Universidade de Lisboa
Anthropology
In this paper I will analyze the healing practices of the different churches I observed during my fieldwork in 2010, that took place in the Zion Church in Maputo and Matola. Zion Church, classified as AIC, African Independent Church, is a... more
In this paper I will analyze the healing practices of the different churches I observed during my fieldwork in 2010, that took place in the Zion Church in Maputo and Matola. Zion Church, classified as AIC, African Independent Church, is a transnational phenomenon that spread in South Africa at the beginning of 20th century by the action of North-American missionaries.
The Zion church was introduced in Mozambique by the local workers returned from the South African mines during the colonial period, but its diffusion in the country became considerable after the economic liberalization of the 80’s and, especially, after the end of the civil war in 1992.
Nowadays, the Zion church, whose principal characteristic is that of healing and exorcising evil spirits through the Holy Ghost’s force, is one of the most popular religious movements in southern Mozambique, although it is often depicted as the religion of the marginalized people.
In Maputo, Zion church is a heterogenic reality; each church has, in fact, its peculiar way of healing and bargaining with spirits. Being a ‘Zion’ implies different ways of experiencing the world, coping with spirits, reworking the past, and interpreting local cosmologies. In fact, the Holy Ghost is just one of the many healing spirits helping people to restore their life.
I will discuss how church members, leaders, prophets and patients come to terms with affliction, interpreting it and manipulating the world of the ancestors and spirits.
Thereafter, I will show how the healing process among Zion Church is a long negotiation of meanings between prophets and patients, through which they attempt to manage and, at the same time, exploit a “heathen” past. This memory of the past, embodied in evil spirits, is experienced as a dangerous legacy which may threaten people life, provoking poverty and family problems.
Finally, by presenting the life story of two woman prophetess - pastors, I will discuss how women play a relevant role in the churches and how they usually lead not only the healing processes, but the whole community church, subverting the general idea of a hierarchy based on the power of men.
The Zion church was introduced in Mozambique by the local workers returned from the South African mines during the colonial period, but its diffusion in the country became considerable after the economic liberalization of the 80’s and, especially, after the end of the civil war in 1992.
Nowadays, the Zion church, whose principal characteristic is that of healing and exorcising evil spirits through the Holy Ghost’s force, is one of the most popular religious movements in southern Mozambique, although it is often depicted as the religion of the marginalized people.
In Maputo, Zion church is a heterogenic reality; each church has, in fact, its peculiar way of healing and bargaining with spirits. Being a ‘Zion’ implies different ways of experiencing the world, coping with spirits, reworking the past, and interpreting local cosmologies. In fact, the Holy Ghost is just one of the many healing spirits helping people to restore their life.
I will discuss how church members, leaders, prophets and patients come to terms with affliction, interpreting it and manipulating the world of the ancestors and spirits.
Thereafter, I will show how the healing process among Zion Church is a long negotiation of meanings between prophets and patients, through which they attempt to manage and, at the same time, exploit a “heathen” past. This memory of the past, embodied in evil spirits, is experienced as a dangerous legacy which may threaten people life, provoking poverty and family problems.
Finally, by presenting the life story of two woman prophetess - pastors, I will discuss how women play a relevant role in the churches and how they usually lead not only the healing processes, but the whole community church, subverting the general idea of a hierarchy based on the power of men.
- by Giulia Cavallo
- •
The Zion churches, classified as AIC, are part of a transnational phenomenon that spread in South Africa at the beginning of 20th century by the action of North-American missionaries. In Mozambique, the “Work of Zion” was introduced by... more
The Zion churches, classified as AIC, are part of a transnational phenomenon that spread in South Africa at the beginning of 20th century by the action of North-American missionaries.
In Mozambique, the “Work of Zion” was introduced by the local workers returned from the South African mines during the colonial period, but its diffusion in the country became considerable after the economic liberalization of the 80’s and, especially, after the end of the civil war in 1992. Nowadays, the Zion churches, whose principal characteristic is the spiritual healing through the prophets’ work, represent one of the most popular religious movements in southern Mozambique.
In this paper I will show how the complex local spiritual world is reshaped among some Zion churches in Maputo and Matola, Southern Mozambique.
