Paleobiologia di un campione scheletrico tardoantico proveniente dal complesso paleocristiano di San Giusto

Palaeobiology of a late antique skeletal sample from the Early Christian complex of San Giusto (V-VII century A.D., Lucera - Foggia) The cemetery area of San Giusto archaeological complex, especially the funerary basilica, seems to be a selective cemeterybecause of its considerable prevalence of male tombs, probable due to cultural reasons. The comparison of these samples with other skeleton remains proves that the samples in San Giusto cemetery have a moderate incidence of a porous hyperostosis and a tooth-socket pathology such as tooth caries, P.I.V., abscess, tooth usury and tartar. The specimen presents a high frequency of tibial periostitis caused by the lack of vitamins and by frequenting natural untilled and uncultivated places. It’s important to point out the palaeopathology cases: one case of brucellosis, one case of salmonellas, one case of suspicious meningitis and one case of rhino-maxillary syndrome, a possible precursory of the leprosy. The sample study also points out some hereditary diseases as for example a probable Gardner colon polyposis and a probable skull-facial dysmorphism. Individuals from different burial areas show a diversification based on demography, onthe incidence of skeletal and tooth indicators of stress, on palaeopathology. All the specimens, without distinction between female and male, reveal intense muscle-skeletal activity, as from the cross sectional geometry; in particular there is a lower limb heavy activity caused by the high mobility of these individuals on the territory. As Piano San Giovanni at Canosa and Herdonia, also San Giusto has different individuals characterised by the cranial metric morphology of the Mongolian typology (Huns, Avars, Bulgarians).There are also some cases of intentional cranial deformation as those documented by Kiszeli in the gothic and Lombard cemeteries in Italy and Middle-Europe.