Combining dental calculus with isotope analysis in the Alps: New evidence from the Roman and medieval cemeteries of Lamon, Italy

Fiorin, Elena; Moore, John V.; Montgomery, Janet; Lippi, Marta Mariotti; Nowell, Geoff; Forlin, Paolo

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2021.11.022

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Here, anti-contamination protocols were applied to prevent, or at least reduce, any possible laboratory contamination during the calculus decalcification procedures (see SI Appendix) . Next, the calculus was cleaned by removing soil deposits adhering to its surface using a method already established in previous research and improved during the MEDICAL project 13 , 51 (Fig. 1 c).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First archaeological evidence for ginger consumption as a potential medicinal ingredient in a late medieval leprosarium at St Leonard, Peterborough, England

Fiorin,

Roberts,

Baldoni

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Leprosy was one of the most outwardly visible diseases in the European Middle Ages, a period during which leprosaria were founded to provide space for the sick. The extant documentary evidence for leprosy hospitals, especially in relation to diet, therapeutic, and medical care, is limited. However, human dental calculus stands to be an important source of information as it provides insight into the substances people were exposed to and accumulated in their bodies during their lives. In the present study, microremains and DNA were analysed from the calculus of individuals buried in the late medieval cemetery of St Leonard, a leprosarium located in Peterborough, England. The results show the presence of ginger (Zingiber officinale), a culinary and medicinal ingredient, as well as evidence of consumption of cereals and legumes. This research suggests that affected individuals consumed ingredients mentioned in medieval medical textbooks that were used to treat regions of the body typically impacted by leprosy. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study which has identified Zingiber officinale in human dental calculus in England or on the wider European continent.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First archaeological evidence for ginger consumption as a potential medicinal ingredient in a late medieval leprosarium at St Leonard, Peterborough, England

Fiorin,

Roberts,

Baldoni

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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“…The dental calculus matrix was removed from the teeth following the protocol by Sabin and Fellow-Yates 98 . Decontamination and the extraction procedures for micro-debris were carried out following standard protocols as described by Cristiani et al 43,99 and Fiorin et al 100 , and were conducted in dedicated clean spaces under strict environmental monitoring of the DANTE-Diet and ANcient TEchnology laboratory of Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). The analysis of the microfossils was carried out using a Zeiss Imager2 polarised microscope (100×-630×) at the DANTE laboratory and a Leica DVM6 M digital microscope at the EvoAdapta Group.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The arrival of millets to the Atlantic coast of northern Iberia

González-Rabanal

Marín-Arroyo

Cristiani

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Despite being one of the most important crops in the recent prehistory of Eurasia, the arrival and exploitation of millets in the westernmost part of Europe are still largely underexplored. Here and for the first time, we report multipronged biomolecular evidence of millet consumption along the Atlantic façade of northern Iberia through a combination of radiocarbon dating, stable isotopes, and dental calculus analyses on the human individuals found in the burial site of El Espinoso cave (Asturias, Spain). The high-resolution chronological framework established for individuals placed the burials between 1235 and 1099 cal. BC. The discovery of high δ13C values on their bone collagen and the identification of polyhedral starch grains within their dental plaque underline the relevance of C4 plants in their diet and highlights the timing of the systematic consumption of millets in the Late Bronze Age. Our data support previous regional archaeobotanical evidence and establish a more precise chronology of the dispersal of millets into northern Iberia during the Bronze Age, becoming an essential crop until the arrival of maize from America after AD 1492. This study emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary methods to ascertain the origin and development of agricultural practices during recent prehistory.

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