In Southern Africa the missionary work introduced a dichotomist vision about spiritual forces, in which all the “heathen” spirits, especially those that cause possession, were considered evil and classified as “demons”. Despite the missionary influence, especially in the lexicon, the Zion churches which I worked with in Maputo and Matola reformulate every day, through the performance of their healing practices, the local perception of evil, which is much more fluid and connected to the logic of kinship allegiances. In this way, among the Zion churches the meaning of “mademonio” and “angels” is quite different than the one introduced by the missionaries and this linguistic ambiguity represented the major challenge for my work.
In Mozambique, the “Work of Zion” was introduced by the local workers returned from the South African mines during the colonial period, but its diffusion in the country became considerable after the economic liberalization of the 80’s and, especially, after the end of the civil war in 1992. Nowadays, the Zion churches, whose principal characteristic is the spiritual healing through the prophets’ work, represent one of the most popular religious movements in southern Mozambique.
In this paper I will show how the complex local spiritual world is reshaped among some Zion churches in Maputo and Matola, Southern Mozambique.
In Southern Africa the missionary work introduced a dichotomist vision about spiritual forces, in which all the “heathen” spirits, especially those that cause possession, were considered evil and classified as “demons”. Despite the missionary influence, especially in the lexicon, the Zion churches which I worked with in Maputo and Matola reformulate every day, through the performance of their healing practices, the local perception of evil, which is much more fluid and connected to the logic of kinship allegiances. In this way, among the Zion churches the meaning of “mademonio” and “angels” is quite different than the one introduced by the missionaries and this linguistic ambiguity represented the major challenge for my work.
This paper tests the validity of the circumference at the nutrient foramen of the tibia for sex determination on two human osteological collections: the Lisbon Collection of Identified Skeletons (n = 160) and the São Martinho medieval... more
This paper tests the validity of the circumference at the nutrient foramen of the tibia for sex determination on two human osteological collections: the Lisbon Collection of Identified Skeletons (n = 160) and the São Martinho medieval archaeological collection from Leiria, Portugal (n = 57). The methodological approach chosen to conduct the test was the sectioning point method. The overall accuracy (males and females combined) in the Lisbon Collection was 78% and in the São Martinho Collection it reached 90%. In both series, females were more accurately classified than males. This paper advocates the importance of developing and using sample specific methods for sex determination in modern and in archaeological human osteological assemblages. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- by Susana J Garcia
- •
Contribuir para o conhecimento do estado sanitário de uma população urbana portuguesa que teve na Idade Média o seu tempo e espaço de vivência foi o objectivo central desta dissertação. Para cumprir este propósito privilegiou-se o estudo... more
Contribuir para o conhecimento do estado sanitário de uma população urbana portuguesa que teve na Idade Média o seu tempo e espaço de vivência foi o objectivo central desta dissertação. Para cumprir este propósito privilegiou-se o estudo do crescimento, de indicadores de stresse não específicos (linhas de Harris, hipoplasias lineares do esmalte dentário e cribra orbitalia), de sinais infecciosos não específicos (sinusite maxilar crónica, lesões endocranianas e periostite, periostose e osteomielite) e a pesquisa de patologias crónicas que deixam vestígios da sua presença no osso humano (ex. tuberculose e brucelose). Uma abordagem comparativa foi adoptada no estudo de vários parâmetros demográficos, padrões de crescimento em crianças e estatura em adultos. A amostra analisada compreendeu 157 indivíduos, 94 adultos e 63 não-adultos, exumados do cemitério medieval (século XIII-XVI) situado na Praça de São Martinho em Leiria. Importa referir que o estado de conservação dos esqueletos analisados era bom (em média foram recuperados cerca de metade dos ossos de cada esqueleto), permitindo a estimativa da idade à morte em todos os esqueletos de não-adultos e na maioria dos esqueletos de adultos (76,6%), recorrendo-se para o efeito a vários métodos (desgaste dentário, modificações degenerativas da extremidade esternal das costelas, da sínfise pública e da superfície auricular). Na diagnose sexual de adultos foi possível testar alguns procedimentos metodológicos recentes com base em variáveis métricas do esqueleto pós-craniano que permitiram diagnosticar o sexo em quase todos estes esqueletos (93,6%). Os resultados da análise paleodemográfica indiciam estar-se perante uma amostra aleatória, já que aqui estão representados todos os grupos etários e a razão entre os sexos é equilibrada, embora o número de homens seja ligeiramente superior (1,2:1). Os dados apontam para uma elevada mortalidade antes dos 12 anos de idade, embora uma franja considerável de indivíduos tenha atingido idades