Books by Katharina Fuchs
Interdisciplinary analysis of the cemetery Kudachurt 14. Evaluating indicators of social inequality, demography, oral health and diet during the Bronze Age key period 2200-1650 BCE in the Northern Caucasus
Representing both a barrier and a corridor between the Eurasian and Asian continents, the Caucasu... more Representing both a barrier and a corridor between the Eurasian and Asian continents, the Caucasus has constituted the setting for various socio-economic transformations throughout prehistory. The transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age in the Northern Caucasus is a period characterised by a shift from pastoral lifeways in the steppe to sedentary lifestyles in the high mountains, and the change from hierarchical to egalitarian societies. In this context, this book provides basic scientific research on social inequality, demography, oral health, and diet of humans that lived between 2200-1650 BCE in the central North Caucasian foothills. Due to the outstanding preservation of its archaeological and human remains, the cemetery Kudachurt 14 represents a hitherto missing link for a transformative period in this region. Archaeologically, the heterogeneity of the burial remains appears as a melting pot of different cultural phenomena, but showing strong typological affiliation to the so-called North Caucasian culture of the high mountain area. Furthermore, biological and ritual evidence confirms often-stated gender concepts and expression of differences in social status. Individuals suffered from poor oral health due to the occupational use of their teeth and high caries prevalence occurred among both adolescents and adults. Together with information from C and N stable isotopes, the data provide evidence for early agricultural practices in a mixed subsistence economy. While social inequality is prominent in the burial context, it is not displayed in oral health and dietary trends. This indicates rather similar living conditions for individuals from different socio-ritual statuses. The presented doctoral research delivers the first comprehensive data collection and investigation that combines burial, osteological, palaeopathological, and stable isotope information, and achieves a connection between the living and the dead in this time and place.
Der schnurkeramische Bestattungskomplex von Remstädt, Kreis Gotha. Archäologie, Anthropologie und kleinregionaler Kontext im südwestlichen Thüringer Becken.
Papers by Katharina Fuchs
PLOS ONE, 2024
We present an interdisciplinary analysis of finds from the Trypillia settlement of Kosenivka, Ukr... more We present an interdisciplinary analysis of finds from the Trypillia settlement of Kosenivka, Ukraine (ca. 3700-3600 BCE, Trypillia C1-2), that links information on human, faunal, and botanical remains with archaeological data to provide exceptionally detailed insights into life and death at a giant Trypillia settlement. We obtained osteological, palaeopathological, morphological and histotaphonomic data from human bone fragments; performed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analysis of human and animal bone to calculate food webs; modelled newly generated radiocarbon dates to refine the site's chronology; and contextualised the finds within the phenomenon of a general lack of human remains in Early and Middle Trypillia times through a literature review. Regarding the sphere of life, the biological profile of seven identified individuals reconstructed from the highly fragmented and partially burnt bones represents a demographic cross-section of the population. We documented disease symptoms common in the Chalcolithic and two cases of perimortem cranial trauma. Furthermore, food web calculations demonstrate the large contribution of cereals to the protein component of the human diet, which is supported by dental observations. We suggest that livestock were a major manure producer for crop cultivation, while meat contributed less than 10% to the human diet. Regarding the sphere of death, multidisciplinary data suggest a deadly fire event as one probable scenario for the formation of the Kosenivka find assemblage. This could be a rare example that sheds light on household size in prehistoric times. Furthermore, it adds to the extremely small number of human bone finds in Early and Middle Trypillia sites (A-C1), preceding the shift to extramural burials in its late phase (C2) in some regions. Altogether, our results indicate the huge explanatory potential that has yet to be unlocked in the rare and often poorly preserved bioarchaeological archives of the Cucuteni-Trypillia phenomenon.
Was die Schädel erzählen. Die menschlichen Skelettfunde von Oldenburg in Holstein LA 265.
