OBJECTIVE: Identification and paleopathological analysis of the remains of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Centre for Physical Anthropology 'Barge's Anthropologica', Leiden University. METHODS: In 1996, seven interments were discovered in situ in a tomb under the Nassau monument of the so-called 'Grote' or 'Onze Lieve Vrouwe' Church of the city of Breda. The interments were excavated and examined by osteological analysis, X-ray analysis, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating of bone and dendrochronological dating. RESULTS: Evaluation of archaeological, osteological, dendrochronological and AMS 14C-dating data resulted in identification. in order of death, of: Engelbrecht I van Nassau (ca. 1370-1442 AD), Johanna van Polanen (1392-1445 AD), Jan IV van Nassau (1410-1475 AD), Cimburga van Baden (1450-1501 AD), Maria van Loon (1425-1502 AD), Engelbrecht II van Nassau (1451-1504 AD) and Françoise van Savoye ((1480-1486)-1511 AD). Remarkable medical findings were: embalming procedures employed (skull cap detachment, removal of viscera), treponematosis (Engelbrecht II), tumour metastases (Jan IV) and scoliosis (Françoise van Savoye). CONCLUSION: The methods employed resulted in positive identification of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands and diagnoses of their paleopathological changes.
OBJECTIVE: Identification and paleopathological analysis of the remains of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Centre for Physical Anthropology 'Barge's Anthropologica', Leiden University. METHODS: In 1996, seven interments were discovered in situ in a tomb under the Nassau monument of the so-called 'Grote' or 'Onze Lieve Vrouwe' Church of the city of Breda. The interments were excavated and examined by osteological analysis, X-ray analysis, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating of bone and dendrochronological dating. RESULTS: Evaluation of archaeological, osteological, dendrochronological and AMS 14C-dating data resulted in identification. in order of death, of: Engelbrecht I van Nassau (ca. 1370-1442 AD), Johanna van Polanen (1392-1445 AD), Jan IV van Nassau (1410-1475 AD), Cimburga van Baden (1450-1501 AD), Maria van Loon (1425-1502 AD), Engelbrecht II van Nassau (1451-1504 AD) and Françoise van Savoye ((1480-1486)-1511 AD). Remarkable medical findings were: embalming procedures employed (skull cap detachment, removal of viscera), treponematosis (Engelbrecht II), tumour metastases (Jan IV) and scoliosis (Françoise van Savoye). CONCLUSION: The methods employed resulted in positive identification of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands and diagnoses of their paleopathological changes.