avançadas (> 50 anos). As crianças da série de São Martinho eram pequenas para a idade, embora o seu crescimento não fosse muito diferente do das crianças que viveram em Lisboa em meados do século XX e, os adultos eram inclusive mais altos que os adultos portugueses de Novecentos. Por outro lado, os indicadores de stresse eram comuns na amostra em todas as idades e em ambos os sexos. Os não-adultos com indicadores de stresse e também com sinais de doença infecciosa não específica eram mais baixos para a idade do que os que não exibiam estes sinais, mas em contrapartida morreram, em média, mais tarde. Os não-adultos não apresentaram mais marcadores de stresse nem doenças de natureza infecciosa (específica e não específica) do que os adultos. De destacar a detecção de vários possíveis casos de tuberculose, encontrando-se as manifestações mais evidentes da doença em esqueletos imaturos. Este é o primeiro estudo a sugerir a presença de tuberculose em crianças medievais portuguesas. Em termos sexuais registou-se uma maior prevalência de lesões de natureza infecciosa não específica em esqueletos masculinos e não se encontraram diferenças significativas nem em relação à patologia traumática, nem em relação à prevalência de cáries ou de inflamações periapicais. Contudo, a perda dentária ante mortem era mais comum nas mulheres. A idade surgiu como um agente potenciador na ocorrência de lesões traumáticas apenas na amostra feminina, possivelmente devido ao aumento da fragilidade óssea que se segue à menopausa. Os homens eram mais afectados pela artrose nas articulações do tronco e membros superiores (esternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, ombro, pulso e mãos) e as mulheres eram mais afligidas nas articulações envolvidas na locomoção (anca, joelho e pé). A artrose ao nível das facetas articulares das vértebras era extremamente comum em ambos os sexos, mas a remodelação das facetas era mais pronunciada e frequente entre os indivíduos do sexo masculino. A análise paleopatológica indicou que a vida em Leiria, neste período, seria dura, pois registou-se uma elevada prevalência de indicadores de stresse, de fracturas e de doenças infecciosas. Por outro lado, também se encontraram indicadores que sugeriam que alguns indivíduos conseguiam sobreviver a lesões traumáticas severas e atingir idades relativamente avançadas, apresentando mazelas comuns aos idosos do presente. A perda dentária ante mortem total (ou quase), a artrose da anca e do joelho, alguns casos de osteoporose diagnosticada através da presença de fracturas de fragilidade típicas (compressão das vértebras, fractura do segmento distal do rádio e proximal do fémur) e a identificação de vários esqueletos masculinos com síndrome de Forestier, são disso exemplo.
Palavras-chave: paleopatologia, Baixa Idade Média, padrões de crescimento, indicadores de stresse, doenças infecciosas não específicas, tuberculose, trauma, artrose, patologia dentária, contexto urbano.
Palavras-chave: paleopatologia, Baixa Idade Média, padrões de crescimento, indicadores de stresse, doenças infecciosas não específicas, tuberculose, trauma, artrose, patologia dentária, contexto urbano.
- by Susana J Garcia
- •
The main purpose of this study was to explore health and disease patterns in a late medieval urban Portuguese community. The sample utilized comprises the skeletal remains of 157 individuals, 94 adults and 63 non-adults, excavated from... more
The main purpose of this study was to explore health and disease patterns in a late medieval urban Portuguese community. The sample utilized comprises the skeletal remains of 157 individuals, 94 adults and 63 non-adults, excavated from the urban (13th to 16th century) medieval cemetery of São Martinho in Leiria (central Portugal). The frequency and prevalence of non-specific stress indicators (Harris lines, linear enamel hipoplasias and cribra orbitalia), non-specific infections (chronic maxillary sinusitis, endocranial lesions, periostitis, osteitis and osteomyelitis) and specific infectious and non-infectious diseases like trauma was recorded. Reconstruction and comparative analysis of demography, skeletal growth patterns and adult stature were also carried out. Overall, the skeletal material was very well preserved (on average half of the bones were recovered from each skeleton), which provided excellent conditions to estimate age at death in all of the non-adult skeletons and in 76.6% of the adults. For the non-adults, age at death was primarily estimated by methods based on dental linear growth, but when no teeth were available age was estimated by diaphyseal lengths and skeletal maturation. Several methods were used in estimating age at death of the adults: dental wear, degenerative changes of the sternal ends of the ribs, metamorphosis of the pubic symphisis and of the auricular surface. A hierarchical approach was used to determine the sex of the adults and 93.6% of individuals could be sexed. The paleodemographical reconstruction suggests that the study sample was randomly formed because all age groups are represented and the sex ratio is balanced, although more males were recovered (1.2:1). Non-adult mortality was probably very high in this population, as 36.6% of all skeletons in the sample are under 12 years of age. Comparatively, only 31.9% of the adults died after 50 years of age. Children were found to be small for their dental age