Insediamenti di epoca sannitica nel territorio circostante la Valle del Torrente Tappino (Campobasso, Molise): I. L'esempio di Cercemaggiore-Gildone (ADN)

The first part of the paper reviews the evidence for prehistoric, Samnite and Roman settlement and land-use in the Tappino valley region, and discusses in detail two sites at Cercemaggiore-Gildone: a Samnite farmstead abandoned probably in the second century BC, and a nearby cemetery of the fifth to fourth centuries BC, which may be associated with the first phase of occupation at the farmstead. The demography, dental pathology, nutritional state and work-induced lesions of the cemetery population (23 individuals) are analysed in the second part of the paper. High frequencies of oral lesions, especially in females, can be related to a poor, high-carbohydrate diet. Diseases of the joints and bone fractures indicate heavy physical activities, particularly in men. The evidence suggests that agriculture was the most important economic activity of this population. The sample is compared with others from central-southern Italy and a number of close correspondences emerge. It would appear that socio-economic changes, including differences in territorial organisation and subsistence activities, brought about a worsening of the general health of the human population.