Paleopathology in Mesopotamia. A short overview

2012, 51, Tom 51, Nr A

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-

Publication date

03.01.2013

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open access

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Humanities

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archeology

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English

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Abstract

Archaeological excavations at sites of ancient Mesopotamia have been conducted since more than 150 years and after intensive works at remains of hundreds of cities, towns and villages we have now relatively good knowledge about Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians and other peoples inhabiting this region. Main source of this knowledge are cuneiform texts, frequently verified with use of archaeological finds. however, in spite of great progress in research, one important source of information – human remains – is still not sufficiently exploited. In contrast to ancient Egypt (ARMELAGoS, MILLS 1993; AUFdERhEIdE 2003), Greece (GRMEK 1991) or many other regions, almost everything that we know about the diseases in ancient Mesopotamiacomes from the texts, not from the research on human bones. Such underdevelopment seems strange for first view, especially when we try to imagine how many thousands of skeletons were unearthed so far in Mesopotamian sites. however, it turns clear in the face of several conditions.

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