Modern cases old diseases: anthropological study of three male skeletons from Mozambique

Abstract

The aim of the present work is the study of three human skeletons from Mozambique, currently housed at the "Instituto de Investigação Cientifica Tropical", in Lisbon. Recovered during the Anthropological Mission to Mozambique r'Missao Antropológica a Moçambique") these individuals are documented by mortuary records dated from 1940's. The written information such as sex, age at death and cause of death recorded were confronted with macroscopic evidence observable on bones and teeth. Besides, other pathological lesions were detected. Among the most striking findings are osteomyelitis of the mandible, multiple traumatic lesions and symmetrical and well developed cribra orbitalia, a possible evidence of neoplasic diseases and a probable case of tuberculosis. The importance of the study of pathology in archaeological and historical human remains to the understanding of the origin and evolution of diseases process as well as its importance to the current and future prevention is also discussed.