Bioarchaeological approach to the study of the medieval population of Santa Severa (Rome, 7th-15th centuries)

The sample exhibited a high degree of biomechanical stress related to daily tasks, mainly affecting the upper limbs and involving both the shoulder and the pelvic girdle. Several pathologies were detected; the most common appeared to be degenerative and infectious diseases, though some cases of congenital disorders could also be observed. Regarding the dental pathology, low frequencies of caries, abscesses and antemortem tooth loss were detected in spite of a high prevalence of dental calculus. These results seem to suggest that subsistence was based on both agriculture and farming.