The Anthropology of Infectious Diseases of Bronze Age and Early Iron Age from Armenia

This study reviews the evidence for thepresence of specific infectious diseases in Armenianskeletal series of Bronze Age and Early Iron Age.Throughout human history, pathogens have beenresponsible for the majority of human deaths. Factorssuch as age, sex, and nutritional status can influencewhether an individual contracts and develops aparticular infection, while environmental conditions,such as climate, sanitation, pollution, and contact withothers will affect the susceptibility of a population. Thefrequencies of such signs as osteomyelitis, peridontaldisease, leprosy, abscesses, and so forth, testify that thepeople experienced a variety of forces and durations—both internal and external—of stressful influences.Individuals from Sevan region may have had morechronic infections due to continued exposure to pathogensduring their lives as well as traumatic injuries. Sevenindividuals had nasopharyngeal lesions consistent with adiagnosis of leprosy. Dental caries was less severe in theSevan region, although dental abscesses (51 individuals)and antemortem tooth loss (87 individuals) were moreprevalent. In contrast, periodontal disease (8/18 adults)and antemortem loss (8/18 adults) of the molars weremore prevalent at the Shiraksky plain. Data focusing onclimate influence, migratory, and cultural habits in thepast are discussed.