Rodents as postmortem taphonomic agents in the forensic context can affect various analyses such as trauma interpretation, identification, or the recovery rate. While carnivore scavenging has been studied extensively due to its destructive nature, the potential of rodents to alter human remains is comparatively underrepresented in the literature, despite common involvement. We present thirteen cases of rodent taphonomy including exposed, buried and indoor-located remains. The rodents in these cases scavenged on soft and hard tissue, dispersed skeletal elements or associated objects, and/or used human remains for nesting purposes. We detail the challenges that arise from these rodent actions, but also highlight their potential for analyses in forensic practice. The cases mainly originate in European countries, while most previously reported cases originate in the USA. This study includes rarely documented examples of rodent taphonomic actions: rodent scavenging only a few hours after death, small rodents commingling bones of at least two foetal human individuals by integrating them into their nest, and a Eurasian beaver using a human cranium as building material for its lodge. Our study serves as a practical overview for forensic investigators of how rodent taphonomy can manifest in routine casework and where caution is required when analysing human remains.

The Early Iron Age in Italy was associated with the formation of pre-Roman cultural identities and increasingly differentiated social structures. Yet, the extent to which these transformations were reflected in diet, mobility, and embodied life experiences remains poorly understood. This study applies an explicitly multiproxy framework to investigate social differentiation at Novilara (central Italy, 8th-7th centuries BCE), one of the largest necropolises of the Picene cultural sphere. Specifically, it examines dietary patterns in this community and their intersections with funerary, developmental, and mobility-related dimensions. We analyse carbon delta 13C, nitrogen delta 15N, and sulphur delta 34S stable isotope values from bone collagen of 148 individuals of different sex and age classes. Isotopic data are then compared with sex, age at death, funerary treatment, and non-specific skeletal and dental markers of developmental stress using non-parametric tests, effect-size estimates, isotopic niche estimation, and multivariate exploratory analyses. Results indicate a predominantly terrestrial C3-based diet, variable access to animal protein, and a possible minor C4 plant contribution, with no evidence for substantial marine consumption. Differences in delta 13C and delta 15N between males and females suggest sex-related variation in access to dietary resources and/or lifestyle. By contrast, isotopic values show no consistent association with funerary variables or non-specific stress markers, and multivariate analyses reveal no discrete biological-funerary-dietary profiles. Moreover, delta 34S variability identifies a small number of individuals whose values differ from the local community range, suggesting that the exchange networks documented archaeologically at Novilara involved not only objects and ideas, but also people.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is an ubiquitously spread, exclusively human pathogen, mainly posing risks to children, as well as pregnant and immunocompromised individuals. Despite evidence of B19V infection of human populations as far back as 7,000 years, the evolutionary history of B19V remains poorly understood. In this study, we present B19V genomic data from the remains of 53 globally distributed individuals spanning more than 8,000 years, including 7 children. Our findings suggest that the most recent common ancestor of all present B19V lineages existed around 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age. Additionally, we identified an extinct Eurasian clade that participated in the recombination event that led to the emergence of B19V genotype 2 (GT-2). We date this event to ∼3,200-1,800 BP, potentially in the greater Mediterranean area. Our study shows aspects of how ancient parvovirus variants arose, disseminated, and impacted human health through time.

Vertebrate activity can significantly affect forensic investigations. Trauma interpretation is impaired when vertebrates scavenge on injuries and inflict damage, and scavengers can hinder the recovery of human remains through dispersal. However, forensic scavenging research is scarce in Europe and lacking for Switzerland. We conducted a 2-month baseline study followed by a 5-month experiment with six domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) carcasses in a Swiss forest during summer through fall. We monitored each three caged and uncaged carcasses with camera traps and documented vertebrate activities and taphonomic signatures on the remains and calculated the scavenging rate. Rodents (Apodemus sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, and Myodes glareolus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) scavenged and dispersed the remains. All carcasses and ca. 4% of the recovered bones exhibited scavenging marks, including wet bone scavenging (rodents) mainly on small bones and protruding features, and scoring (red fox) on a rib. The presence of a carcass, decomposition stage, sun exposure, and use of cages significantly influenced the number of vertebrate visits at the plots. Rodents preferentially scavenged caged, skeletonized remains at tree-covered plots and modified perimortem wounds beyond recognition. The few carnivore sightings focused on uncaged specimens. The generally low scavenger participation was likely season-related, due to the rapid maggot infestation, or human presence. Future studies should evaluate the influence of these variables, including sun exposure. Our study informs forensic casework by highlighting the importance of rodents and to a lesser degree foxes as vertebrate scavengers and dispersal agents in central European temperate forests.