but, unexpectedly, they were not much shorter than early to middle 20th century children from Lisbon. On average, medieval adults were even taller than modern adults from Lisbon (20th century), suggesting a prolonged period of growth in the past since non-adults were smaller. Non-specific stress indicators were very common in all age groups and in both sexes. Non-adults with stress indicators or with non-specific infections were shorter but died at an older age compared to non-adults without the same stress markers. Non-adults did not show significantly more stress indicators or non-specific infections than adults. Several possible cases of tuberculosis were identified in the study sample, being the non-adults the most affected. These are the first documented cases of tuberculosis in medieval Portuguese children. Males showed more signs of non-specific infections than females, but no sex differences were detected in prevalence and frequency of fractures and of caries and periapical lesions. However, tooth loss was more common among females. Old age was a fracture risk only to women, which could have resulted from osteopenia. Osteoarthritis was more prevalent among males in the following joints: sternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, shoulder, wrist and hand. More females than males were affected by hip, knee and foot osteoarthritis. Apophyseal facet modification caused by osteoarthritis was very common in both sexes. However, facet remodelling was more severe among males suggesting a more demanding activity. Paleopathological analysis suggests that life was difficult in this medieval urban community, due to the high prevalence of stress indicators, trauma and infectious diseases. On the other hand, life was probably not much harder than in the beginnings of the 20th century in Portugal as the patterns of growth of non-adults and adults were similar, life expectancy for some individuals was high and some were also affected by modern illnesses, such as tooth loss, root caries and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Females were also affected by osteoporosis and males also by DISH.
Key-words: paleopathology, Middle Ages, growth patterns, non-specific stress indicators, non-specific infection, tuberculosis, trauma, osteoarthritis, oral pathology, urban context.
Key-words: paleopathology, Middle Ages, growth patterns, non-specific stress indicators, non-specific infection, tuberculosis, trauma, osteoarthritis, oral pathology, urban context.
- by Susana J Garcia
- •
Objective The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult socioeconomic circumstances with age at death in a modern skeletal sample of known age. Specifically, this study wishes to test... more
Objective
The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult socioeconomic circumstances with age at death in a modern skeletal sample of known age. Specifically, this study wishes to test whether there is a relationship between early life stressors, environmental quality in adult life and premature mortality.
Methods
The presence/absence of LEH and the number of LEH episodes were recorded in 113 adult males from the Lisbon identified skeletal collection. The association between LEH and age was quantified using linear regression and binary logistic regression models, calculating crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients and odds ratios. The models were adjusted for year of birth, socioeconomic and migration status, and cause of death.
Results
The presence and number of LEH were related to premature mortality. Individuals expressing at least one enamel defect survived 9.0 years less or were 2.5 times more likely to die before 53 years of age compared to individuals with no LEH. However, when controlling for the confounding factors considered, the association between LEH and age became nonsignificant.
Conclusions
The results indicate that although early life stressors, identified as LEH, seem strongly associated with premature mortality, adulthood socioeconomic circumstances accounts for most of the decreased longevity. This suggests that either macroscopically identified LEH in the permanent canine do not measure stressors early in life, or that a cumulative adversity model is a more adequate explanation. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult socioeconomic circumstances with age at death in a modern skeletal sample of known age. Specifically, this study wishes to test whether there is a relationship between early life stressors, environmental quality in adult life and premature mortality.
Methods
The presence/absence of LEH and the number of LEH episodes were recorded in 113 adult males from the Lisbon identified skeletal collection. The association between LEH and age was quantified using linear regression and binary logistic regression models, calculating crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients and odds ratios. The models were adjusted for year of birth, socioeconomic and migration status, and cause of death.
Results
The presence and number of LEH were related to premature mortality. Individuals expressing at least one enamel defect survived 9.0 years less or were 2.5 times more likely to die before 53 years of age compared to individuals with no LEH. However, when controlling for the confounding factors considered, the association between LEH and age became nonsignificant.
