Original paper
Accessory sacroiliac joints and the iliosacral complex: two case studies from a medieval and post-medieval cemetery in northern Italy
Tesi, Chiara; Gorini, Ilaria; Bariatti, Elisabetta; Licata, Marta
Anthropologischer Anzeiger Volume 79 No. 2 (2022), p. 221 - 228
published: Feb 14, 2022
published online: Oct 18, 2021
manuscript accepted: May 31, 2021
final revised version received: May 23, 2021
manuscript revision requested: Apr 8, 2021
manuscript received: Nov 8, 2020
DOI: 10.1127/anthranz/2021/1401
ArtNo. ESP140007902008, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
The detection of parturition markers on archaeological pelvic bones is relevant for the reconstruction of the biological profiles of female individuals, in whose life history pregnancy represents a crucial biological event. During a preliminary study on a sample of 18 individuals from the medieval and post-medieval cemetery of San Biagio in Cittiglio (northern Italy), two skeletons exhibited evidence of noteworthy bony projections at the sacroiliac level. In clinical studies, these occurrences can be connected to several biological variables such as age, obesity, and multiple births, suggesting that they are a possible consequence of weight-bearing stresses. Here, we address two cases of accessory sacroiliac joints and the iliosacral complex found in two female individuals. The study is part of the anthropological analysis of the sample from the cemetery of Cittiglio (78 individuals have been investigated to date) and, in particular, of the examination of female and male pelves in order to highlight the expression and aspect of pelvic features in both sexes.
Keywords
pelvic bones • accessory sacroiliac joints • iliosacral complex • osteoarchaeology • paleo-obstetrics • parturition markers