| Abstrakt: |
Tuberculosis (TB), one of the most studied infectious diseases in paleopathology, is known for being a disease of poverty and social instability. Its prevalence increased in European populations during the medieval and post-medieval time periods to the urbanization processes accompanied by crowding, low hygienic standards, and intensifying mobility. Infants and children are characterized by a quick reaction to infections and lesion formation. Therefore, morbidity in this group is a sensitive indicator of a population's health. Kyiv, a large medieval city located at the crossroads of trade, was the center of Eastern Slavic World and Old Rus' State during the 10th-13th century AD. Unlike many other large European cities, Kyiv was relatively weakly industrialized in later time. This city remained a military and monastic centre during the period of the Liberation Wars and colonization of Ukraine by the Russian Empire in the 17th-18th century. This study aims to assess the factors impacting TB spread in Kyiv. The frequency of the skeletal manifestations of the disease was evaluated and compared for the two periods of the city's history. The sample includes 80 and 130 skeletons of subadults from the city and the monastic cemeteries dated to, respectively, the 10th-13th and 17th-18th centuries. Skeletons have been macroscopically studied for the lesions on the visceral surface of the ribs, in the vertebral bodies, and on the skulls' inner table and basis. Some of these results were confirmed by histological analysis conducted in collaboration with Professor M. Schultz. The study identified the reduction of the probable vestiges of TB in meninges from 18.2% of cases during the 10th-13th century to 4.8% of cases during the 17th-18th century. Simultaneously, the proportion of TB postcranial signs remained nearly the same or even increased. The occurrence of tuberculosis in Kyiv has been compared to its spread in the medieval and post-medieval European urban centers and rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