Archäologische Nachrichten aus Schleswig-Holstein, 2021
Preprint, 2023
We present an interdisciplinary analysis of finds from the Trypillia settlement of Kosenivka, Ukr... more We present an interdisciplinary analysis of finds from the Trypillia settlement of Kosenivka, Ukraine (ca. 3700-3600 BCE, Trypillia C1), that links information on human, faunal, and botanical remains with archaeological data to provide exceptionally detailed insights into life and death at a Trypillia mega-site. We obtained osteological, palaeopathological, and histotaphonomic data from human bone fragments; performed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analysis of human and animal bone to calculate food webs with the software FRUITS; and modelled newly generated radiocarbon dates to refine the site's chronology.
Authors: Katharina Fuchs, Robert Hofmann, Liudmyla Shatilo, Frank Schlütz, Susanne Storch, Vladislav Chabanyuk, Wiebke Kirleis, Johannes Müller
We combine the results of a radiocarbon (14C) dating program with archaeogenetic, osteological an... more We combine the results of a radiocarbon (14C) dating program with archaeogenetic, osteological and sparse stratigraphic data, to construct a Bayesian chronological model for a multi-generational sequence situated entirely on a plateau in the 14C calibration curve. Calibrated dates of individual human bones from the Late Neolithic gallery grave at Niedertiefenbach, Hesse, Germany, span the entire calibration plateau in the late 4th millennium (ca. 3350–3100/3000 cal BC), but our model restricts the overall period of burial to 3–6 generations centered on the later 3200s, and provides narrower absolute date ranges for specific individuals and associated events. We confirm the accuracy and robustness of this model by sensitivity tests of each of its components. Beyond providing a more dynamic narrative for the formation of the heterogenous burial population at Niedertiefenbach, our results show that calibration plateaus are suitable periods for Bayesian chronological modeling of even re...
Infectious diseases and Neolithic transformations: Evaluating biological and archaeological proxies in the German loess zone between 5500 and 2500 BCE
The Holocene
It is a common assumption that – compared with the Mesolithic – the adoption of Neolithic lifeway... more It is a common assumption that – compared with the Mesolithic – the adoption of Neolithic lifeways was accompanied by a higher risk of infection and the development of epidemic diseases. Such a hypothesis seems plausible when considering singular archaeological parameters like increasing population density and palaeopathological indicators of poor health. However, evidence for the far-reaching consequences of epidemics has not yet been examined. Thus, the relevance of infectious diseases as triggers for transformation processes in the Neolithic remains to be identified. By reviewing specific archaeological, genetic and palaeopathological proxies gained from groups of individuals that inhabited the German loess zone from the early to the final Neolithic, we provide a diachronic view of the periods between 5500 and 2500 BCE with regard to postulated indicators of epidemic events. Our analyses of the archaeological proxies suggest major transformations in domestic strategies and mortua...
Objective: This study discusses the challenges and possibilities of establishing a definition for... more Objective: This study discusses the challenges and possibilities of establishing a definition for Ancient Rare Diseases (ARD) in a probable case of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (LCPD) from the Bronze Age cemetery Kudachurt 14, situated in the Northern Caucasus. Materials: We investigated the skeletal remains of a male aged 35-45 years at death. For comparison we examined other males buried at Kudachurt 14 (n = 24) and reviewed 22 LCPD cases from the paleopathological literature. Methods: We use macroscopic as well as osteometric examination methods and imaging techniques. Results: The morphology of the left hip joint corresponds to skeletal characteristics for LCPD. Co-occurring osteochondrosis dissecans, femoral anteversion, and atrophy of the left femoral shaft suggest a complex disease course. Conclusions: Modern criteria of rare diseases applied on ancient skeletal remains are either non-transferable or require completion. We conclude that rarity is dynamic, etiological uncertainty has to be accepted, and the respective socioeconomic context is crucial. Degree of disability and level of sociomedical investment are not defining criteria for ARD. Significance: Dating 2200-1650 cal BCE, this study currently presents the earliest case of probable LCPD. This is the first attempt to transform modern characteristics of rare diseases for establishing a paleopathological concept of ARD. Limitations: As this study is limited to LCPD, our conclusions are not directly applicable to other ARD in question. Suggestions for further research: More focused paleopathological research on skeletal populations from different cultures and time periods is needed, enabling an evolutionary perspective on the comparability of ancient, modern and future rare diseases.
