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Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000–3000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed from the historical period onward (3000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia and France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. At least 7% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring geography. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empire’s mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history.

Viminacium (Stari Kostolac) was the largest and the most important city in Moesia Superior (Upper Moesia). It was the provincial capital, administrative, religious, military and trade centre. It was built on a strategic location at the confluence of the river Mlava and the Danube, on the crossroad of both land and river routes with large military and trade potential. In one of the necropoles of Viminacium, Pirivoj, in grave no. 325, skeletal remains of a juvenile female individual were discovered. The burial is dated into the first half of the 3rd century. The deceased juvenile was laid on the back with hands clasped on her stomach. The orientation of the grave was North–South. Anthropological analyses revealed traces of osteomyelitis or cancer with proliferative periostitis on the left tibia and left fibula. The source of infection was related to a large ulcer on the left tibia. The current appearance of the bone shows poor health treatment of the ulcer and active inflammation at the time of death. In this text, we will also focus on the ulcer aetiology and possibility of its’ treatment in Antiquity. Treatments will also be briefly discussed, with preparations based on silver and lead, vinegar, honey, etc.

Tokom 2016, 2018. i 2019. godine u okviru projekata koje je finasiralo Ministarstvo kulture i informisanja, izvršeno je bezbedno skladištenje i dokumentovanje humanog osteološkog materijala iz Sirmijuma sa prethodnih antropoloških istraživanja (1957–2007), kao i sa novootkrivenog lokaliteta na Palanci iz 2016. godine.1 Reč je ukupno o 837 inhumiranih i dve spaljene individue, iskopanih na ukupno 37 lokaliteta, datovanih u period od 1. do 16. veka (Miladinović-Radmilović et al. 2017; Miladinović-Radmilović et al. 2018; Miladinović-Radmilović et al. 2021). Projektom Izrada finalne dokumetacije i obezbeđivanje trajnog i bezbednog skladištenja osteološkog materijala sa ranijih antropoloških istraživanja u Sirmijumu u 2020. godini, takođe, finansiranom od strane Ministarstva kulture i informisanja, započeto je sređivanje preostalog materijala iskopavanog u periodu 2008–2018. godine. Cilj projekta za 2020. godinu je bio da se u Muzeju Srema obavi antropološka analiza humanog osteološkog materijala koji je istražen na nekropoli Arsenija Čarnojevića 5–7, KR 1985/1, da se pomenuti materijal bezbedno skladišti u adekvatnu i trajnu ambalažu, propisno obeleženu, i da se izradi prateća antropološka dokumentacija, čime bi se zaštitio ovaj srednjovekovni humani osteološki materijala od propadanja. Reč je o materijalu koji je otkriven u okviru zaštitnih iskopavanja na lokalitetu Arsenija Čarnojevića 5–7, KR 1985/1, datovanog u srednjovekovni period (16–17. vek). Nekropola je otkrivena i delom istražena 2018. godine, od strane Zavoda za zaštitu spomenika kulture iz Sremske Mitrovice, a rukovodilac istraživanja je bila Biljana Lučić. Na pomenutom lokalitetu ukupno je iskopano 67 grobnih celina, dok je za analizu bilo dostupno 65 grobova. U četiri groba bio je prisutan osteološki materijal više individua. Antropološka analiza je pokazala da je reč o biološkoj populaciji, kojoj je pripadalo 26 dečijih, 14 juvenilnih i 28 odraslih individua. Dentalne i paleopatološke analize su pokazale

