Leveraging IsoArcH for isotope paleopathology: The example of the dataset from the Jedlička collection (Central Europe, 19th century CE)
Kévin Salesse,
Sylva Drtikolová Kaupová,
Arwa Kharobi,
Antony Colombo,
Jaroslav Brůžek,
Vítězslav Kuželka,
Petr Velemínský
Affiliations
Kévin Salesse
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia; Corresponding author.
Sylva Drtikolová Kaupová
Department of Anthropology, National Museum, Václavské námĕstí 68, 11579, Praha 1, Czechia
Arwa Kharobi
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czechia; Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole BH12 5BB, United Kingdom
Antony Colombo
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes-PSL University, Chair of Biological Anthropology Paul Broca, 4-14 rue Ferrus, F-75014 Paris, France; UMR 6034 Archéosciences Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, F-33607 Pessac, cedex
Jaroslav Brůžek
UMR 6034 Archéosciences Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, F-33607 Pessac, cedex; Laboratory of 3D Imaging and Analytical Methods, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czechia
Vítězslav Kuželka
Department of Anthropology, National Museum, Václavské námĕstí 68, 11579, Praha 1, Czechia
Petr Velemínský
Department of Anthropology, National Museum, Václavské námĕstí 68, 11579, Praha 1, Czechia
The article introduces the enhancements made to the IsoArcH database for isotope paleopathology. This includes the addition of new metadata fields, which allow for describing abnormal anatomical or physiological conditions in humans and animals at either the individual or sample level. To showcase the novel features of the database, the article features a unique dataset of carbon and nitrogen isotope values obtained on bulk bone collagen from 42 clinically-documented cases of the Jedlička pathological-anatomical reference collection, dating from the 19th century CE and curated at the National Museum in Prague, Czechia. The dataset includes 70 combined isotopic measurements from individuals who underwent anatomizations between 1841 and 1900 and had distinct bone diseases/disorders: i.e. syphilis, rickets, osteosarcoma, osteomyelitis, and healed fractures. Finally, the article highlights the value of the data in helping the isotope bioarchaeology and paleopathology communities in their understanding of disease processes.