Infectious diseases and Neolithic transformations: Evaluating biological and archaeological proxies in the German loess zone between 5500 and 2500 BCE
The Holocene, 2019
It is a common assumption that – compared with the Mesolithic – the adoption of Neolithic lifeway... more It is a common assumption that – compared with the Mesolithic – the adoption of Neolithic lifeways was accompanied by a higher risk of infection and the development of epidemic diseases. Such a hypothesis seems plausible when considering singular archaeological parameters like increasing population density and palaeopathological indicators of poor health. However, evidence for the far-reaching consequences of epidemics has not yet been examined. Thus, the relevance of infectious diseases as triggers for transformation processes in the Neolithic remains to be identified. By reviewing specific archaeological, genetic and palaeopathological proxies gained from groups of individuals that inhabited the German loess zone from the early to the final Neolithic, we provide a diachronic view of the periods between 5500 and 2500 BCE with regard to postulated indicators of epidemic events. Our analyses of the archaeological proxies suggest major transformations in domestic strategies and mortuary practices, especially in the middle and late Neolithic. Interestingly, mass burials indicative of epidemic events are lacking. Ancient DNA results on pathogens confirm single infections throughout the Neolithic, but there is no clear evidence for diseases of epidemic proportions. The osteological records are not conclusive since the majority of osseous changes are unspecific with regard to the cause and course of infections. We conclude that currently neither biological nor archaeological proxies suggest substantial contributions of epidemics to Neolithic transformations in the German loess zone. This finding contrasts with the general assumption of a higher risk of infection and the development of epidemic diseases during the Neolithic.
Sekundäre Deponierung von Menschenresten in einem Megalithgrab des Langbettes Flintbek LA 3, Kr. Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein
Salzmünde – Regel oder Ausnahme? Salzmünde – rule or exception? Tagungen des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale). Internationale Tagung vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2012, 2017
This article discusses Dolmen II of the long barrow Flintbek LA 3, in the district of Rendsburg-E... more This article discusses Dolmen II of the long barrow Flintbek LA 3, in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, northern Germany. The burial layer here is well preserved due to the collapse of one of the orthostats which is thought to have occurred already during its use in the early Neolithic Funnel Beaker period. This paper focuses on the finds from this site. Among them are a pointed butted axe with an oval section and human bones from at least two subadult and two adult indivduals. Thanks to the undisturbed in situ situation, the skeletal remains can be interpreted as a secondary deposit. This is confirmed by the disarticulated position of the bones, by traces of fire on some of the bones and teeth which originated from outside the chamber as well as by some typological and absolute dating evidence. The undisturbed find situation provides important insight into the burial ritual of early Funnel Beaker times.
Im vorliegenden Artikel wird der Dolmen II aus dem Langbett Flintbek LA 3, Lkr. Rendsburg-Eckernförde, vorgestellt. Durch einen während der Benutzungszeit des Megalithgrabs in der frühneolithischen Trichterbecherkultur verstürzten Orthostaten blieben ein spitznackiges Felsovalbeil sowie Menschenknochenfragmente von mindestens zwei subadulten und zwei adulten Individuen erhalten. Die Skelettfunde werden detailliert vorgestellt. Dank der ungestörten Befundsituation lassen sich die Funde als sekundäre Deponierung interpretieren. Gestützt wird die Aussage durch die disartikulierte Lage der Knochen, an einigen Knochen und Zähnen nachweisbare Brandspuren, die außerhalb der Kammer entstanden sind, sowie aufgrund typochronologischer und absolutchronologischer Indizien. Die ungestörte Erhaltung des Befundes liefert einen wichtigen Hinweis zum Totenritual der frühen Trichterbecherzeit.
