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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / A Paleopathological Find on a La Tène Horse Skeleton Discov...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(12); 1775; doi: 10.3390/ani14121775

A Paleopathological Find on a La Tène Horse Skeleton Discovered in Rescue Archaeological Diggings in the Area of the Olympic Pool, Alba Iulia (CX 143 Pit).

Abstract: The reconstruction of past life based on archaeozoology is a challenging domain that offers a range of valuable details concerning former human and animal populations. Additionally, the ancient era is a source of information for human and veterinary medicine, as well as for other biological sciences. This report highlights a pathological lesion identified during the investigation of a horse skeleton from a pit dated La Tène in Alba County (Romania). The left scapula with lesions was collected from the skeleton of a buried 7-8-year-old male horse. The aforementioned bone underwent gross, radiological, and computerized tomography evaluation. Macroscopically, a collar of supraarticular cancellous hyperostosis was detected, most likely as a consequence of an invasive chronic phlegmonous periarthritis and/or bursitis of the infraspinate muscle following probably a penetrating cutaneous wound in the shoulder region. A suppurative periarthritisbursitis of the infraspinate muscle situated nearby caused, apparently, supraglenoidian periosteitis responsible for osteophytes and exostoses formation in the neck region of the scapula.
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Publication Date: 2024-06-13 PubMed ID: 38929394PubMed Central: PMC11201159DOI: 10.3390/ani14121775Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This research investigates a pathological condition found on the left scapula of a La Tène period horse skeleton discovered in Alba Iulia, Romania.
  • The study uses various examination techniques to better understand the disease process and its implications for ancient veterinary medicine and biological sciences.

Background and Context

  • Archaeozoology helps reconstruct the lives of past human and animal populations by analyzing animal remains found during excavations.
  • The La Tène culture is an Iron Age culture in Europe, roughly dating from 450 BCE to the Roman conquest.
  • Understanding animal diseases in ancient times can provide insights into historical veterinary practices and animal health, contributing to broader biological and medical fields.

Subject and Methods

  • The study focuses on a buried male horse roughly 7-8 years old, excavated from a pit labeled CX 143 in Alba County, Romania.
  • The left scapula (shoulder blade) with visible lesions was subjected to:
    • Gross examination for visible structural changes
    • Radiological analysis (X-rays) to assess internal bone condition
    • Computed tomography (CT) scanning for detailed internal 3D visualization

Findings

  • A distinctive collar of supraarticular cancellous hyperostosis was observed on the scapula, indicating abnormal bone growth above the joint surface.
  • The lesion was likely caused by:
    • Chronic phlegmonous periarthritis and/or bursitis of the infraspinatus muscle, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the muscle and joint.
    • This inflammation might have been triggered by a penetrating skin wound in the shoulder area.
  • The infection led to suppurative (pus-forming) inflammation of both the periarthritis and bursitis near the infraspinatus muscle.
  • This localized infection caused supraglenoid periosteitis, an inflammation of the periosteum (bone membrane) near the shoulder joint.
  • The chronic inflammation resulted in osteophytes and exostoses — new bone formations and bony outgrowths in the neck region of the scapula, which are often signs of attempts at healing or adaptation to injury.

Significance and Implications

  • The identification of this pathological lesion provides evidence for disease processes affecting horses in the Iron Age, contributing to paleopathological knowledge.
  • The lesion suggests that horses at the time could suffer from chronic infections likely initiated by wounds, similar to modern veterinary cases.
  • This finding strengthens the understanding of ancient animal care, health challenges, and possible causes of lameness or disability impacting horses used by humans.
  • The multi-modal examination approach (gross, radiological, and CT) demonstrates a thorough methodology for diagnosing ancient pathological conditions.
  • Overall, the research enriches the broader field of archaeozoology by documenting specific disease manifestations in ancient domestic animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Gudea A, Stan FG, Irimie A, Mârza S, Martonos CO, Gal A. (2024). A Paleopathological Find on a La Tène Horse Skeleton Discovered in Rescue Archaeological Diggings in the Area of the Olympic Pool, Alba Iulia (CX 143 Pit). Animals (Basel), 14(12), 1775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14121775

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 12
PII: 1775

Researcher Affiliations

Gudea, Alexandru
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Stan, Florin Gheorghe
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Irimie, Alexandra
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Mârza, Sorin
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Martonos, Cristian Olimpiu
  • School of Veterinary Medicine StKitts and Nevis, Ross University, Basseterre P.O. Box 334, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Gal, Adrian
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Grant Funding

  • (PFE)-14 (ID 546) / Ministerul Cercetării și Inovării

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Martonos CO, Gudea AI, Rawlins G, Stan FG, Lațiu C, Dezdrobitu CC. Morphological, Morphometrical and Radiological Features of the Pelvic Limb Skeleton in African Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) from Saint Kitts and Nevis Islands.. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 14;15(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15020209pubmed: 39858211google scholar: lookup
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