Paleopathological analysis of Iasos Byzantine population

Within the scope of this thesis study, the skeletons of the individuals forming the Iasos Byzantine Population were examined and the health structure of the society was tried to be revealed. Trauma, infectious diseases, joint diseases, metabolic diseases, congenital anomalies and tumoral formations were observed in the Byzantine Population of Iasos. Trauma is seen at a rate of 13.3% in Iasos and all traumas healed while the individual was alive. When compared with other Anatolian Byzantine-Medieval societies, it is seen that trauma is less common in the Byzantine Population of Iasos. It is thought that the injuries were probably caused by minor accidents such as falling or hitting. Of the infectious diseases, only periostitis was observed in the community. Its incidence in the community is 17.2%. It exhibits an average value compared to other societies. The low rate of periostitis is generally attributed to the high level of hygiene and standard of living of the society. However, the 60.4% fetal-infant-child mortality rate shows that this probability is quite low. It seems reasonable to attribute the probable cause of periostitis, which is rarely seen in the Byzantine Population of Iasos, to the rapid death of individuals without reflection of the lesion on the bones of infected individuals. Among the joint diseases, vertebral osteoarthritis (24.6%), vertebral osteophyte (13.11%) and peripheral osteoarthritis are seen at a much lower rate in the Byzantine Population of Iasos compared to other Anatolian societies. Individuals belonging to the Byzantine Population of Iasos were excavated from the tombs around the basilica, and it is known that elites and religious officials were buried in or around sacred areas such as churches during the Byzantine Period. Therefore, it seems reasonable to think that the main reason for the low incidence of joint diseases may be elite individuals and religious officials rather than individuals engaged in fishing. Porotic hyperostosis (12%), cribra orbitalia ( 19.7%), femoral cribra ( 3.8%) and osteoporosis (5.1%) detected in the Byzantine Population of Iasos are biomarkers of metabolic diseases. Porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia are generally associated with iron deficiency. However, it is highly unlikely that these lesions due to iron deficiency will be seen in Iasos, whose main food source is seafood. In some studies , it has been stated that the cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis are caused by B12 deficiency rather than iron deficiency, and it has been reported that vitamin loss (B12) resulting from infections affecting the digestive system may cause these lesions. In this context, it is thought that the plague, which emerged in the 6th century and reached Anatolia by reappearing in the 14th century, may have reached Iasos in the Byzantine Period and may have affected the digestive system of people and caused lesions such as porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia in individuals. However, it should not be forgotten that the plague causes deaths very quickly and therefore the probability of leaving lesions on the bones is low. Sacralization (5%) and multi-block vertebrae (6.7%) of congenital anomalies are seen very rarely in the Iasos Byzantine Society. Likewise, osteoma, which is one of the tumoral formations, is observed very rarely in the Iasos Community (4.2%). In Iasos Byzantine Society, 62.3% of the population is immature individuals. When compared with other Anatolian Byzantine-Medieval societies, it is seen that this rate is quite high. The possibility of babies and children being buried around the basilica alongside elites and ministry can explain this high infant-child mortality rate in the Byzantine Population of Iasos. Additionally, the plague that spread to Anatolia may have greatly affected infants and children with weakened immune systems and may have caused their deaths.