Skeleton study reveals Romans racked by joint problems and gout
A groundbreaking study of 2,000 ancient Roman skeletons has shed new light on the harsh realities of life in imperial Rome.
The multi/disciplinary study was carried out on skeletons unearthed in the Roman suburbs during the last 15 years, during building work to construct a new high speed railway between Rome and Naples.
The study saw each of the skeletons scanned with modern imaging techniques and the results of which were analysed by modern osteopaths, working with medical historians and anthropologists. The study shows the brutal reality of life for many of the Eternal City-s inhabitants between the first and third century.
In the course of their research the team discovered …show more content…
“We can speculate that some of these people would have spent their lives working in nearby salt/mins due to the patterns of arthritis they display.”
the skeletons examined were not those of rich noblemen or patricians instead they belonged to the working classes. The reason for this is quite simple - rich peoples graves were looted and emptied years ago and with them the remains of often disappeared.
The study bears a stark contrast to a similar study carried out on the petrified Roman skeletons of Pompeii, a city of expensive villas and plus domuses which was buried by erupting Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The Pompeii study demonstrated the good health of the city-s inhabitants enjoyed by the city's wealthy inhabitants, thanks to a life free from hard labour and a strong diet.
But what do the skeletons tell us about the diet of the average Roman.
“It-s difficult to reach any specific conclusions about their diet based on the results - but given the incomplete way their bones healed and really high incidences of bone cancer we encountered, it doesn't suggest it was
A groundbreaking study of 2,000 ancient Roman skeletons has shed new light on the harsh realities of life in imperial Rome.
The multi/disciplinary study was carried out on skeletons unearthed in the Roman suburbs during the last 15 years, during building work to construct a new high speed railway between Rome and Naples.
The study saw each of the skeletons scanned with modern imaging techniques and the results of which were analysed by modern osteopaths, working with medical historians and anthropologists. The study shows the brutal reality of life for many of the Eternal City-s inhabitants between the first and third century.
In the course of their research the team discovered …show more content…
“We can speculate that some of these people would have spent their lives working in nearby salt/mins due to the patterns of arthritis they display.”
the skeletons examined were not those of rich noblemen or patricians instead they belonged to the working classes. The reason for this is quite simple - rich peoples graves were looted and emptied years ago and with them the remains of often disappeared.
The study bears a stark contrast to a similar study carried out on the petrified Roman skeletons of Pompeii, a city of expensive villas and plus domuses which was buried by erupting Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The Pompeii study demonstrated the good health of the city-s inhabitants enjoyed by the city's wealthy inhabitants, thanks to a life free from hard labour and a strong diet.
But what do the skeletons tell us about the diet of the average Roman.
“It-s difficult to reach any specific conclusions about their diet based on the results - but given the incomplete way their bones healed and really high incidences of bone cancer we encountered, it doesn't suggest it was