Search

This paper deals with infectious diseases reflected on human skeletal remains from the period of the Northern Crusades in Estonia, i.e. from the 13th until the end of the 18th century. Skeletons from the Medieval and Early Modern Periods are considered together, as most of the pathologies detected on them are characteristic of both periods. This article gives a preliminary overview of infectious diseases â leprosy, venereal syphilis and tuberculosis â in Estonian osteological material, based on bone material and also written sources.

New stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses from medieval and early modern sites across Estonia demonstrate systematic differences in the dietary habits of people from various locations and social groups. These results are compared with previously published isotopic data from similar contexts to identify the type and origin of dietary items, specifically in terms of aquatic resource consumption. Distinction between protein sources is, however, complicated by the high degree of isotopic variation among aquatic ecosystems and the fact that resources from multiple habitats were routinely exploited, resulting in a mixing of the isotopic signal. Nitrogen isotopic ratios display variations in the consumption of higher trophic level protein (such as fish), differentiating between rural, urban and elite individuals, as well as between males and females. Carbon isotopic ratios show a clear distinction between humans from coastal and inland sites, likely reflecting the importance of Baltic Sea fish to coastal communities. However, the exact quantification of aquatic resources into the diets of historic period people in the region needs further work.

Studying infant diet and feeding practices through stable isotope analysis provides direct insight into the life and health of vulnerable population groups in the past. Although the general diet in medieval and early modern Livonia has been reconstructed from written sources, little is known about childhood diet during this tumultuous period of Eastern European history. This study presents a comparative investigation of the staple non-adult diet in urban/rural communities during the 13th-17th centuries AD, with a special focus on feeding practices. We aim to reveal the impact of socio-economic circumstances on early childhood nutrition, which affects the physical development and overall survival of this susceptible population group. Bone collagen samples from 176 individuals between the fetal and the 7-15 age categories from four urban/rural South-Estonian cemeteries were cross-sectionally analyzed via EA-IRMS (Elemental Analysis with Isotope Ratio Mass Spectroscopy) for δ13C and δ15N. Results suggest that South-Estonian children had a staple terrestrial C3 diet integrated with animal proteins. Significant divergences were observed between urban and rural sites and slight variation occurred among rural subgroups, possibly resulting from a wider food choice available in towns, different consumption of C4 foods, and/or secular changes. This study provides the first data regarding infant feeding practices in medieval and early modern Livonia. These practices were similar among the different contexts, indicating comparable cultural traditions in child rearing. Breastfeeding was likely practiced for 1-2 years, with supplementary foods introduced around 1 year of age. The weaning process was probably concluded around the age of 3. The δ13C and δ15N values of older children are comparable to those of the adults from the same sites, indicating their diets became similar after weaning, when they started working and obtained a more mature social status.

Two ancient Egyptian child mummies at the University of Tartu Art Museum (Estonia) were, according to museum records, brought to Estonia by the young Baltic-German scholar Otto Friedrich von Richter, who had travelled in Egypt during the early 19th century. Although some studies of the mummies were conducted, a thorough investigation has never been made. Thus, an interdisciplinary team of experts studied the remains using the most recent analytical methods in order to provide an exhaustive analysis of the remains. The bodies were submitted for osteological and archaeothanatological study, radiological investigation, AMS radiocarbon dating, chemical and textile analyses, 3D modelling, entomological as well as aDNA investigation. Here we synthesize the results of one of the most extensive multidisciplinary analyses of ancient Egyptian child mummies, adding significantly to our knowledge of such examples of ancient funerary practices.