Exploring the Evidence for Infectious Diseases in Byzantine Thebes, Greece

Author(s): Maria Liston

Year: 2018

Summary

The excavation of an early and middle Byzantine cemetery, located in the former Sanctuary of Ismenion Apollo in Thebes, Greece, has provided an opportunity to examine the impact of infectious diseases in post-Classical Greece. The cemetery appears to be associated with a previously undocumented hospital, probably connected with the nearby church of St. Luke the Evangelist. The skeletons were found in rectangular rock-cut graves, all of which contained multiple burials. Two non-standard graves held multiple burials that had been placed in the cutting all at once. We interpret these as mass graves, associated with a catastrophic event, possibly the Justinianic plague. Other graves were used repeatedly, often with much of the upper bodies above the hips being removed prior to subsequent burials. 100% of the graves have multiple individuals with significant bone pathologies. The differential diagnosis of lesions suggests that leprosy was found in approximately 50% of the skeletons, supporting our interpretation that the cemetery is associated with a hospital or hospice. Leprosy appears to co-occur with other infections including brucellosis. Pathogen DNA analysis should help to confirm the diagnosis of these diseases and this project will provide a better understanding of the infectious pathogens that troubled Byzantine Thebes.

Cite this Record

Exploring the Evidence for Infectious Diseases in Byzantine Thebes, Greece. Maria Liston. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 ( tDAR id: 445221)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -10.151; min lat: 29.459 ; max long: 42.847; max lat: 47.99 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22310