Niedertiefenbach. Ein Galeriegrab der spätneolithischen Wartberggruppe südwestlich von Niedertiefenbach
The gallery grave from Niedertiefenbach is a remarkable site in the German Mittelgebirge, dating ... more The gallery grave from Niedertiefenbach is a remarkable site in the German Mittelgebirge, dating to the Late Neolithic late Wartberg. It is unique in that it contains a stratified sequence of at least 177 individuals. A new and extensive series of radiocarbon dates indicates that the burial is older than previously published and allows the modelling of a sequence of burials between 3350 and 2900 cal BC. A new palaeopathological analysis, at present only carried out on the skulls, shows a high rate of disease with many inflammatory processes. However, a healed trepanation on the skull of a child also provides evidence of special medical knowledge and health care. First results of analyses of ancient DNA using high-frequency sequencing (HTS) indicate that mitochondrial DNA of haplogroups U5 and X2 was present. The first use of a CAD-CAM computer system (CEREC) provides a detailed assessment of the morphological and pathological characteristics of the teeth and jaws and the data for subsequent metric statistical analysis.
Das Galeriegrab von Niedertiefenbach stellt einen besonderen Befund der späten Wartberggruppe im Neolithikum der Deutschen Mittelgebirgsschwelle dar; nur hier findet sich ein in zehn Straten geborgenes Bestattungskollektiv von mindestens 177 Individuen. Eine umfangreiche Serie von Radiokarbondatierungen belegt ein wesentlich höheres Alter des Grabes als bisher publiziert und erlaubt die Modellierung einer Bestattungssequenz zwischen 3.350 und 2.900 cal BC. Eine neue paläopathologische Untersuchung, vorerst nur an den Schädeln vorgenommen, zeigt einen hohen Krankenstand mit zahlreichen entzündlichen Prozessen. Mit einer verheilten Trepanation bei einem Kind wird aber zugleich auch ein besonderes Wissen im Bereich der medizinischen Versorgung deutlich. Erste Analysen zur aDNA mittels Hochfrequenzsequenzierung (HTS) belegen die Anwesenheit mitochondrialer DNA mit den Haplogruppen U5 und X2. Der erstmalige Einsatz eines CAD/CAM-Computersystems (CEREC) bietet eine detaillierte Erfassung morphologischer und pathologischer Merkmale an den Zähnen und Kiefern mit noch folgender metrisch-statistischer Analyse.
La sépulture à galerie de Niedertiefenbach est un site remarquable appartenant au groupe de Wartberg tardif du Néolithique récent situé dans la moyenne montagne allemande (Mittelgebirge). Ce site est le seul à posséder une séquence stratifiée d’inhumations représentant au moins 177 individus. Une nouvelle série de datations radiocarbone démontre que le site est plus ancien qu’autrefois publié et elle permet la modélisation des inhumations entre 3350 et 2900 cal BC. Une nouvelle analyse paléo-pathologique, à l’heure actuelle concernant seulement les crânes, démontre un taux élevé de maladies y compris de nombreux cas d’inflammation. Cependant une trépanation guérie sur le crâne d’un enfant suggère qu’il existait aussi une certaine connaissance de la médecine et des soins à prodiguer. Les premiers résultats de l’analyse par séquençage haut débit (HTS) de l’ADN ancien indiquent la présence des haplogroupes U5 et X2 dans l’ADN mitochondrial. L’application pionnière du système CEREC en dentisterie numérique (logiciel CAD-CAM) permet d’évaluer en détail la morphologie et la pathologie de la dentition et de la mâchoire, tout en jetant les bases pour une analyse statistique ultérieure.
Anthropologische Gutachten der menschlichen Skelettfunde der trichterbecherzeitlichen Fundplätze Oldenburg-Dannau (LA 77) und Wangels (LA 69).