Ankiloza sakruma i ilijačne kosti, odnosno fuzija sakroilijačnog zgloba, može nastati kao posledica difuzne idiopatske skeletne hiperostoze (DISH), ankilozirajućeg spondilitisa (AS), entezopatije, infektivnih oboljenja (npr. tuberkuloze), ili kao posledica bilo jedne ili više ponavljajućih trauma zgloba. Istraživanja su pokazala da se češće javlja kod starijih, uglavnom muških osoba, i da potencijalni uzročnici mogu biti i hormonskog ili mehaničkog karaktera. S obzirom na to da je reč o oboljenju koje se retko javlja, i da se u stručnoj antropološkoj literaturi ređe spominje, predstavićemo etiologiju, učestalost i polnu distribuciju ovog oboljenja, način njegovog ispoljavanja (unilateralno i bilateralno), a posebnu pažnju ćemo usmeriti na mogućnost utvrđivanja polne pripadnosti skeleta na osnovu oblika samog mesta fuzije, odnosno tzv. sakroilijačni zglobni bridžing (sacroiliac joint bridging, SIB), koji su ustanovili Dar i Herškovic. U radu ćemo prikazati i slučajeve koji su otkriveni kod sedam individua iz antičkog i srednjovekovnog perioda u Srbiji., Ankylosis of the sacrum and iliac bone, i.e. sacroiliac joint fusion, can occur as a result of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), enthesopathy, infectious diseases (e.g., tuberculosis), or as a result of either one or more repetitive joint traumas. Research have shown that it occurs more often in the elder, mostly male individuals and that potential causes can be of both hormonal and mechanical character. Considering the fact that it is a disease that occurs rarely, and that it is seldom mentioned in scientific anthropological literature, we will present the aetiology, frequency, and sex distribution of this disease, manner of manifestation (unilateral and bilateral), and we will pay special attention to the possibility of determining the sex of the skeleton on the basis of the shape of the place of fusion, namely on the basis of sacroiliac joint bridging, established by Dar and Hershkovitz. This paper will also present the cases registered in seven individuals from the Antique and medieval period in Serbia.

Naissus, Viminacium and Sirmium are the most important sites in Serbia from the Antiquity period. This presentation will discuss paleodemographic structures of the population in these three sites, their economic and social status, level of sanitary conditions, nutrition and health care, diseases which directly left traces on the osteological material, and diseases that left no visible marks on bones, and may indeed have been the direct cause of death for children and female individuals in ancient Naissus, Viminacium and Sirmium. In paleodemographic research, child mortality rate is an important element of a population’s progress. Child mortality is considered an adequate criterion for social and sanitation conditions of a community and a sensitive indicator of inadequate nutrition. In order to properly interpret data collected by anthropological analyses, it is necessary to know additional causes of child mortality, e.g., illnesses that do not leave visible marks on bones, and take into consideration the archaeological and historical background as well. We will determine the main reasons why females in all three sites lived shorter lives than males: did they have poorer diets; did they have inadequate medical care; or were there other possible factors? Based on our results, we can conclude that the quality of life in ancient Naissus, Viminacium and Sirmium relative to other sites was comparatively better.

Zubi su, kao najčvršća komponenta u ljudskom organizmu, otporniji na dekompoziciju i tafonomske faktore u odnosu na ostali koštani materijal. Analiza zubnog materijala iz arheološkog konteksta pruža obilje informacija o zdravlju analizirane individue, ali i cele populacije, o sličnostima i razlikama u vrsti i načinu ishrane, kao i razlikama u odnosu na individualnu starost, pol, socijalni status, kako unutar jedne populacije, tako i između dve i više populacija, kroz različite periode. U radu će biti prikazano dentalno zdravlje stanovnika sahranjenih na kasnoantičkoj nekropoli Begov Most – Staničenje (okolina Pirota). Tokom istraživanja 2014. i 2015. godine konstatovane su 132 grobne celine. Za analizu je bilo dostupno 128 skeleta, od kojih su 92 individue imale očuvani dentalni materijal (1.448 mlečnih i stalnih zuba). Posebna pažnja je usmerena na učestalost pojave karijesa, zaživotnog gubitka zuba, kamenca i periapikalnog apscesa, u celoj populaciji, kao i na razlici između starosnih i polnih kategorija. Rezultati su pokazali da skoro u svim ispitivanim kategorijama individue ženskog pola imaju najveću učestalost dentalnih oboljenja, što se poklapa i sa rezultatima dobijenim u ostalim delovima Rimskog carstva, ali i u drugim istorijskim periodima., Teeth, as the strongest component in the human body, are more resistant to decomposition and taphonomic factors compared to other bone material. The analysis of dental material from an archaeological context provides an abundance of information about the health of the analysed individual, but also of the entire population, about similarities and differences in the type and manner of nutrition, as well as differences in relation to individual age, gender, social status, both within one population and between two or more populations, through different periods. This paper will present data on the dental health of the population buried at the Late Antique necropolis of Begov Most – Staničenje (vicinity of Pirot). During the research in 2014 and 2015, 132 grave units were identified. A total of 128 skeletons were available for analysis, out of which 92 individuals had preserved dental material (1448 deciduous and permanent teeth). A special attention was given to the frequency of caries, ante mortem tooth loss, calculus and periapical abscess, in the entire population, as well as the difference between the age and sex categories. The results showed that in almost all of the examined categories, female individuals had the highest frequency of dental diseases, which coincides with the results obtained in other parts of the Roman Empire, as well as in other historical periods.

