Palaeopathological Investigations Of Cremated Human Remains - Methodological And Comparative Study On The Example Of Traces Of Pathological Conditions In The Skull

This paper presents results of palaeopathological investigations carried out on a total of 133 cremation burials from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman Imperial Period from Germany, the Czech and the Slovak Republics and Turkey. With the fragments of the 118 skulls in total, the aim was to document, diagnose and examine pathological conditions as completely and extensively as possible. These were investigated macromorphologically and then further examined radio logically, scanning electron microscopically and light microscopically in order to create a methodological basis for the determination of the effects of cremation on pathological vestiges on the hones and the extent to which the intra vitam processes involved in the cremation remain detectable. The investigation provided a number of different diagnoses of different types of pathological processes in all areas of the skull. Thus, with the support of light microscopy, haemorrhagic or inflanunator; changes on the internal or external lamina of the skull vault were detected, traces of inflammation in the paranasal sinuses, as well as, a whole spectrum of dental pathologies. In approximately every tenth skull from the investigated cremation burials, at least one or several pathological conditions was observed. It should be noted that these results cannot be compared with the frequencies and diagnostic possibilities in inhumations and such use would be methodologically unjustifiable. Nevertheless, supported by modem methods, it is a significant extension of the range of anthropological research on cremated human remains and the methodology in their examination.