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'Horňák M, Jarošová I, Rejdovianová Z, 2010: Demographic and environmental aspects of Early Bronze Age population at Melčice in Slovakia. Anthropologie (Brno) 48, 3: 255-269'. |
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| Abstract | | In this study 32 individuals from Melčice-Lieskové (District of Trenčín), in Western Slovakia were scored for basic anthropological features, including palaeodemographical aspects, body stature, palaeopathological aspects, prevalence of dental enamel hypoplasia (DEH), cribra orbitalia, dental caries, and buccal dental microwear patterns in order to discover basic characteristics of diet, and the extent of non-specific stressors (i.e. indicators of metabolic and nutritional disruptions) during the Early Bronze Age (16th-15th century BC, Maďarovce culture). The sample comprises four subadults (0-19 year-old), 25 adult individuals, and fragmentary human remains of four individuals with 268 permanent and 14 deciduous teeth. The mean estimated body stature in adult males was 167 cm, in females 160 cm. Palaeopathology aspects reveal the normal findings most frequently associated with degenerative changes in skeletons. Values of caries intensity were (7.0) and frequency (64.3). Higher values of caries intensity were found in males (7.5) than in the female population (6.9). These values showed lower caries intensity values within the examined Early Bronze Age population compared with previously studied skeletal samples from the Neolithic period in Moravia, Czech Republic. Dental enamel hypoplasia was present in high frequency (55.6%) compared to the Neolithic Moravian populations. In order to find out about dietary practices, buccal dental microwear analysis was carried out on individuals with well-preserved enamel i.e. on 11 adult individuals. The results of buccal microwear analyses showed a mixed diet with a relative high ratio of meat consumption. Overall anthropological analysis suggests low indicators of environmental stressors related to the prevalence of dental caries, pre-mortem tooth loss and palaeopathological aspects, even if quite high scores for prevalence of dental enamel hypoplasia were noticed. Reasonably high values of demographical scores and good nutritional status confirmed the general good state of the population's fitness and ability to cope non-specific stressors. | | | | Keywords | | Early Bronze Age - Demography - Body stature - Dental caries - Pre-mortem tooth loss - Dental Enamel Hypoplasia - Palaeopathological aspects - Buccal dental microwear - Diet - Western Slovakia | | |
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