Tracking of Infectious Diseases in Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) during the Bronze Age (ca. 3200-2200 BCE) through Anemic Signs Observed in Excavated Human Skeletons

Negar  Bizhani; Giorgia  Vincenti; Seyyed Mansur  Seyyed Sajjadi; Jean  Dupouy-Camet; Rouhollah  Shirazi; Mehdi  Nateghpour; Faranak  Kargar; Vahid  Shariati; Vahid  Shariati; Pier Francesco Fabbri; Gholamreza  Mowlavi

doi:10.18502/ijph.v53i6.15915

Negar Bizhani Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Giorgia Vincenti Cultural Heritage Department, Physical Anthropology Laboratory, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
Seyyed Mansur Seyyed Sajjadi Iranian Center for Archaeological Research (ICAR), Tehran, Iran
Jean Dupouy-Camet Parasitology-Mycology Department, Cochin Public Assistance Hospital Paris Hospitals, Paris Cité University, Paris, France
Rouhollah Shirazi Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
Mehdi Nateghpour Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Faranak Kargar Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Vahid Shariati National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
Vahid Shariati National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
Pier Francesco Fabbri Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria, via S. Egidio 21, 50122 Firenze, Italy
Gholamreza Mowlavi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i6.15915

Keywords: Paleopathology; Human remains; Ancient skeletons; Infectious diseases, Iran

Abstract

Background: The intriguing area of paleopathology merges the disciplines of archeology and biological studies. Using this line of research, it is possible to identify diseases that have left skeletal traces in the past. In addition, diseases such as various anemia that occur in childhood, when bone tissue is soft and retains evidence, can be identified in ancient bones. Cribra orbitalia (Co), cribra cranii (Cc), and porotic hyperostosis (Ph) were ancient skeletal remains' most common degenerative anomalies.

Methods: Shahr-i Sokhta dated back to 3200-1800 BCE, is the subject of our research; it is located in Sistan and Baluchistan province (Iran). The research was done on the archaeological data collected during the MAIPS expeditions at Shahr-i Sokhta (2017–2021) kept at the storage of the excavated materials on the site. The skeletal remains were examined for bone abnormalities such as Co, Cc, and Ph. These symptoms were analyzed to obtain traces of anemia-related diseases at this site. Data has been utilized following the Data Collection Codebook

Results: Ninety-six adults were studied while the anemic signs of CC and Co are respectively seen in 27/72 (37.5 %) and 10/57 (17; 5 %), and these samples have been kept for future analysis.

Conclusion: Bones may narrate a person's life, their gender and how old they were when they died besides the diseases they had. Some of the skeletons show signs of anemia, Classical paleopathology lets us to reconfirm studying diseases by further targeted sampling using molecular methods.