The Early Mediaeval manorial estate of Gars/Thunau, Lower Austria

Autor(en)

Maria Teschler-Nicola, Friederike Novotny, Michaela Spannagl-Steiner, Peter Stadler, Thomas Prohaska, Johanna Irrgeher, Andreas Zitek, Barbara Däubl, Elisabeth Haring, Kerstin Rumpelmayr, Eva Maria Wild

Abstrakt

In recent decades, an increasing number of studies have aimed to shed

light on the origin and spread of tuberculosis in past human

populations. Here we present the results of a systematic

palaeodemographic and palaeopathological survey of the Early Mediaeval

population of Gars/Thunau (Lower Austria), which – at this stage –

includes 373 individuals recovered at two archaeological sub-sites: a

fortified settlement (including a necropolis) at the top of a hill –

probably reserved for social and military elites; and a large riverine

settlement at the foot of the hill, a so-called ‘suburbium’, where

burials and an area of ‘industrial’ character were discovered. We

recorded a great number of pathological alterations and a variety of

‘classical’ features of tuberculosis, such as vertebral destructions

(Pott's disease) and joint destructions, and other pathological

(unspecific) features probably linked with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

infection (e.g. new bone formation at the inner surface of the ribs,

endocranial alterations in the form of ‘pits’, and new bone formation at

the cranial base). We hypothesize that the two contemporaneous

(∼900–1000 AD) populations of Gars/Thunau differed not only in their

social affiliation/condition, but also in the type and frequencies of

their population-density-related infectious diseases (in particular

tuberculosis). Moreover, we investigated the molecular genetic evidence

of the causative organism in a few selected immatures exhibiting

pathological changes at the inner wall of the cranium and discuss these

findings in regard to the macroscopic features observed. Finally, we

analysed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of both populations and

strontium isotope ratios of the hill-top inhabitants in order to

reconstruct certain aspects of diet and mobility to test our hypothesis

concerning the specific social and/or military character of the site.

Organisation(en)

Isotopenphysik

Externe Organisation(en)

Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NHM), Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Journal

Tuberculosis

Band

95

Seiten

S51-S59

Anzahl der Seiten

9

ISSN

1472-9792

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.017

Publikationsdatum

06-2015

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103014 Kernphysik, 601009 Historische Hilfswissenschaften, 106056 Biologische Anthropologie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Microbiology (medical), Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Immunology

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 – Gesundheit und Wohlergehen

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/the-early-mediaeval-manorial-estate-of-garsthunau-lower-austria(caff944d-67de-4ff9-a280-8a8eb6998aa2).html