[Summary] The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was a socio-political process with enormous ramifications for human history. The Middle Danube was a crucial frontier and a crossroads for population and cultural movement. Here, we present genome-wide data from 136 Balkan individuals dated to the 1st millennium CE. Despite extensive militarization and cultural influence, we find little ancestry contribution from peoples of Italic descent. However, we trace a large-scale influx of people of Anatolian ancestry during the Imperial period. Between ∼250 and 550 CE, we detect migrants with ancestry from Central/Northern Europe and the Steppe, confirming that “barbarian” migrations were propelled by ethnically diverse confederations. Following the end of Roman control, we detect the large-scale arrival of individuals who were genetically similar to modern Eastern European Slavic-speaking populations, who contributed 30%–60% of the ancestry of Balkan people, representing one of the largest permanent demographic changes anywhere in Europe during the Migration Period.

Tokom 2018. godine, u okviru antropoloških istraživanja posebna pažnja je usmerena na metodologiju antropoloških istraživanja masovnih i grupnih sahrana iz različitog konteksta, njene izazove i probleme, kako sa antropološke tako i sa arheološke strane. Ovakva vrsta analiza vršena je na tri antička lokaliteta iz Srbije (Sirmijum, Jagodin Mala i Viminacijum) i na jednom srednjovekovnom lokalitetu iz Crne Gore (Brskovo). Metodologija istraživanja grupnih i masovnih sahrana, bilo sa stanovišta arheologije ili antropologije, podrazumeva primenu specifičnih i kombinovanih metoda. U arheološkom kontekstu postoje dve pogrebne prakse: incineracija i inhumacija. Unutar njih razlikujemo pojedinačne, grupne i masovne sahrane. Pod pojedinačnim sahranama podrazumevamo pohranjivanje tela jednog pokojnika unutar grobne jame, grobne konstrukcije ili zidane grobnice. Grupna sahrana predstavlja polaganje tela dva ili više pokojnika, obično pripadnika jedne porodice, koja su sahranjena u istom ili različitom vremenskom periodu. Pod masovnim sahranama podrazumeva se pohranjivanje tela više pokojnika, obično u istom vremenskom periodu, pod specifičnim okolnostima, kao što su npr. masovna stradanja u prirodnim katastrofama, masovna stradanja kao posledica različitih epidemija ili oružanih sukoba, itd.

