Osteological symptoms of tuberculosis: the case study of two Saltovo-Mayatsky groups (bioarchaeological aspects)

Individuals with bone manifestation of tuberculosis account for 3-5 % of the total number of ill persons which means that the chance of TB identification in buried remains is rather slim and special methodologies need to be developed. The paper reports on the results of testing a consolidated program aimed at estimating tuberculosis incidence based on the case study of two Saltovo-Mayatsky groups, i. e. the Dmitrievsky archaeological complex and the Mayatsky archaeological complex. Only adult individuals (292 skeletons) were examined. The cases described are typical predominantly for young individuals, with the disease prevailing among the males. The estimated disease incidence is consistent with the incidence of tuberculosis among pastoral groups. It is quite possible that when a representative dataset is selected, this infection can be analyzed in the course of bioarchaeological studies as a specific indicator of the economic system.