Tamás Szeniczey1, Antónia Marcsik2, Zsófia Ács3, Tímea Balassa4, Zsolt Bernert5, Katalin Bakó6, Tamás Czuppon7, Anna Endrődi8, Sándor Évinger5, Zoltán Farkas9, Lucia Hlavenková10, Krisztina Hoppál11, Csaba Kálmán Kiss12, Krisztián Kiss13, Kinga Kocsis14, Loránd Olivér Kovács3, Péter F Kovács15, Kitti Köhler16, László Költő17, Ivett Kővári18, Orsolya László19, Gabriella Lovász20, Júlia Lovranits2, József Lukács6, Zsófia Masek16, Mónika Merczi21, Erika Molnár2, Csilla Emese Németh22, János Gábor Ódor23, László Paja2, Ildikó Pap5, Róbert Patay24, István Rácz25, Zsófia Rácz26, Ágnes Ritoók27, Gergely Szenthe27, Gábor Szilas8, Béla Miklós Szőke16, Zoltán Tóth28, Tivadar Vida26, Katalin Wolff26, Michael Finnegan29, Tamás Hajdu30. 1. Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary. Electronic address: szeniczeyt@caesar.elte.hu. 2. Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary. 3. Department of Archaeological Excavations and Artefact Processing, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, H-1088, Hungary. 4. BioMedical Centrum Ltd., Pomáz, H-2013, Hungary. 5. Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary. 6. Budavári Ingatlanfejlesztő és Üzemeltető Nonprofit Ltd., Budapest, H-1013, Hungary. 7. Hansági Museum, Mosonmagyaróvár, H-9200, Hungary. 8. Department of Prehistoric and Migration Period, Budapest History Museum, Aquincum Museum and Archaeological Park, H-1014, H-1031, Budapest, Hungary. 9. Salisbury Ltd., Budapest, H-1016, Hungary. 10. Institute for History of Medicine and Foreign Languages, Charles University, Prague, 121 08, Czech Republic. 11. Silk Road Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences-Eötvös Loránd University-Szeged University, Budapest, Hungary. 12. Heritage Consulting Ltd., Békéscsaba, H-5600, Hungary. 13. Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary. 14. Roska Tamás Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary; Neuronal Network and Behavior Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary. 15. Damjanich János Museum, Szolnok, H-5000, Hungary. 16. Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, H-1097, Hungary. 17. Rippl-Rónai Museum, Kaposvár, H-7400, Hungary. 18. International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland. 19. Archaeological Heritage Directorate, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, H-1113, Hungary. 20. Municipal Museum of Subotica, Subotica, 24000, Serbia. 21. Balassa Bálint Museum, Esztergom, H-2500, Hungary. 22. Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, H-1094, Hungary. 23. Wosinsky Mór County Museum, Szekszárd, H-7100, Hungary. 24. Ferenczy Museum Center, Szentendre, H-2000, Hungary. 25. Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary; Department of Archaeometry and Archaeological Methodology, Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1088, Hungary. 26. Department of Early Medieval and Historical Archaeology, Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1088, Hungary. 27. Department of Archaeology, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, H-1088, Hungary. 28. Dobó István Castle Museum, Eger, H-3300, Hungary. 29. Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA. 30. Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary. Electronic address: hajdut@caesar.elte.hu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) was examined in different periods of the Carpathian Basin from 4900 BCE to 17th century AD. The study seeks to evaluate temporal changes in HFI and the possible impact of lifestyle on it. MATERIALS: The studied material consisted of 4668 crania from Hungary and Serbia. METHODS: The crania were analyzed employing macroscopic and endoscopic examination. RESULTS: In historic periods, sex and age played a pivotal role in HFI development. Among predominantly pastoralist populations of the 5th-8th and 10th centuries, prevalence of HFI was considerably higher than in the medieval populations of the 9th-17th centuries. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to age and sex, other factors could be implicated in HFI development. The physiological effects of the pastoralist lifestyle and diet on insulin regulation could explain the increased risk of developing HFI in the 5th-8th and 10th-century populations. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides the first comprehensive dataset of HFI from different archaeological periods from the Carpathian Basin. It has implications for lifestyle and risk of HFI development in past populations. LIMITATIONS: The archaeological periods are not equally represented. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In order to better understand the etiology of HFI, lifestyle factors can be used to elucidate the risk of developing HFI in ancient populations.
OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) was examined in different periods of the Carpathian Basin from 4900 BCE to 17th century AD. The study seeks to evaluate temporal changes in HFI and the possible impact of lifestyle on it. MATERIALS: The studied material consisted of 4668 crania from Hungary and Serbia. METHODS: The crania were analyzed employing macroscopic and endoscopic examination. RESULTS: In historic periods, sex and age played a pivotal role in HFI development. Among predominantly pastoralist populations of the 5th-8th and 10th centuries, prevalence of HFI was considerably higher than in the medieval populations of the 9th-17th centuries. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to age and sex, other factors could be implicated in HFI development. The physiological effects of the pastoralist lifestyle and diet on insulin regulation could explain the increased risk of developing HFI in the 5th-8th and 10th-century populations. SIGNIFICANCE: The study provides the first comprehensive dataset of HFI from different archaeological periods from the Carpathian Basin. It has implications for lifestyle and risk of HFI development in past populations. LIMITATIONS: The archaeological periods are not equally represented. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: In order to better understand the etiology of HFI, lifestyle factors can be used to elucidate the risk of developing HFI in ancient populations.