Commingled crypts: Comparative health among Byzantine monastics in the Levant
| Autor: | Margaret A. Judd |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Adult Male History Paleopathology media_common.quotation_subject Health Status Ancient history 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Bone and Bones Anthropology Physical Young Adult Bioarchaeology Chapel Humans 0601 history and archaeology History Ancient media_common computer.programming_language Aged Aged 80 and over 060101 anthropology Jordan biology SAINT 06 humanities and the arts Middle Aged biology.organism_classification Mount History Medieval Nebo Archaeology Anthropology Anatomy Asceticism computer Byzantine architecture |
| Zdroj: | American journal of physical anthropologyREFERENCES. 172(1) |
| ISSN: | 1096-8644 |
| Popis: | OBJECTIVES Early Byzantine (A.D. 330-842) monastic rules stipulated that entrants relinquished familial connections, personal belongings and secular relationships to become part of the ascetic collective that continued in death, resulting in bioarchaeological marginalization, as was the case of the monastics excavated from the Chapel of Robebus at Mount Nebo, Jordan (ca. A.D. 491-640). It was hypothesized that compared to contemporary monastic groups, the Mount Nebo monastics experienced poorer health and gravitated to Mount Nebo, owing to its association with the Prophet Moses and proximity to the Dead Sea, Livias baths and Jordan River, all associated with curative benefits, especially for those suffering from leprosy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The commingled remains of 73 adult males from Mount Nebo and the articulated skeletons (n = 27) from the Sanctuary of Agios Lot at Deir 'Ain 'Abata (Jordan) were assessed for paleopathology, then compared with a contemporary commingled group from the Monastery of Saint Euthymius at Khan-el-Ahmar (Judean Desert) (n = 117). RESULTS No skeletal evidence of leprosy was observed among the groups. Most Mount Nebo individuals did not reach an older age, yet injuries, severe osteoarthritis, lower leg osteoperiostitis and antemortem tooth loss were common. The paleopathological profile was similar at Deir 'Ain 'Abata, but paleopathology was negligible at Khan-el-Ahmar. CONCLUSIONS The similar paleopathological profiles of the Jordanian monastic groups suggest that the proximity to the Dead Sea may have attracted monastics to both sites, in addition to spirituality, but leprosy was not a factor based on the skeletal evidence. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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