A radiographic investigation of juvenile scurvy among the sub-adult remains from Stymphalos and Zaraka, Greece.

摘要

Historically, scurvy has been linked with sailors and famine, seeing only minor investigation in children until the present era. This is also true among archaeological populations where the investigation of juvenile scurvy is a relatively recent development. The development of criteria for assessing juvenile scurvy among archaeological populations has provided a novel means of paleopathological analysis for discussing this disorder among past populations.;In an attempt to further investigate the current criteria for identifying archaeological cases of juvenile scurvy, as proposed by Ortner et al. (2001, 1999; Ortner and Ericksen 1997; Ortner 1984), a combined macroscopic and radiographic study was conducted on the sub-adult individuals from late Roman--Byzantine Stymphalos and Frankish Zaraka, Greece. This study sought to investigate the level or correlation between the proposed macroscopic indicators and clinically employed radiographic indicators of juvenile scurvy. From the research conducted there is clear evidence upon which to suggest a significant level of correlation between the proposed macroscopic and clinically employed radiographic indicators of juvenile scurvy. Such a correlation supports the previously proposed osteoarchaeological criteria for assessing juvenile scurvy among archaeological populations.