The provenance and provenience of human remains in museum collections have long posed challenges due to historical practices of acquisition and often insufficient documentation. Here we present a multidisciplinary investigation into mummified remains from the Bern History Museum (BHM), Switzerland in order to elucidate the changing practices in museum anthropology. We use archival research, radiocarbon dating, bioanthropological analysis, and imaging techniques, to approach provenance and provenience. Despite comprehensive methods, uncertainty regarding provenience persists, underscoring the impact of historical exploitation on the integrity of archaeological knowledge. We emphasize the significance of revising terminologies in museum documentation to humanize mummified remains, promoting a respectful engagement with the past while addressing the complexities of their acquisition and preservation in a specific historical context. We show a potential process for addressing ethical concerns in handling and studying human remains in Switzerland, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration for scientifically robust and culturally sensitive research. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )

OBJECTIVE:To identify and describe skeletal remains showing features consistent with congenital iodine deficiency syndrome (CIDS), also known as "cretinism" and to explore whether this condition may have been underdiagnosed or if it is underrepresented in archaeological skeletal assemblages. MATERIALS:121 adult skeletons from the 19th/20th century former Riggisberg poorhouse cemetery. METHODS:The remains were studied macroscopically using standard osteological methods for the estimation of age, sex and stature. RESULTS:Features typical of CIDS were detected in four individuals, and for another six, we consider it a highly consistent diagnosis. The review of palaeopathological data from a comparative sample of 2314 archaeological skeletons revealed an underrepresentation of individuals with CIDS but also clues that previously undiagnosed cases may exist. CONCLUSIONS:We suggest that an underrepresentation in the archaeological record of endemic regions may be due to increased childhood mortality of affected individuals, difficulties in diagnosing this condition in immature skeletal remains, and - at least in the modern period - frequent institutionalization and burial in specific cemeteries belonging the institutions. SIGNIFICANCE:Several new cases of CIDS increase the small body of known affected remains and add to the knowledge about its skeletal manifestations. This study contributes to the differential diagnosis of a nearly eradicated disease and to its assessment in past populations. LIMITATIONS:Incompletely preserved skeletons limited the assessment and diagnosis. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:Further intensive review and precise assessment of skeletons is advised to explain archaeological underrepresentation of diseases.

The European Late Iron Age (ca. 5th-1st centuries BCE) is characterized by significant economic, social, and cultural transformations, including the development and intensification of cultural and economic networks. These features make the last centuries BCE relevant for the study of human territorial mobility and its demographic and social correlates. In this study, we investigate the frequency and nature of human mobility during the Late Iron Age in one of the central regions of the La Te`ne cultural sphere, the area that is now Switzerland. We further address the cultural factors that may have influenced the mobility patterns. Therefore, we analyze strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (518O) and sulfur (534S) isotopic ratios from dental enamel and bone collagen in a human skeletal dataset (N87Sr/86Sr = 101; N 518O = 90; N 534S = 121) representing various Swiss contexts dating to the last five centuries BCE. These isotopic data are contextualized using faunal and vegetation baselines and further explored for any demographic and funerary patterns. Results reveal spatial heterogeneity in the frequency of nonlocal individuals, suggesting that both long- and short-distance residential changes were influenced by regional political and economic differences across contexts. The absence of a correlation between geographic origin and sex suggests that specific residential rules may not have been prevalent in these communities. The lack of an association between isotopic variability and funerary treatment suggests that geographic origin held limited social significance compared to sex, socioeconomic status, and community membership. These findings enhance our understanding of the demographic and cultural processes in this geochronological region highlighting the complexities and challenges of estimating past mobility patterns and geographic origin using isotopic data.