Predmet istraživanja ove doktorske disertacije su fizičko-antropološke karakteristike stanovnika urbanih i ruralnih naselja, u severozapadnom delu provincije Sredozemne Dakije u periodu IV–VII veka. U disertaciji se polazi od pretpostavke da su se bioarheološke karakteristike drevnih populacija menjale u skladu sa mestom i načinom života, odnosno da se u urbanim i ruralnim naseobinskim celinama, živelo različitim kvalitetom života, da su sanitarni uslovi i ishrana bili drugačiji, da je zdravstveni status bio bolji u urbanim naseljima, kao i da je stanovništvo u ruralnom okruženju bilo izloženije težem fizičkom radu. Te stoga, ciljevi istraživanja su da se na osnovu rezultata antropološke analize humanog osteološkog materijala predstave uslovi života i zdravstveni status dečijih i odraslih individua (praćenjem prisutnosti, odnosno odsutnosti dentalnih, metaboličkih i infektivnih oboljenja, artritisa i patoloških promena na pršljenovima), kao i to da se na osnovu analize enteza prikaže intezitet fizičkih aktivnosti koje su individue obavljale. Humani osteološki materijal analiziran u ovoj studiji čine 243 skeleta sa nekropola otkrivenih u jugoistočnom delu Srbije: Jagodin Mala – Bulevar vojvode Mišića (Niš, antički Naissus), nekropola na kojoj je sahranjivano gradsko stanovništvo, Gladno polje i Latinsko grobište (Bela Palanka, okolina antičke Remesiana-e), nekropole na kojima su sahranjivani stanovnici vile rustike, i Begov most – Staničenje (okolina Pirota, kasnoantički lokalitet Gradište), nekropola na kojoj su sahranjivani stanovnici kasnoantičkog naselja. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali razliku u stepenu smrtnosti u najranijim životnim kategorijama, prisutnosti metaboličkih i infektivnih oboljenja i nutritivnog stresa kod dečijih individua. Međutim iako ove razlike nisu bile od statističkog značaja, manja stopa smrtnosti u prvim godinama života, kao i manja učestalost metaboličkih oboljenja i nutritivnog stresa (poput skorbuta, cribrae orbitaliae i porozne hip

The small northern gate or postern represents a part of the later fortification system of Felix Romuliana located between Towers 8 and 10 (fig. 1). It was excavated before1, however, researches of wider scope were performed for the first time in 2014, when two trenches examined the stratigraphy of this area2. One had the goal of investigating the structure of layers in front of the small gate entrance, while the other explored the space immediately outside the rampart for a length of 12 m (fig. 2). The surface in front of the gate represents a layer of lime mortar with occasional pieces of crushed stone immersed in it, created in the period of the building of the later fortification of Felix Romuliana. This level slopes northwards (towards the defence ditch), hence it was registered at 186.50 m ASL in front of the gate, while it measured 185.60 m ASL at the northernmost part of the trench 1. A layer of debris created during the collapse of the upper parts of tower 8 and the northern rampart covered the mortar level. During the excavations, it was impossible to determine the original level up to which this area was covered, considering the fact that large quantities of debris were removed in the 1990s. The point from which the research began is some 60 cm above the mortar level. Inside trench 1/2014, ca. 3 m from the northern rampart, a burial of an individual was discovered (G-1/14), simply buried into a layer of debris created above the mortar layer (fig. 3a). The mortar level was penetrated ca. 30 cm deep by this burial, hence, the deceased was laid in a layer of yellow clayish ground. The deceased’s body was laid on the back, oriented in west-east direction. His arms were crossed on his chest and his hands bent under the mandible. His left leg was partially bent outwards, and the right one was found broken at the diaphysis level of tibia and fibula. Judging by the context of the finding, the deceased’s body was laid into a simple burial pit, without any grave con

U tekstu će biti prikazani preliminarni rezultati antropološke analize humanog osteološkog materijala, pohranjenog u podrumu prostorije na srednjovekovnom lokalitetu Brskovo – Doganjice. Analiza je obuhvatila samo materijal iskopan tokom kampanje 2017. godine. S obzirom na to da je reč o sekundarnoj sahrani i da skeleti nisu bili u anatomskom položaju, u tekstu će se posebna pažnja usmeriti na metodologiju istraživanja ovakvih sahrana, čiji je primarni zadatak da se odredi minimalan broj individua. Utvrđivanje individualnog pola i starosti, paleopatološke promene, intenzitet izraženosti enteza na mišićima, ligamentima i tetivama, beležene su za svaku kost pojedinačno., The paper will present preliminary results of an anthropological analysis of human osteological material, stored in the basement of the room at the medieval site of Brskovo – Doganjice. The analysis included the material excavated during the campaign in 2017 year. Since it is a secondary burial and the skeletons were not in an anatomical position, the paper will pay special attention to the research methodology of such burials, whose primary task is to determine the minimum number of individuals. Determination of individual sex and age, paleopathological changes, intensity of enthesis prominence on muscles, ligaments, and tendons, were recorded for each bone individually.

