Diversité biologique des enfants décédés en période périnatale et traitements funéraires au Kerma classique : Les exemples de la nécropole 8B-51 (Kerma classique, Nord Soudan) et des cimetières de Blandy-les-Tours (Xe-XIIe siècle, France) et de Provins (XIIIe-XVIIIe siècle, France)

A groundbreaking study reveals significant biological diversity among perinatally deceased individuals, challenging traditional assumptions about this understudied demographic. Analyzing 116 subjects from three archaeological collections—including the medieval town of Provins—and a virtual modern dataset, researchers identified distinct population-specific variations and age-related asymmetries. Notably, the Kerman group exhibited high biological proximity, potentially indicating endogamy, while medieval and modern groups showed greater diversity, reflecting socio-geographical or secular factors. The study also introduces muscle insertion regions as a new indicator of neonatal vitality and identifies cervical supernumerary ribs—a first in archaeological contexts—as a marker of morbidity. By integrating biological data with funeral practices from the 8B-51 necropolis in Sudan, this research offers unprecedented insights into perinatally deceased individuals' societal status and treatment.

Partiot, C. Diversité biologique des enfants décédés en période périnatale et traitements funéraires au Kerma classique : Les exemples de la nécropole 8B-51 (Kerma classique, Nord Soudan) et des cimetières de Blandy-les-Tours (Xe-XIIe siècle, France) et de Provins (XIIIe-XVIIIe siècle, France). https://doi.org/10.70675/f14c7622zdb7ez44c5z9431zf4cb6f1dd5f4