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This paper discusses 6 trepanned skulls from central Poland, dating from the late Neolithic (3,000-2,800 BC) to early modern times (18th century AD). Four of them come from a small area in and around the town of Brześć Kujawski in Kujawy, a region of long-lasting and intense human settlement in Poland. The analysed skulls provide striking evidence for the long history of trepanation in this part of Europe. Three surgical techniques were used: sawing, scraping, and drilling, either on their own or in combination with one another. Regardless of the method, all the trepanations were fully healed, which proves long-term survival of the patients. All skulls belonged to adult males, who were generally at a higher risk of trauma in the populations from which 4 of the specimens derive. The studied skulls demonstrate a marked evolution in trepanation practices over time. Trepanations from the late medieval and early modern times tend to be smaller, less life threatening, and clearly made for therapeutic purposes to remedy cranial injuries. The remarkable skills of the surgeons who performed them could be linked to the influence of the renowned Danzig Anatomical School in Gdańsk, which was one of the leading centres of medical and anatomical research in northern and central Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Manifestations of periodontitis, the destructive form of periodontal disease affecting the alveolar bone, are often clearly recognizable in archaeological human remains. Analysis of this disease allows to obtain data not only about biological condition but also diet and nutrition of past populations. The objective of this paper was to asses periodontitis in the Polish urban population of Brześć Kujawski during Medieval – Modern transition (14th–17th centuries AD). An attempt was also made to explain the relationship between atrophy of alveolar bones and the type of diet. Lowering of alveolar crests was diagnosed based on measurements of the cementoenamel junction and the alveolar crest edge (CEJ– AC) distance and morphology of the alveolar edge. In studied population periodontitis affected 77.1% of individuals and 41.4% of all alveoli. Frequency, intensity and severity of the disease was higher in males and increased with the individual’s age. Severity of alveolar destruction was associated with dental calculus accumulation. It seems that a high prevalence of the disease may be, among others, result of carbohydrate-rich diet and fragmented food. Sex differences could be related to differences in diet (especially in protein intake) and hormone levels or lack of oral hygiene in part of the population.