Animal remains are a common find in prehistoric and protohistoric funerary contexts. While taphonomic and osteological data provide insights about the proximate (depositional) factors responsible for these findings, the ultimate cultural causes leading to this observed mortuary behavior are obscured by the opacity of the archaeological record and the lack of written sources. Here, we apply an interdisciplinary suite of analytical approaches (zooarchaeological, anthropological, archaeological, paleogenetic, and isotopic) to explore the funerary deposition of animal remains and the nature of joint human-animal burials at Seminario Vescovile (Verona, Northern Italy 3rd-1st c. BCE). This context, culturally attributed to the Cenomane culture, features 161 inhumations, of which only 16 included animal remains in the form of full skeletons, isolated skeletal parts, or food offerings. Of these, four are of particular interest as they contain either horses (Equus caballus) or dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)-animals that did not play a dietary role. Analyses show no demographic, dietary, funerary similarities, or genetic relatedness between individuals buried with animals. Isotopic data from two analyzed dogs suggest differing management strategies for these animals, possibly linked to economic and/or ritual factors. Overall, our results point to the unsuitability of simple, straightforward explanations for the observed funerary variability. At the same time, they connect the evidence from Seminario Vescovile with documented Transalpine cultural traditions possibly influenced by local and Roman customs.

Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, and human and animal skeletal remains. The relationship between the collapsed structure and the skeletal material, whether it indicates a potential accident or cultural practices, remains elusive. We evaluate the most plausible scenario for Cornaux based on osteological, taphonomic, isotopic, and paleogenomic analysis of the recovered individuals. The latter amount to at least 20 individuals, mostly adult males. Perimortem lesions include only blunt force traumas. Radiocarbon data fall between the 3rd and 1st c. BCE, although in some cases predating available dendrochronological estimates from the bridge. Isotopic data highlight five to eight nonlocals. No close genetic relatedness links the analyzed skeletons. Paleogenomic results, the first for Iron Age Switzerland, point to a genetic affinity with other Central and Western European Iron Age groups. The type of skeletal lesions supports an accidental event as the more plausible explanation. Radiocarbon data and the demographic structure of the sample may suggest a sequence of different events possibly including executions and/or sacrifices. Isotopic and paleogenomic data, while not favoring one scenario over the other, do support earlier interpretations of the last centuries BCE in Europe as a dynamic period from a biocultural perspective.

The total body score (TBS) is a visual scoring method to scale the succession of decomposition stages. It compares decomposition between cadavers, to connect it with external taphonomic factors and estimate the post-mortem interval. To study decomposition in various climatic environments, pigs are often used as human proxies. Currently, there is one TBS system by Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986) for surface-deposited domestic pigs, coming from South Africa. Our study aims to evaluate this method and analyze porcine decomposition in Central Europe to inform forensic research and casework. We conducted an experiment studying six 50 kg pig carcasses in a temperate Swiss forest. Three observers documented decomposition patterns and rated the decomposition stages from photographs based on the porcine TBS model by Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986). We documented discrepancies between the carcass decomposition of our specimens and those in the South African study, especially related to the high insect activity in our experiment. Furthermore, we noted factors complicating TBS scoring, including rainfall and scavengers. The agreement between TBS observers from photographs was in the highest agreement category apart from one "substantial agreement" category. Our study is the first in Europe to systematically test the Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986) method. The results evidence that regional adaptations are required to be applicable for other environments. We present a modified approach based on experimental observations in a Swiss temperate forest. The identification of regional decomposition patterns and drivers will inform future taphonomy research as well as forensic casework in comparable contexts in Central Europe.

Background Computed tomography (CT) scans are a convenient means to study 3D reconstructions of bones. However, errors associated with the different nature of the observation, e.g. visual and tactile (on dry bone) versus visual only (on a screen) have not been thoroughly investigated. Materials and methods We quantified the errors between modalities for sex estimation protocols of nonmetric (categorical and ordinal) and metric data, using 200 dry pelves of archaeological origin and the CT reconstructions of the same bones. In addition, we 3D surface scanned a subsample of 39 pelves to compare observations with dry bone and CT data. We did not focus on the sex estimation accuracy but solely on the consistency of the scoring, hence, the interchangeability of the modalities. Results Metric data yielded the most consistent results. Among the nonmetric protocols, ordinal data performed better than categorical data. We applied a slightly modified description for the trait with the highest errors and grouped the traits according to consistency and availability in good, intermediate, and poor. Discussion The investigated modalities were interchangeable as long as the trait definition was not arbitrary. Dry bone (gold standard) performed well, and CT and 3D surface scans performed better. We recommend researchers test their affinity for using virtual modalities. Future studies could use our consistency analysis and combine the best traits, validating their accuracy on various modalities.