Conclusions
The results indicate that although early life stressors, identified as LEH, seem strongly associated with premature mortality, adulthood socioeconomic circumstances accounts for most of the decreased longevity. This suggests that either macroscopically identified LEH in the permanent canine do not measure stressors early in life, or that a cumulative adversity model is a more adequate explanation. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- by Hugo Cardoso and +2
- •
Aqui tentarei deixar algumas das impressões sobre uma experiência que vivi durante oito semanas numa pequena comunidade nigeriana. O objectivo da viagem era o de fazer trabalho de campo com primatas não-humanos em Kwano (Estado de Taraba,... more
Aqui tentarei deixar algumas das impressões sobre uma experiência que vivi durante oito semanas numa pequena comunidade nigeriana. O objectivo da viagem era o de fazer trabalho de campo com primatas não-humanos em Kwano (Estado de Taraba, Gashaka) no nordeste da Nigéria, junto à fronteira com os Camarões, ficando integrada no The Gashaka Primate Project fundado em 2000 pela University College ondon. Apesar de não ser o propósito desta aventura o estudo das comunidades humanas, durante a minha estadia o contacto com os habitantes locais foi constante até porque devido a questões de segurança ia sempre para o terreno acompanhada por um assistente de campo da aldeia de Gashaka.
Before antibiotics leprosy patients often died due to comorbidities related to the natural clinical progression of this chronic infection. Therefore, leprosy per se is a very rare cause of death in human identified skeletal collections.... more
Before antibiotics leprosy patients often died due to comorbidities
related to the natural clinical progression of this chronic infection.
Therefore, leprosy per se is a very rare cause of death in human
identified skeletal collections. This research aims to present the
paleopathological study, including radiological analysis, of the only
individual having leprosy as the cause of death belonging to the Luís
Lopes Collection, housed at the National Museum of Natural History
and Science, Lisbon, Portugal. Biographical data available reveals
that MB-35 skeleton belonged to a 47 years old postman who died in
Lisbon in 1931. Additional clinical and occupational information
were collected respectively in the historical archives of the
Directorate-General of Health and the Portuguese Communications
Foundation. The MB-35 skeleton was very well preserved and
presented anatomical variations in the rib cage. Leprosy related
changes were confined to hand phalanges and lower limbs, namely
tibiae, fibulae and foot bones. The pattern of skeletal involvement,
including the absence of rhinomaxillary lesions, is highly suggestive
of a probable case of tuberculoid leprosy – a type of leprosy rarely
reported in paleopathological literature. This diagnosis is further
discussed under the light of medical and paleopathological
knowledge regarding tuberculoid leprosy and also taking into
consideration the life history of this individual.
related to the natural clinical progression of this chronic infection.
Therefore, leprosy per se is a very rare cause of death in human
identified skeletal collections. This research aims to present the
paleopathological study, including radiological analysis, of the only
individual having leprosy as the cause of death belonging to the Luís
Lopes Collection, housed at the National Museum of Natural History
and Science, Lisbon, Portugal. Biographical data available reveals
that MB-35 skeleton belonged to a 47 years old postman who died in
Lisbon in 1931. Additional clinical and occupational information
were collected respectively in the historical archives of the
Directorate-General of Health and the Portuguese Communications
Foundation. The MB-35 skeleton was very well preserved and
presented anatomical variations in the rib cage. Leprosy related
changes were confined to hand phalanges and lower limbs, namely
tibiae, fibulae and foot bones. The pattern of skeletal involvement,
including the absence of rhinomaxillary lesions, is highly suggestive
of a probable case of tuberculoid leprosy – a type of leprosy rarely
reported in paleopathological literature. This diagnosis is further
discussed under the light of medical and paleopathological
knowledge regarding tuberculoid leprosy and also taking into
consideration the life history of this individual.
