proponents of morphoscopic traits is not to imply anything about heritability given one recent definition (e.g., “quasicontinuous variables of the cranium that can be reflected as soft-tissue differences [emphasis ours] in the living” [3]); however, trait application has not been satisfactorily uncoupled from the blatantly typological approach, thoroughly debunked by biological anthropologists going back decades. In this way, part of contemporary forensic anthropological practice is a throwback to an earlier time when ideas about biological determinism and essentialist aspects of the races were taken as gospel truths and used to justify racialized hierarchies leading to both overt and covert structural inequities which continue today. Moreover, studies including morphoscopic traits such as the “post-bregmatic depression” or “nasal bone contour” have not provided a suitable explanation as to why varying constellations of morphoscopic traits such as these have classificatory power that correspond with common socially recognized labels related to ancestry or ethnicity. The idea that morphoscopic traits can adequately be used to place decedents into discrete groups has been perpetuated in the pages of this journal without any deliberate appraisal of the underlying assumption that a finite number of groups exist; or critically, acknowledgement of the harm of connecting social race to skeletal traits insofar that it only serves to sustain the falsified biological race concept and misinforms the public, to include law enforcement and the medicolegal community, about human variation. Of further major concern is that studies involving these traits have generally not been conducted through the lenses of evolutionary theory or ecogeographic variation, foundational theories for biological anthropology. Indeed, every other parameter commonly evaluated by forensic anthropologists is grounded in an explanatory framework that ties back to particular accepted bodies of knowledge (4). Rather, when it comes to morphoscopic traits in particular, typology appears to be the only theoretical framework in attendance. Taken together, these failures are frankly unacceptable and underscore why this approach should be removed from everyday forensic anthropological practice. Just as troubling as the scientific and social issues raised by the use of morphoscopic traits are overall ancestry estimates. As discussed, most forensic anthropologists operate under an explicit assumption that ancestry is a critical part of the biological profile. Along with other estimated parameters, we produce an ancestry estimate that will be used by other people, often law enforcement, during the process of human identification. Putting aside the problem that in general we have not attempted to educate medicolegal stakeholders that skeletal ancestry and skin color indicating social race are not the same thing, we have been indoctrinated to the belief that the estimate of ancestry is necessary so that information from our report can be compared with various lists of missing people. But is this innocuous notion really true in all cases? How do we know—do the majority of forensic anthropologists follow-up on each and every case to find out whether the person was identified? We raise the question because abundant data demonstrate that not all cases of unidentified people are treated equally. Take for example the well-known “missing White women syndrome” (5, 6). Numerous reasons may prevent families from providing missing persons reports, and it is understood that bias exists in how such cases are investigated and ultimately resolved. By extension, therefore, we raise the possibility that unidentified decedents in some cases may be subjected to inadequate investigative efforts after forensic anthropologists provide an opinion that an ancestry estimate is anything other than European-descended. As a result, a fundamental purpose of forensic anthropology—the positive identification of unknown human remains—could be obstructed or halted by this information we provide. This paradox—that racial bias on the part of investigators may hinder identification efforts when a major goal of forensic anthropology is to help get people identified—has never been investigated to our knowledge. In bringing up these points to the forensic anthropological community in the United States, we hope that our comments spur significant reflection and discussion among colleagues with vested interest in the discipline. We fully expect that not all readers will agree with our thoughts about morphoscopic traits, and we predict the critique of “well, it works.” We remind readers of the adage to which all scientists are beholden: just because you can, does not mean you should. However, as the idiom goes, old habits die hard. Therefore, we urge our colleagues to undertake a critical reflection of physical anthropology's history to include its past contribution to racist systems and structures persisting today which have led to the premature deaths of countless people of color (ironically, a large number of whom become part of our forensic caseload); and the fact that we have failed scientifically to even attempt to discover the evolutionary and ecogeographic histories of morphoscopic traits. It is only with acknowledgement and reflection on this context that productive conversations can ensue. As for the second major point, all forensic anthropologists have an ethical obligation to ensure that our reported analysis does not hinder the identification process. We make an urgent call for research into if and how positive identification rates are impacted by the inclusion of an ancestry estimate in the report. Convince us that such estimates, when those are for descendants of African, Asian, Indigenous, or Latin American people, do not lessen the chance for identification. Until and unless that is possible, we call for the elimination of all ancestry estimates in forensic anthropological reports. Along with the medicolegal community, we should therefore commit to achieving identifications based on the other parameters we estimate. Ultimately, as anthropologists and as citizens, we strive for the day when forensic anthropology provides more than lip service to the debunked biological race concept by actively ceasing and desisting with activities that substantiate it in the public consciousness. If we do not have these conversations now, will we ever?

Biological anthropologists encounter skeletonized remains of modern humans and our ancestors from time periods spanning thousands of millennia and from almost all geographic regions of the world. Discoveries range from fossilized remains of extinct Pliocene hominins like “Lucy” and “Ardi,” to more historic mortuary contexts only a few centuries removed from the present day. In addition, some biological anthropologists routinely encounter skeletal remains from modern forensic contexts and are required to perform analyses relevant to the process of human identification. In all of these cases, and countless other examples drawn from biological anthropology, sex is a primary piece of information that researchers seek to tease out from the skeletonized remains on their laboratory table. In this chapter, we discuss why paleoanthropologists, bioarchaeologists, and forensic anthropologists are interested in estimating sex from skeletal remains and the limitations they each face in doing so.