Istraživanja utvrđenja tetrarhijske rezidencije, realizovana prema planu arheoloških iskopavanja za 2017. godinu i na osnovu projekta Vrelo – Šarkamen, arheološka istraživanja, prezentacija i promocija Arheološkog instituta u Beogradu i Muzeja Krajine u Negotinu, trajala su tokom četiri sedmice meseca jula.2 U okviru tog projekta, iskopavanja na Vrelu se izvode od 2013. godine, kako bi se otkrili karakteristični delovi utvrđenja carske rezidencije i na njima izvršili konzervatorsko-restauratorski radovi u cilju prezentacije i promocije ovog arheološkog nalazišta.

Rimski grad i vojni logor Viminacijum nalazi se između sela Stari Kostolac i Drmno, na 12 km severoistočno od Požarevca, u blizini ušća Mlave u Dunav (karta 1). Tokom svoje istorije postao je najveće urbano naselje i glavni grad provincije Gornje Mezije (Moesia Superior), kasnije Prve Mezije (Moesia Prima). Na nekropoli Pećine u grobu G-5785, iz kasnoantičkog perioda, otkriveni su skeletni ostaci juvenilne osobe muškog pola, stare 20-25 godina (sl. 1; tabele 1-3). Paleopatološka analiza je pokazala prisustvo sraslog, najverovatnije spiralnog, preloma sa anteverzijom (?) u gornjoj polovini tela desnog femura, praćenog myositis ossificans traumatica-om na posteriornoj strani tela. Na linea aspera-i egzostoza je izvučena ka medijalnoj strani (tabla I/1-4). Osim preloma, konstantovan je i blagi osteoartritis na tarzalnim kostima i osteochondritis dissecans, odnosno posttraumatična subartikularna nekroza (prečnika 1,7 cm) na medijalnom kondilu levog femura (tabla I/5). Na desnoj skapuli vidljiva je dislokacija glenoidalnog udubljenja, i to ispod samog udubljenja, iznad m. triceps brachii - Caput longum (tabla II/4, 5). Posteriorno je na sakrumu uočena dislokacija jednog segmenta (tabla I/6). Na obe ilijačne kosti, iznad aurikularne površine, primetni su sulkusi (tabla II/6, 7). Izražene enteze mišića, ligamenata i tetiva vidljive su na: oba humerusa (tabla II/3), na obe ulne, na oba radijusa, na obe klavikule, na obe skapule, na dva rebra, na obe karlične kosti, na oba femura (na desnom femuru su pripoji izraženiji). Takođe, na ulnama su primetna, pogotovo sa posteriorne strane u gornjoj polovini tela, i lateralna zakrivnuća tela (tabla II/1, 2). Myositis ossificans (traumatic myositis ossificans, heterotopic ossification, ectopic ossification, neurogenic ossifying fibro - myopathy, reactive Mesenchymal proliferation, ossifying hematoma, pseudomalignant osseous tumour of soft tissues) predstavlja lokalizovane ne-neoplastične, reparativne koštane lezije, koje se sastoje o, The Roman city and military camp of Viminacium is situated between the villages of Stari Kostolac and Drmno, 12 kilometres north-east of Požarevac, close to the confluence of the Mlava and the Danube. During its history, it became the biggest urban settlement and the capital of the province of Upper Moesia (Moesia Superior), later First Moesia (Moesia Prima). In one of the necropoles of Viminacium, Pećine, in grave No. 5785, skeletal remains of a juvenile male individual were discovered. The burial took place in Late Antiquity. Anthropological analyses revealed a fracture of the right femur followed by myositis ossificans traumatica. The trauma to the bone can damage the overlying muscle and, occasionally, the muscle tissue will respond to the trauma by producing bone directly in the muscle tissue itself. This condition is known as myositis ossificans traumafica (post-traumatic myositis ossificans or myositis ossificans circumscripta) and is most likely to occur in response to trauma in young male individuals, and in the femoral (the quadriceps muscles) or humeral region (brachium muscles).