Megalithanlagen und Siedlungsmuster im trichterbecherzeitlichen Holstein. Jan Piet Brozio, Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung, 2016
Die menschlichen Skelettreste aus dem spätneolithischen Grab von Quern-Neukirchen LA 28 (Tegelbarg), Kreis Schleswig-Flensburg
Offa. Berichte und Mitteilungen zur Urgeschichte, Frühgeschichte und Mittelalterarchäologie, 2014
In: N. Müller ‐ Scheeßel (Hrsg.) „Irreguläre“ Bestattungen in der Urgeschichte: Norm, Ritual, Strafe ...? Internationale Tagung, Frankfurt a. Main, 3.–5. Februar 2012 (2013).
Malnutrition in the Bronze Age – Scurvy in populations from the Northern Caucasus.
Conference Presentations by Katharina Fuchs
The Liaison of Age And Disease in Paleopathology - Symposium
Conference: 49th Annual North American Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Denver, Colorado / Hybrid, 2022
Biological age at-death, especially of an adult skeleton, is challenging to estimate and yet it r... more Biological age at-death, especially of an adult skeleton, is challenging to estimate and yet it represents an essential element of bioarcheaological, paleopathological and paleoepidemiological studies. As disease and biological stress substantially affect bone ageing, there is no doubt that age-at-death estimates are also influenced by these factors, or even rely on them. At the same time, increasing age is known to be correlated with elevated risk of disease development. Moreover, accumulation of pathological lesions in the skeletal body through the course of life provides evidence for suffered, and often survived, physiological stress. Based on the principle of the osteological paradox, pathological profiles and mortality of skeletal populations build the foundation for exploring disease burden, frailty and immunological resilience across time and space. Thus, awareness of the complex interactions between age and pathology is imperative when assessing any osteological findings. Complexity and significance of this matter is nothing new in our academic field. There is, however, an urgent need to revive the discussion on an interdisciplinary platform. The main goal of this symposium is to raise awareness of the existing challenges and opportunities for improving our scientific practice in the context of the intricate and bilateral interaction between skeletal age and pathology by facilitating and furthering a discussion on: • New methods and approaches for adult age-at-death estimation • Impact of specific disease/stress types on bone turnover and skeletal phenotypes • Case studies: correlation of age markers, pathology, and diagnostic phenotypes. E.g., which age indicators are most susceptible? • Methods concerning identification and evaluation of the complex interaction between bone ageing and stress • Delimitation of the parameter disease in relation to other influential variables such as sex, nutrition, genetic disposition, and biocultural context • Creation of new transdisciplinary avenues and protocols which include bone pathology in age estimates on both individual and population levels
A Neolithic special: The headless dead from Vráble, Slovakia (5250-4950 BCE)
Conference: 92nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, 2023
7300 years ago, a new variant of the Neolithic way of life was established in Central Europe, arc... more 7300 years ago, a new variant of the Neolithic way of life was established in Central Europe, archaeologically known as Linear Potter Culture (LBK). In village communities founded on the fertile loess soil, the first farmers established a fully agricultural economy. Burials and depositions of human remains generally witness certain norms in ritual and social practice. Nevertheless, skeletal remains from mass graves with signs of lethal violence or special treatment of the bodies give food for thoughts that sociopolitical crises, warfare, or ritual killings could have resulted from increasing socioeconomic pressure among these societies. Stemming from a long-term project, we present a new and unique case in this respect: the dead of the settlement site Vráble, Slovakia. Here, three settlements with 313 houses agglomerated at a relatively small area, which is already exceptional for the LBK. A special feature are the 73 individuals, most of which have been found in a ditch surrounding one of the villages. 45 of them were headless, with a concentration of 37 individuals in the same ditch area. According to the recent state of research, the paper focuses on (1) presenting archaeological as well as first osteological results including taphonomic aspects and evidence of manipulation and violence, (2) discussing scenarios for that find by comparing it to other LBK exceptional cases, and (3) reflecting on the significance of head removals in the context of death. This research has been conducted in the scope of the CRC 1266 ‘Scales of transformation’ at Kiel University, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG – Projektnummer 290391021 – SFB 1266).