In humans, breastfeeding and weaning depend on the infant’s needs and physiology but are also influenced by environmental and cultural factors. While infant feeding strategies vary across different regions and historical eras, the associated transition from breastmilk to solid foods is universally thought to be stressful. However, still little is known about infant feeding practices and possibly associated stress in former times. This also applies to the period of transition from classical antiquity to medieval times, which shaped modern Western civilization. To enhance the understanding of childhood nutrition and stress during this period, we first analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in serial dentine samples from the first molars of 38 individuals buried in the region once known as the Roman frontier province of Raetia secunda , now encompassing Southern Bavaria. In addition, we investigated the presence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), known to be a marker of unspecific physiological stress, within their dentition. We used this data to create isotope profiles that display dietary changes in comparison with the occurrence of LEH. We found highly variable δ 15 N and δ 13 C values and different shapes of isotope profiles which indicate different nutrition of breastfeeding individuals, complementary foods and post-weaning diets, and individual weaning patterns. For most individuals, the weaning process was completed between the ages of two and three. Interestingly, some females of non-local origin show longer weaning periods, likely displaying the influence of different cultural practices in other communities. We also found that LEH most frequently occurred in the post-weaning phase, which supports the assumption that children were at increased risk once breastfeeding had ceased completely. Furthermore, a change in the post-weaning diet in the seventh century coincided with an increased prevalence of LEH, indicating that the foods chosen or available during this time affected the susceptibility of children to stress. In conclusion, our study unveiled diverse infant feeding strategies practiced across various communities, both in different historical eras and geographical locations.

During the transition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire dissolved in the West and medieval empires were founded. There has been much discussion about the role that migration played in this transition. This is especially true for the formation of the Baiuvariian tribe and the founding of this tribal dukedom, which took place from the 5th to the 6th century in what is now Southern Bavaria (Germany). In this study, we aimed to determine the extent of immigration during the beginning of this transformation and to shed further light on its character. To achieve this goal, we analyzed stable isotope values of strontium, carbon, and nitrogen from the teeth and bones of over 150 human remains from Southern Germany, dating from around 500 AD. This group of individuals included women with cranial modifications (ACD) which can be found sporadically in the burial grounds of this period. Our results showed an above-average migration rate for both men and women in the second half of the 5th century. They also indicate that a foreign background may also be assumed for the women with ACD. The demonstrably different origins of the immigrants from isotopically diverse regions, and the identification of local differences in detectable migration rate, as well as indication for different timing of residential changes, highlight the complexity of immigration processes and the need for more studies at the regional level.

Although dozens of ancient Yersinia pestis genomes and a vast corpus of documentary data are available, the origin and spread of consecutive outbreaks of the Second Plague Pandemic in Europe (14th–18th c.) are still poorly understood. For the majority of ancient genomes, only radiocarbon dates spanning several decades are available, hampering an association with historically recorded plague outbreaks. Here, we present new genomic evidence of the Second Pandemic from 11 sites in England, Estonia, the Netherlands, Russia, and Switzerland yielding 11 Y. pestis genomes with >4-fold mean coverage dating to between 1349 and 1710. In addition, we present a novel approach for integrating the chronological information retrieved from phylogenetic analysis with their respective radiocarbon dates, based on a novel methodology offering more precise dating intervals. Together with a fine-grained analysis of documentarily recorded plague outbreaks, this allows us to tentatively associate all available Y. pestis genomes of the Second Pandemic with historically documented plague outbreaks. Through these combined multidisciplinary analytical efforts, our newly sequenced genomes can be attributed to the Black Death in Cambridge (England), the pestis tertia or pestis quarta in the late 14th century (Estonia), previously unknown branches emerging in the 15th century (Estonia, the Netherlands and England), and a widespread pandemic in Eastern Europe around 1500 (western Russia), which all seem to have originated from one or multiple reservoirs located in Central Europe. While the latter continued to harbour a major Y. pestis lineage at least until the 1630s, represented by new genomes of the Thirty Years’ War plague (Switzerland), another lineage consecutively spread into Europe between the 17th and 18th century from the Ottoman Empire, as evidenced by a genome associated with the Great Northern War plague (Estonia). By combining phylogenetic analysis with a systematic historical reconstruction based on textual sources and an innovative phylogenetically informed radiocarbon modelling (PhIRM), we offer a new groundbreaking interdisciplinary approach that solves several fundamental methodological challenges associated with phylogenetic and spatio-temporal reconstruction of historical pandemics.