A Late Neolithic Case of Pott's Disease from Hungary

Abstract

The aim of this study was to present classic bone lesions caused by tuberculosis, as seen in a Late Neolithic-Early Copper Age osteoarchaeological sample deriving from the site of Alsónyék-Bátaszék (the western part of Hungary from the 5th millennium BC). In one particular case of an adult male skeleton, vertebral bodies' destruction, collapse, ankylosis and marked angulation in the lower thoracic and the upper lumbal region of the vertebral column were observed. The collapse resulted in a severe gibbus formation. The paleopathological analysis was carried out using morphological observation supported by radiological analyses. The results from this study increase our knowledge of the early occurrence of skeletal tuberculosis in past populations.

Old World tuberculosis: Evidence from human remains with a review of current research and future prospects

“…The earliest dated evidence is from Israel (7250-6160 BC) 12 , with early Egyptian (4500 BC) 13 , German (5400-4800 BC) 14 , Hungarian (5 th millennium BC) 15 , and Polish and Portuguese "Neolithic" data. However, most skeletal evidence comes from the Roman and later periods in Europe, and especially the early and late medieval eras (around …”

A 6500-year-old Middle Neolithic child from Pollera Cave (Liguria, Italy) with probable multifocal osteoarticular tuberculosis

“…In the Neolithic Old World, skeletons with the infection have been reported in the Near East and North Africa (Ortner, 1979(Ortner, , 1999Strouhal, 1987;El-Najjar et al, 1997;Crubézy et al, 1998;Zias, 1998;Dabernat and Crubézy, 2010), with the potential Israeli evidence dating back to the eighth millennium BC (Hershkovitz et al, 2008). Skeletal TB has also been reported from Neolithic continental Europe (Bartels, 1907;Sager et al, 1972;Dastugue and de Lumley, 1976;Bennike, 1999;Gladykowska-Rzeczycka, 1999;Nuorala et al, 2004;Masson et al, 2013Masson et al, , 2015Köhler et al, 2014;Posa et al, 2015). In Italy, Neolithic evidence of skeletal TB has been reported in the area of Finalese (Finale Ligure, western Liguria), where a number of caves have been excavated since the mid-19 th century (Maggi 1997a(Maggi , 1997b.…”

Childhood bone tuberculosis from Roman Pécs, Hungary

“…Tuberculosis is an infection known to primarily affect the soft tissues of the body, spreading into the lungs, intestines, skin or lymph nodes. In limited cases, the disease can also involve the skeleton, producing lesions that may develop in any portion of the body and may differ in nature in both adults and sub-adults (Köhler et al, 2012;Lewis, 2011;Roberts and Buikstra, 2003;Steinbock, 1976). The spine is the most commonly affected site in all age groups.…”