At the start of October, we had the pleasure of participating in the MetroArcheo 2024 conference hosted in the beautiful city of Valletta, Malta. Together with Prof. Alessia Nava, we presented two papers related to the ENIGMA MSCA-PF project and the MOTHERS-ERC Project
Our presentation highlighted the potential of lab-based imaging methods in studying ancient dental microstructures, specifically using a technique called Virtual Dental Histology. In bioarchaeology, understanding early life, survival rates, and even funerary practices for infants offers us a window into the social and cultural dynamics of past societies. Our research aimed to reconstruct the “pathobiography” (life and health history) of a newborn from Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus—an important and prominent Late Bronze Age settlement in the eastern Mediterranean.
Using propagation-based phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography (XµCT), we examined the dental crown of an upper central baby tooth, searching for signs of health stresses and determining both the newborn’s survival period and potential health challenges it faced. This advanced imaging technique allowed us to identify and analyze specific markers in the tooth enamel that serve as records of physiological stresses during the infant’s short life.
One of the most significant findings was the Neonatal Line (NL), a microscopic line in the enamel that indicates birth and helps determine survival time post-birth, could indeed be virtually and non-destructively detected with a lab-based X-ray imaging setup, instead of taking it to the more advanced Synchrotron micro-Tomography station. Our analysis showed that this newborn survived for approximately 23 days, as evidenced by the amount of enamel that formed after the Neonatal Line. Additionally, two other markers, known as Accentuated Lines (AL), appeared at 10 and 17 days after birth, possibly indicating stress episodes the infant experienced before passing away.
This study not only underscores the power of XµCT in estimating age-at-death and stress exposure but also demonstrates the value of lab-based techniques as complements to traditional methods in studying ancient remains, and in some cases an alternative to the more advanced Synchrotron Radiation microCT approach, the gold standard for Virtual Dental Histology.
Through projects like these, we can deepen our understanding of the lives of people in ancient societies, from the challenges they faced to the resilience they exhibited. The ENIGMA project is excited to continue this work, using both innovative imaging techniques to uncover the hidden histories within archaeological remains, as well as using known techniques to new materials. Stay tuned for more developments as we publish our findings and continue to shed light on the lives of the past.
The work that we presented here was also for me personally very interesting, as Cyprus and Larnaka, the location of the site of Hala Sala Tultan tekke, is very dear to me personally, and, the data that we presented in this paper was the first Tomography scan I ever performed with my MSCA supervisor Lucia Mancini – Thanks so much Lucia for the collaboration!
