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'Obertová Z, Thurzo M, 2004: Cribra orbitalia as an Indicator of Stress in the Early Medieval Slavic Population from Borovce (Slovakia). Anthropologie (Brno) 42, 2: 189-194'. |
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| Abstract | | Several paleopathological indicators examined in skeletons are caused by stress during childhood and remain visible in adults. In this study, the prevalence and distribution of cribra orbitalia was observed in 451 individuals from the Early Medieval (8th - beginning of 12th c. AD) skeletal series at Borovce (Piešany District, Slovakia). Three hundred forty-two skulls were scored for the presence of cribra orbitalia. Almost half of the individuals with one or both orbits present displayed cribra orbitalia. The number of subadults (0-19 years old) with the orbital lesions was significantly higher than that of adults. No significant differences in the occurrence of orbital lesions were found between males and females. Demographic analysis revealed a significantly lower life expectancy at birth for individuals with cribra orbitalia than for those without this disorder. It has been shown that the high prevalence of cribra orbitalia and underlying iron deficiency anaemia has had a severe impact on the surviving of individuals especially during periods of rapid growth and development. The results show that the Borovce population lived under conditions of high environmental pathogen load, and probably also suffered some nutritional deficiencies. | | | | Keywords | | Skeletal remains - Orbital lesions - Middle Ages - Paleodemography - Slovakia | | |
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