This paper presents the osteological analysis of a young adult exhumed from the cemetery associated to Igreja do Carmo, Lisbon, Portugal, during the second archaeological intervention in 2010/2011. Although the cemetery had been used... more
This paper presents the osteological analysis of a young adult exhumed from the cemetery associated to Igreja do Carmo, Lisbon, Portugal, during the second archaeological intervention in 2010/2011. Although the cemetery had been used between the beginning of the 15th century and 1755 AD, the archaeological context of the burial allows us to gauge its dating between the 17th and the 18th centuries. The skeleton is distinguished by a cranial morphology suggestive of an African origin and intentional dental modifications. These consist of the removal of both incisal angles of the upper incisors, which corresponds to a practice related to culture, commonly made in sub-Saharan Africa since prehistoric times. A periapical lesion was associated to the maxillary right central incisor that was apparently healthy but modified. The left clavicle showed bone remodelling along the shaft. Five ribs displayed new bone deposition, and the sternal end of the first left rib was deformed and destroyed. The differential diagnosis of the lesions gave rise to several possible pathological conditions, namely, treponematosis and chronic respiratory disease, particularly tuberculosis. Various macroscopic aspects and the geographical context lead us to consider venereal syphilis as the most probable diagnosis. Considering that, during the 16th century, Lisbon had become a fundamental part of the intercontinental maritime routes, it is not surprising that African people were buried in the cemeteries of Lisbon, allowing us to learn more about their lives and deaths.
Keywords: Cultural body modifications; venereal syphilis; Modern Age; Africans; Portugal.
Keywords: Cultural body modifications; venereal syphilis; Modern Age; Africans; Portugal.
O texto não segue o novo acordo ortográfico. As referências a autores, ao longo do texto, e a lista de referências bibliográficas seguem as instruções da American Psychological Association (APA), 6.ª edição. Resumo Este texto propõe uma... more
O texto não segue o novo acordo ortográfico. As referências a autores, ao longo do texto, e a lista de referências bibliográficas seguem as instruções da American Psychological Association (APA), 6.ª edição. Resumo Este texto propõe uma reflexão sobre como seria crescer na cidade de Leiria durante a Baixa Idade Média. As crianças estariam bem alimentadas e seriam saudáveis o suficiente para manterem padrões de crescimento ade-quados? Seriam as crianças cuidadas quando estavam doentes? Que peri-gos e doenças as afligiam? Estas questões podem ser, em parte, respondi-das com base nas evidências reveladas nos ossos dos habitantes mais no-vos de Leiria medieval. Os esqueletos estudados, num total de 63, foram recuperados do antigo cemitério associado à igreja de São Martinho. Crescer em Leiria na Baixa Idade Média era estar sujeito a inúmeros perigos e riscos. A mortalidade infantil era elevada, as doenças comuns, mas dantes como agora, as crianças eram cuidadas quando se encontravam doentes. A identi-ficação de casos de tuberculose óssea demonstra que lhes foram prestados cuidados de saúde. Por outro lado, a descoberta de que os adultos de Leiria eram mais altos e robustos, em média, do que os adultos que viveram em Lisboa e Coimbra no século XX mostra que as condições de vida em Leiria eram mais adequadas. Em suma, as evidências osteológicas revelam uma sociedade medieval de contrastes como o são as sociedades actuais.
Teeth play an important biological role (e.g., in feeding, speech) but also have social relevance as they are related to health status, hygiene and the ideal of beauty. Since ancient times, dentistry is concerned with dental treatments... more
Teeth play an important biological role (e.g., in feeding, speech) but also have social relevance as they are related to health status, hygiene and the ideal of beauty. Since ancient times, dentistry is concerned with dental treatments and embellishment. However, little is known about the techniques and materials used in each time period and region in Portugal. The aim of this study is to compare the dental procedures performed in individuals belonging to the Identified Osteological Collections of Lisbon and Coimbra, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in order to make a contribution to the history of Dentistry in Portugal. Dental fillings and prostheses were sought in adults from both sexes from Lisbon (n=200) and Coimbra (n=600), for whom the age, sex, place of birth, occupation, and cause of death are known. Dental fillings were identified in both samples although more frequently in the Lisbon collection. The most common restorative material was the amalgam, although other types of materials were identified (e.g., silicate cement). Most restorations were performed according to Black’s principle “extension for prevention”, bringing the margins of the filling out to the point where they could be readily reached by a toothbrush. Several types of dental prostheses were identified, namely partial removable prosthesis and dental crowns. Vulcanite, a material used in the production of dentures since the late 19th century until the 1930s, was also identified.The greater presence of dental procedures in individuals from the Lisbon collection can be related to a highest socioeconomic status of some individuals and/or a greater availability of dental care services in the Portuguese capital city. This study, besides making a contribution to the history of dentistry in Portugal, makes evident the great value of skeletal collections and paleopathology to the field of medical history.
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