Smederevo was built as a fortified rulers’ residence and the new capital for the state of the despots after the sudden death of despot Stefan Lazarević in 1427 and the loss of Belgrade, which ä ruler, despot Đurađ Branković, it was built from 1428 unti svu á a castle was built with the ruler’s court, while a fortified urban settlement.

Viminacium (Stari Kostolac) was the largest and the most important city in Moesia Superior (Upper Moesia). It was the provincial capital, administrative, religious, military and trade centre. It was built on a strategic location at the conflu-ence of the river Mlava and the Danube, on the crossroad of both land and river routes with large military and trade poten-tial. On one of the necropoles of Viminacium, Pirivoj, in grave no. 325, skeletal remains of a juvenile female individual were discovered. The burial is dated into the first half of the 3rd century. The deceased juvenile was laid on the back with hands clasped on her stomach. The orientation of the grave was North–South. Anthropological analyses revealed traces of osteomyeli-tis with proliferative periostitis on the left tibia and left fibula. The source of infection was related to a large ulcer on the left tibia. The current appearance of the bone shows poor health treatment of the ulcer and active inflammation at the time of death. In this presentation, we will also focus on the ulcer aeti-ology and possibility of its’ treatment in Antiquity. Treatments will also be briefly discussed, with preparations based on silver and lead, vinegar, honey, etc.

Viminacium is located close to the confluence of the Mlava and the Danube, near the village of Stari Kostolac. It rep-resents an extremely complex site with a long history of re-search. There was a large number of necropoles in its’ sur-roundings: late prehistoric necropoles with bi-ritual burials, sev-eral Roman necropoles, also with bi-ritual burials, as well as several necropoles with inhumation from different medieval periods. In ancient Viminacium, so far, four graves with mass burial, mainly skulls with a slightly lesser amount of bones from the postcranial skeleton, have been found. In the archaeological context, there are two funeral practices: incineration and inhumation. Within them, we can distinguish individual, group and mass burials. Under individual burials we comprehend the placing of skeletal remains of one person inside a grave pit, a grave construction, or a built tomb. Group funerals involve the laying of skeletal remains of two or more persons, usually members of one family, who are buried at the same or different period of time, into a grave pit, a grave construction or a built tomb. Mass burials involve the storage of skeletal remains of more individuals, usually at the same period of time, under specific circumstances (massive death toll due to natural disasters, massive death toll as the consequence of various epidemics, as well as massive death toll as a result of armed conflicts, etc.). Secondary mass burials are mostly partial, and much more attention and care is dedicated to the skulls. On one of the necropoles of Viminacium, Pećine, in grave no. 4924, skeletal remains, mostly skulls, of more than 150 individuals were discovered. In this paper, we will try to explain this phenomenon, on the example of grave no. 4924, and show all possible causes for mass skull burials at ancient Viminacium.

Viminacium is located close to the confluence of the Mlava and the Danube, near the village of Stari Kostolac. It rep-resents an extremely complex site with a long history of re-search. There was a large number of necropoles in its’ sur-roundings: late prehistoric necropoles with bi-ritual burials, sev-eral Roman necropoles, also with bi-ritual burials, as well as several necropoles with inhumation from different medieval periods. In ancient Viminacium, so far, four graves with mass burial, mainly skulls with a slightly lesser amount of bones from the postcranial skeleton, have been found. In the archaeological context, there are two funeral practices: incineration and inhumation. Within them, we can distinguish individual, group and mass burials. Under individual burials we comprehend the placing of skeletal remains of one person inside a grave pit, a grave construction, or a built tomb. Group funerals involve the laying of skeletal remains of two or more persons, usually members of one family, who are buried at the same or different period of time, into a grave pit, a grave construction or a built tomb. Mass burials involve the storage of skeletal remains of more individuals, usually at the same period of time, under specific circumstances (massive death toll due to natural disasters, massive death toll as the consequence of various epidemics, as well as massive death toll as a result of armed conflicts, etc.). Secondary mass burials are mostly partial, and much more attention and care is dedicated to the skulls. On one of the necropoles of Viminacium, Pećine, in grave no. 4924, skeletal remains, mostly skulls, of more than 150 individuals were discovered. In this paper, we will try to explain this phenomenon, on the example of grave no. 4924, and show all possible causes for mass skull burials at ancient Viminacium.

