New Paleopathological Evidence of Tuberculosis in Child Skeletal Remains from Tell Aswad (8,730-8,290 cal. BC, southern Syria)

Abstract

Abstract. In palaeopathology, in addition to typical skeletal lesions, the study of secondary or minor lesions increases the level of detection of pathologies in human populations of the past. In this perspective, we examined skeletal remains from the Neolithic site of Tell Aswad, located in the central Levant (southern Syria) in order to detect lesions attributable to tuberculosis (TB) infection. Skeletal lesions, vertebral and endocranial, are observed on the skeletal remains of a child from the Early PPNB horizon. These endocranial lesions show the pattern of Serpens Endocrania Symmetrica (“SES”) that is attributed to leptomeningitis (chronic TB meningitis). On the anterior aspect of four thoracic vertebrae, a remodeling and enlargement of the vascular foramina were also observed, suggestive of TB infection. This new case represents another clue in favor of the early presence of human tuberculosis in the Levant dated to the Neolithic period, in the context of the adoption of agriculture and animal domestication.

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