Außergewöhnlich? Menschliche Skelettfunde aus dem „Oldenburger Graben“ in Schleswig-Holstein (4000-2000 BC)
13. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Archäozoologie und Prähistorische Anthropologie e.V., 2022
Aktuelles zu menschlichen Knochenfunden des Neolithikums in Schleswig-Holstein, Norddeutschland.
That's just full of holes! Critical exploration of PSL phenotypes and their paleopathological significance: Two case studies from Neolithic Northern Germany
Conference: Porous Skeletal Lesions. Achievements and future directions. International meeting July 7-8, Coimbra, Portugal, 2023
Working within the research framework of the CRC 1266 “Scales of Transformation”, we are interest... more Working within the research framework of the CRC 1266 “Scales of Transformation”, we are interested in diseases and biological stress as proxies for socioeconomic transformations in prehistory. Herewith we present a critical approach to the evidence for Porous Skeletal Lesions. Our research project focuses on two neolithic groups (ca. 3300-3100 cal BCE) from Northern Germany, sites of Sorsum (MNI: 106, farming lifestyle) and Ostorf (MNI: 36, aquatic foragers). Due to restricted access and the commingled nature of the bone collections, our study concentrates on the cranial regions. Here, PSL of the vault and cribra orbitalia occurred frequently and in a phenotypic broad spectrum. Preliminary analyses such as scoring presence/absence of the lesions show significantly higher occurrence at Sorsum than at Ostorf. The intrasite distribution raises questions on different subsistence strategies at the two sites during the Neolithic. Thus, we tested co-occurrence and correlation between the porotic lesions and a set of endocranial changes (periosteal appositions, abnormal blood vessels impressions, abnormally pronounced digital impressions, and granular impressions) to explore patterns in phenotypes, co-morbidities, and etiologies (e.g., biological stress, inflammation). This poster provides a timely contribution to the debate on the heterogeneous class of porous bone changes, calling for more awareness of their pathophysiological pathways in paleopathological praxis. Furthermore, we discuss methodological biases and resolution limits of non-specific indicators, such as PSL, as well as the potential of interdisciplinary approaches involving aDNA and stable isotope analysis.
Authored by Emmanuele Petiti, Daria Moser, Detlef Jantzen, Florian Klimscha, Katharina Fuchs
Poster: How to face the challenge: Skeletal disease burden in Neolithic collective graves in Germany
Due to their collective burial customs, Late Neolithic cultures in Central and Western Europe pre... more Due to their collective burial customs, Late Neolithic cultures in Central and Western Europe present a unique challenge to bioarchaeologists. Intermingled, highly fragmented remains prevent the reconstruction of osteobiographies, impeding the assessment of the individual disease burden. Thus, our approach focuses on specific skeletal elements. Its potential is illustrated on crania and cranial fragments (MNI 106) recovered from the Late Neolithic gallery grave of Sorsum (Middle Germany, ca. 3300-3100 BCE). All individuals underwent biological profiling as well as a detailed macrosopic examination of particular pathological changes: porotic lesions on the tabula externa (PTE) and the orbital roof and porotic lesions or irregular surfaces on sinus. Our preliminary results are: (1) The prevalence of these lesions is positively correlated with age-at-death (n=354; p<0.0001) and severe cases are observed more often in higher age (p<0.0001). (2) Acute lesions (26%; p<0.0001) are negatively correlated with age, while non-acute (64%; p<0.0001) lesions are posiviely correlated with age. (3) This age-dependent increase in prevalence, higher severity and healed lesions demonstrates that poor skeletal health is an unsuitable indicator for increased mortality risk. (4) The sex-specific anatomical distribution of PTE indicates socio-environmental or genetic factors influencing the occurence of this pathology (n=69: p<0.05). This approach provides a comparative and precise recording system for improving the evaluation of variations within and between populations. By following this strategy, we may be able to better understand the role of health and disease in the light of Neolithic transformations in Germany and beyond.
