Exploring the Evidence for Infectious Diseases in Byzantine Thebes, Greece

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.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22310