Paleopathology

Paleopathology is the study of disease and injury in past populations through human remains and archaeological evidence. It reconstructs patterns of health, illness, and trauma from traces preserved in bodies and burial contexts.

Skeletal lesion: An abnormal change in bone or teeth produced by disease, injury, or another biological process. Lesions are the principal physical traces used to infer disease in ancient skeletons.
Osteology: The scientific study of bones. Paleopathology relies on identifying normal anatomy before interpreting abnormal changes.
Tuberculosis: An infectious disease caused by bacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Characteristic skeletal changes can provide evidence of tuberculosis in past populations.
Osteological paradox: The problem of inferring population health from skeletal lesions that reflect both disease and survival. Lesions may indicate survival long enough for bone to respond, not simply poor health.
Rudolph Virchow: A German physician and pathologist who helped establish cellular pathology and studied ancient human remains. His nineteenth-century work helped connect medical pathology with archaeological bones.
Bone remodeling: The lifelong process by which bone tissue is resorbed and replaced. Remodeling can preserve evidence of an individual's response to illness or injury.
Human osteology: The study of the structure and identification of human bones. Accurate identification of skeletal elements is a prerequisite for examining lesions.
Leprosy: A chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Its effects on the face, hands, and feet can leave recognizable skeletal patterns.
Paleodemography: The study of past population structure and demographic processes using archaeological evidence. Mortality estimates from excavated burials affect apparent patterns of disease.
Marc Armand Ruffer: A British physician who pioneered the microscopic study of disease in ancient Egyptian remains. His mummy studies established methods for examining preserved tissues, not just skeletons.

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