Tracking of Infectious Diseases in Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) during the Bronze Age (ca. 3200-2200 BCE) through Anemic Signs Observed in Excavated Human Skeletons

A significant discovery from Shahr-i Sokhta, a Bronze Age site in Iran (3200–2200 BCE), reveals that nearly 40% of excavated adult skeletons exhibited signs of anemia, specifically cribra cranii and cribra orbitalia. These findings suggest widespread infectious diseases during childhood when bone tissue was still developing, leaving lasting skeletal markers. The study analyzed 96 adult remains from the MAIPS expeditions (2017–2021), employing paleopathological techniques to identify degenerative anomalies linked to anemia. While preliminary, these results highlight the potential of classical paleopathology in tracking historical diseases, with future molecular analyses expected to provide deeper insights into Bronze Age health conditions.

Bizhani, N., Vincenti, G., Seyyed Sajjadi, S. M., Dupouy-Camet, J., Shirazi, R., Nateghpour, M., Kargar, F., Shariati, V., Shariati, V., Fabbri, P. F., & Mowlavi, G. (2024). Tracking of Infectious Diseases in Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) during the Bronze Age (ca. 3200-2200 BCE) through Anemic Signs Observed in Excavated Human Skeletons. Iranian Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i6.15915