Uprkos široko rasprostranjenom mišljenju da je stopa umiranja mladih žena u prošlosti bila usko povezana sa komplikacijama koje mogu nastati tokom trudnoće, a posebno porođaja, iznenađuje činjenica da je veoma Mali broj trudnica konstatovan na nekropolama širom sveta. Čak je i u stručnoj literaturi zabeležen relativno Mali broj takvih slučajeva. Jedini dokaz da je žena trudna jeste samo nalaz fetalnih kostiju u njenoj karlici in situ. Međutim, postoje dve grupe faktora koji mogu direktno da ugroze opstanak fetalnih kostiju. U prvu grupu spadaju faktori na koje arheolozi ne mogu da utiču i to su, npr.: hemijski sastav zemlje, tj. kiselost tla, aktivnost mikroorganizama u samoj zemli, prisustvo vode i temperatura zemljišta; prirodna otpornost različitih grupa kostiju na destrukciju (kosti fetusa, dečjih individua i starijih osoba podložnije su propadanju); pogrebna praksa, odnosno intenzitet sahranjivanja (čest je slučaj, kao i ovde u Omoljici, da se na nekropolama pored crkvenih objekata naiđe na visok intenzitet sahranjivanja, tj. na ukopavanje novih u stara groblja, sl. 1 i 2), kao i to da li su rake bile obeležene ili ne, da li postoje grobne konstrukcije ili ne, da li su posle porođaja sa smrtnim ishodom majka i dete zajedno sahranjeni, da li su pokojnici mumificirani itd. Druga grupa faktora odnosi se na samo iskopavanje i na tehnike koje arheolozi mogu manje ili više da kontrolišu. Prilikom iskopavanja i podizanja skeletnih ostataka iz zemlje može doći do mehaničkog oštećenja skeleta i do "neprepoznavanja" fragmentovanih delova u zemlji (kosti fetusa, ukoliko su ruke pokojnice bile prekrštene na stomaku, mogu biti pomešane sa kostima šaka). Činjenica je da trudnoća sama po sebi, iako je fiziološko stanje, ipak nosi rizike koji mogu dovesti do fatalnog ishoda kako za majku, tako i za dete. Najvulnerabilniji momenat koji može rezultirati smrću majke jeste sam porođaj. U porođajne faktore u modernoj medicinskoj literaturi ubrajaju se porođajni put, plod kao porođa, The paper presents the case of the pregnant woman discovered at the medieval necropolis of "Preko Slatine" in Omoljica, a village near Pančevo. The necropolis is dated to the period of the 12th-13th century AD. It deals with a woman aged 25-30 (probably around 28 years old) in the advanced stages of pregnancy, discovered in grave No. 13. This paper presents the possible conditions that led to the death of this woman, but also the problems faced by anthropologists when they attempt to resolve individual cases like this. In paleodemographic research, the mortality rate of pregnant woman is an important element of a population's progress. Pregnant woman mortality is considered an adequate criterion for the social and sanitation conditions of a community and a sensitive indicator of health care and, sometimes, the skill level possessed by midwives or doctors.