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Books by Katharina Fuchs
Papers by Katharina Fuchs
Authors: Katharina Fuchs, Robert Hofmann, Liudmyla Shatilo, Frank Schlütz, Susanne Storch, Vladislav Chabanyuk, Wiebke Kirleis, Johannes Müller
Im vorliegenden Artikel wird der Dolmen II aus dem Langbett Flintbek LA 3, Lkr. Rendsburg-Eckernförde, vorgestellt. Durch einen während der Benutzungszeit des Megalithgrabs in der frühneolithischen Trichterbecherkultur verstürzten Orthostaten blieben ein spitznackiges Felsovalbeil sowie Menschenknochenfragmente von mindestens zwei subadulten und zwei adulten Individuen erhalten. Die Skelettfunde werden detailliert vorgestellt. Dank der ungestörten Befundsituation lassen sich die Funde als sekundäre Deponierung interpretieren. Gestützt wird die Aussage durch die disartikulierte Lage der Knochen, an einigen Knochen und Zähnen nachweisbare Brandspuren, die außerhalb der Kammer entstanden sind, sowie aufgrund typochronologischer und absolutchronologischer Indizien. Die ungestörte Erhaltung des Befundes liefert einen wichtigen Hinweis zum Totenritual der frühen Trichterbecherzeit.
Das Galeriegrab von Niedertiefenbach stellt einen besonderen Befund der späten Wartberggruppe im Neolithikum der Deutschen Mittelgebirgsschwelle dar; nur hier findet sich ein in zehn Straten geborgenes Bestattungskollektiv von mindestens 177 Individuen. Eine umfangreiche Serie von Radiokarbondatierungen belegt ein wesentlich höheres Alter des Grabes als bisher publiziert und erlaubt die Modellierung einer Bestattungssequenz zwischen 3.350 und 2.900 cal BC. Eine neue paläopathologische Untersuchung, vorerst nur an den Schädeln vorgenommen, zeigt einen hohen Krankenstand mit zahlreichen entzündlichen Prozessen. Mit einer verheilten Trepanation bei einem Kind wird aber zugleich auch ein besonderes Wissen im Bereich der medizinischen Versorgung deutlich. Erste Analysen zur aDNA mittels Hochfrequenzsequenzierung (HTS) belegen die Anwesenheit mitochondrialer DNA mit den Haplogruppen U5 und X2. Der erstmalige Einsatz eines CAD/CAM-Computersystems (CEREC) bietet eine detaillierte Erfassung morphologischer und pathologischer Merkmale an den Zähnen und Kiefern mit noch folgender metrisch-statistischer Analyse.
La sépulture à galerie de Niedertiefenbach est un site remarquable appartenant au groupe de Wartberg tardif du Néolithique récent situé dans la moyenne montagne allemande (Mittelgebirge). Ce site est le seul à posséder une séquence stratifiée d’inhumations représentant au moins 177 individus. Une nouvelle série de datations radiocarbone démontre que le site est plus ancien qu’autrefois publié et elle permet la modélisation des inhumations entre 3350 et 2900 cal BC. Une nouvelle analyse paléo-pathologique, à l’heure actuelle concernant seulement les crânes, démontre un taux élevé de maladies y compris de nombreux cas d’inflammation. Cependant une trépanation guérie sur le crâne d’un enfant suggère qu’il existait aussi une certaine connaissance de la médecine et des soins à prodiguer. Les premiers résultats de l’analyse par séquençage haut débit (HTS) de l’ADN ancien indiquent la présence des haplogroupes U5 et X2 dans l’ADN mitochondrial. L’application pionnière du système CEREC en dentisterie numérique (logiciel CAD-CAM) permet d’évaluer en détail la morphologie et la pathologie de la dentition et de la mâchoire, tout en jetant les bases pour une analyse statistique ultérieure.
Conference Presentations by Katharina Fuchs
Authored by Emmanuele Petiti, Daria Moser, Detlef Jantzen, Florian Klimscha, Katharina Fuchs