SKELETAL HEALTH OF LATE NEOLITHIC POPULATIONS FROM BOHEMIA

We studied pathologies of the skeletal remains from 5 Czech burial-grounds dated into late Neolithic - Corded Ware Culture and Bell Beaker Culture, namely Vikletice, Radovesice, Cachovice, Knezeves and Brandysek. The whole collection consisted of 257 individuals. Our main goal was to document the occurrence of pathologies of these populations in the Bohemia territory. Then we compared body size and shape of late Neolithic with early Neolithic populations (Linear Pottery Culture). Our hypothesis was that these parameters would differ in these two Neolithic periods. Our next hypothesis was that the health status of two studied cultures (CWC and BBC) had not differed and that there would not be significant difference in their Health Indexes, body size and shape. Firstly we determined basic paleodemographic data as sex, age at death, stature, weight and BMI. Then we macroscopically evaluated skeletal material looking for pathologies as anemia, infections, degenerative joint diseases, dental health, trauma and tumors. As the last thing we calculated Health Index described and used to determine skeletal health by Richard H. Steckel et al. (2002b) for the American populations from 4000 BC. We identified several types of pathologies: hypoplasia, intravital tooth loss, caries, abscesses, cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis, osteoperiostitis/osteomyelitis, traumas as fractures, cut and stab injuries, trephinations and tumors. The Health Index value was 79.87 for this late Neolithic period populations. According to our research, body size of late Neolithic populations changed in comparison with the early Neolithic populations. We did not prove significant differences between Corded Ware and Bell Beaker Culture in body size nor health status.