Godine 2016, na Konkursu za sufinansiranje projekata iz oblasti istraživanja, zaštite i korišćenja muzejskog nasleđa Ministarstva kulture i informisanja Republike Srbije dobili smo značajna sredstva da pokrenemo projekat Izrada finalne dokumentacije i obezbeđivanje trajnog i bezbednog skladištenja osteološkog materijala sa ranijih antropoloških istraživanja u Sirmijumu.2 Kao što i sam naziv projekta kaže, njegova osnovna zamisao je pokušaj da se zaustavi višedecenijska nebriga za ovakvu vrstu nalaza, da se ukaže na probleme sa kojima se sreću antropolozi u radu sa skeletnim ostacima u muzejima, da se obrađeni antropološki materijal smesti u adekvatnu, ali ovog puta trajnu ambalažu, propisno obeleženu, i da se primereno dokumentuje. Sve bi to obezbedilo očuvanje, omogućavanje bolje dostupnosti i zaštitu humanog osteološkog materijala u muzejima za potrebe budućih istraživanja i prezentacije. Od svih muzeja u Srbiji, izabrali smo, za početak, Muzej Srema i materijal iz Sremske Mitrovice (Sirmium) i njene bliže okoline, ne samo zato što je to jedan od najznačajnijih antičkih i srednjovekovnih lokaliteta u našoj zemlji, već i zato što je antropološki obrađeno i analizirano, fotografisano i publikovano, od strane N. Miladinović-Radmilović i njenih saradnika, već nešto više od 1.000 osoba. Takođe, time bi se stvorio preduslov da se u Muzeju Srema napravi sveobuhvatna antropološka zbirka kao baza za sva buduća istraživanja humanog osteološkog materijala u Sremu.

U tekstu će biti prikazana anatomska varijacija patella bipartita na humanom osteološkom materijalu sa antičkih lokaliteta u Sremskoj Mitrovici (Sirmium). Biće reči o etiologiji anatomske varijacije, o njenim varijantama, terminologiji u literaturi, kao i o učestalosti i distribuciji same pojave. Anatomska varijacija patella bipartita predstavlja zaseban osifikacioni centar na pateli. Iz tog osifikacionog centra može se razviti jedna kost ili više manjih na superiorno-lateralnoj ivici patele. Nastala kost, ili kosti, mogu čak delimično ili upotpunosti srasti sa patelom. Trebalo bi biti krajnje oprezan prilikom interpretacije da se ova anatomska varijacija ne protumači pogrešno kao zalečena fraktura patele. Takođe, ukoliko je patela sa ovakvom anatomskom varijacijom prisutna u arheološkom materijalu, treba voditi računa da se njeni nesrasli delovi prepoznaju i pravilno identifikuju.

Godine 2016. na Konkursu za sufinansiranje projekata iz oblasti istraživanja, zaštite i korišćenja muzejskog nasleđa Ministarstva kulture i informisanja Republike Srbije dobili smo značajna sredstva da pokrenemo projekat Izrada finalne dokumentacije i obezbeđivanje trajnog i bezbednog skladištenja osteološkog materijala sa ranijih antropoloških istražiavanja u Sirmijumu. Od svih muzeja u Srbiji, izabrali smo za početak Muzej Srema i materijal iz Sremske Mitrovice (Sirmium) i njene bliže okoline, ne samo zato što je to jedan od najznačajnijih antičkih i srednjovekovnih lokaliteta u našoj zemlji, već zato što je antropološki obrađeno i analizirano, fotografisano i publikovano, nešto više od 1.000 osoba. U periodu od avgusta do oktobra meseca 2016. godine uspeli smo da formiramo antičku antropološku zbirku u Muzeju Srema u Sremskoj Mitrovici, važnu ne samo za proučavanje stanovništva Srema u antičkim periodima već i cele teritorije Srbije. Stvaranje zbirke je, pored zaštite, omogućilo i bolju dostupnost humanog osteološkog materijala za potrebe budućih istraživanja i prezentacije.

This paper presents diseases which directly leave traces on osteological material (enamel hypoplasia, caries, traumatic conditions, haematological disorders, metabolic diseases and middle ear inflammation) and diseases that leave no visible marks on bones, and may indeed be the direct cause of death of children in ancient Sirmium. In paleodemographic research, child mortality rate is an important element of a population’s progress. Child mortality is considered an adequate criterion for the social and sanitation conditions of a community and a sensitive indicator of inadequate nutrition.

In 2014, at the Belgrade Fortress, the bones of a female individual, aged 3-4 years were discovered in Grave no. 1, in sondage 2/2014. Dental and paleopathological analysis revealed traces of enamel hypoplasia on the teeth, while the bones of the cranial and postcranial skeleton showed traces of scurvy and tuberculosis.