Paleopathological analysis on skeletons excavated Van Castle Mound (2010-2012) excavations

The first excavations in the Van Castle Mound, located to the north of the Van Castle, were started in 1939 by Kirsopp and Silva Lake. Excavations in the mound continued between 1989 and 1991 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Taner Tarhan. In 2010, work on the Van Castle Mound was resumed under the leadership of Asist. Prof. Erkan Konyar. The material of this study consists of skeletons dated to the medieval and modern ages, which were unearthed in 2010-2012. As a result of the studies, 377 individuals were identified. These individuals were examined from a paleopathological point of view and information about the life styles of the society was tried to be obtained. 2010-2012 The pathologies encountered in the Medieval and Modern Age Society of the Van Castle Mound are grouped under 5 headings. The most common metabolic disease in the population is cribra orbitalia with a rate of 28.42%. Another pathology that gives important information about the health structure of the society is porotic hyperostosis, which is observed at a rate of 20.39%. These two lesions were mostly observed in infants and children. Congenital anomalies are the most observed pathology in terms of diversity in the society and are grouped under 8 headings. Craniosynostotis is the most common congenital anomaly with a rate of 15.15% in the community. It is estimated that these anomalies occur due to genetic origin and stress or environmental factors experienced by the individual. In the community, 7 pathological lesions related to lifestyle have been detected. The rate of peripheral osteoarthritis detected in adult individuals is 31.81%. Osteoarthritis observed in at least 1 vertebra is 57.80%. Schmorl's nodule was observed in the general population at a rate of 50.27%. Lifestyle-related diseases increase with age. There is periostitis with a rate of 55.67% in the population, which was also examined in terms of infectious diseases. It is thought that the 2010-2012 Van Castle Mound Community had an agriculture-based economy, lived in an unhygienic environment and had an inadequate nutritional status, due to the fact that members of the society of all ages and genders were affected by pathological phenomena, the infectious diseases observed in the community were higher than other Anatolian societies, the infant and child mortality rates were higher (55.70%), and the lifestyle-related diseases were observed in the society from a young age.