Health and lifestyle in the Iron Age Italian community of Pontecagnano (Campania, Italy, 7th-6th century BCE).

ABSTRACT: This study investigates health, dental development, diet, and human-environment interactions in individuals buried in the necropolises of Pontecagnano (Campania, Italy, 7th-6th century BCE), using an integrated approach merging dental histomorphometry and calculus micro-residue analysis. The sample consists of 30 permanent teeth (canines, first and second molars) from 10 individuals. Histomorphometric analysis of dental thin sections allowed the estimation of crown formation times, initial cusp formation, crown completion, and enamel extension rates. The prevalence of Accentuated Lines, marking physiological stress events, was analyzed chronologically across tooth classes. Dental calculus analysis was performed on five individuals, identifying plant micro-remains and fungal spores. Crown f

SUBMITTER: Germano R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854131 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature