Papers by Ivan Jerković
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018
The study aimed to test the applicability of the Probabilistic Sex Diagnosis (DSP) method in the ... more The study aimed to test the applicability of the Probabilistic Sex Diagnosis (DSP) method in the bioarchaeological context by validation with known sex data obtained by aDNA analysis on the medieval samples from the Eastern Adriatic coast. We tested the method on 57 skeletons of known sex using 30 different combinations of measurements. The possibility of sex estimation ranged from 35.90 to 86.11% depending on the combinations used while sexing accuracy ranged from 92.86 to 100%. Females were classified correctly in all cases, and only one male was misclassified in all combinations that could be tested. Accuracy rates higher than 95% were obtained for every combination where the number of available measurements was larger than 15. Therefore, we encourage further validation of the method on different ancient populations and implementation of the method for creating reference sex data and development of metric and non-metric population-specific sex estimation standards.
On the archaeological site on the necropolis of the Ancient Salona skeletal remains of 25-34 year... more On the archaeological site on the necropolis of the Ancient Salona skeletal remains of 25-34 years old male were found. On the left lower leg there were extensive pathological changes which were manifested on tibia and fibula as thickening of the bone shafts and fusion of these bones by calcified fusiform mass. The bone borders were sharpened with a new lighter layer of bone, enthesophytes and/or with calcified tissue that merged with bone. Also, laminar bony outgrowths/plaques were visible on the bone surfaces. Periosteal reaction was visible on the right ulna, femora and tibiae.
Upon differential diagnosis, based on the affected compartment and the type of the ossification we have concluded that it was very probably a case of a calcific myonecrosis. However, due to lack of clinical data that are almost never available in ancient skeletons, we could not determine what had caused the condition. As it was to our knowledge the oldest finding of the disease and also the first one that describes pathology on the dry bone specimen, we believe that this case study will contribute both to the study of the antiquity of disease as well as to its manifestations on dry bones.
Aim To develop discriminant functions for sex estimation on medieval Croatian population and test... more Aim To develop discriminant functions for sex estimation on medieval Croatian population and test their application on contemporary Croatian population. Methods From a total of 519 skeletons, we chose 84 adult excellently preserved skeletons free of antemortem or post-mortem changes and took all standard measurements. Sex was estimated/determined using standard anthropological procedures and ancient DNA (amelogenin analysis) where pelvis was insufficiently preserved or where sex morphological indicators were not consistent. We explored which measurements showed sexual dimorphism and used them for developing univariate and multivariate discriminant functions for sex estimation. We included only those functions that reached accuracy rate ≥80%. We tested the applicability of developed functions on modern Croatian sample (n = 37).
In the identification process of historical figures, and especially in cases of Saint's bodies or... more In the identification process of historical figures, and especially in cases of Saint's bodies or mummified remains, any method that includes physical encroachment or sampling is often not allowed. In these cases, one of the few remaining possibilities is the application of non-destructive radiographical and anthropological methods. However, although there have been a few attempts of such analyses, no systematic standard methodology has been developed until now. In this study, we developed a methodological approach that was used to test the authenticity of the alleged body of Saint Paul the Confessor. Upon imaging the remains on MSCT and post-processing, the images were analyzed by an interdisciplinary team in order to explore the contents beneath the binding media (e.g. the remains) and to obtain osetobiographical data for comparison with historical biological data. Obtained results: ancestry, sex, age, occupation and social status were consistent with historical data. Although the methodological approach proved to be appropriate in this case, due to the discrepancy in the amount of data, identity could not be fully confirmed. Nonetheless, the hypothesis that the remains do not belong to St. Paul was rejected, whilst positive identification receives support.
In a Sidonian sarcophagus, from the Late Antique/early Christian period, skeletal remains of two ... more In a Sidonian sarcophagus, from the Late Antique/early Christian period, skeletal remains of two persons were found. One of them, male, 30–50 years old, was found almost completely ankylosed, with highly osteoporotic bones and prominent erosion of joint surfaces. We diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis based on the eroded odontoid process, mandibular condyles, distal humerus, proximal and distal ulna, as well ankylosed hand and foot bones. Despite the fact that ankyloses of vertebrae and sacroiliac joint could point towards ankylosing spondylitis, the lack of typical vertebral ankyloses and new bone formation led to exclusion. In a practical sense, due to the advanced stage of the disease, the man was fixed in the supine position, on the left, with his head turned to the right. Apparently, he could not move and had problems with chewing and breathing. But, the high standard of provided healthcare probably enabled him to survive in advanced stages of the disease. This case shed light on the antiquity of the disease, its medical, and social context and provided the example of most extreme osteological changes reported in the paleopathological and medical literature.
AbstrAct: The determination of sex is one of the first steps in anthropological analysis. When sk... more AbstrAct: The determination of sex is one of the first steps in anthropological analysis. When skeletal remains are fragmented, the most useful approach is application of osteometric methods. The methods are population specific, and therefore require development of discriminant functions for each population group. The aim of this study was to test sexual dimorphism of femoral measurements and to calculate discrimi-nant functions applicable for sex determination on fragmented skeletal remains on the late antique sample from the Eastern Adriatic coast (2 nd –6 th century AD). 214 randomly chosen skeletons from the excavation site Solin-Smiljanovac were analyzed. Sex and age were assessed using standard anthropological methods, and skeletons were examined for pathologic and traumatic changes. In the next step, we selected 27 female and 48 male skeletons free of peri-or post-mor-tem changes that could affect measurements Eight standard femoral measurements were taken. Sexual dimorphism was initially compared using independent sample t test, after which discriminant functions were computed. All femoral measurements showed statistically significant sexual dimorphism (p<0.001). Ten discriminant functions for every part of femur were calculated and obtained classification accuracy of 73.1–91.8%. This study reached relatively high classification, which will improve further analysis of the skeletal remains from the Salona necropolis. Due to similar population structure in the Roman period across the Adriatic coast, the discriminant functions could be applicable for all populations from the same period and area. This study also raised a few methodological questions showing that when creating discriminant functions we should consider not only the accuracy, but also the applicability based on the experience from the anthropology laboratory that considers the state of preservation and frequent pathology.
Although in the cases of war crimes the main effort goes to the identification of victims, it is ... more Although in the cases of war crimes the main effort goes to the identification of victims, it is crucial to consider the execution event as a whole. Thus, the goal of the research was to determine the trauma type and probable cause of death on skeletal remains of civilians executed by partisans from WWS found in the three karst sinkholes and to explain the context in which the injuries occurred. We determined biological profiles, pathological conditions, traumas, and assessed their lethality. Nineteen skeletons were found, 68.4% had, at least, one perimortem trauma, classified as lethal/lethal if untreated in 69.2% cases. The type of execution and administered violence showed to be age and health dependent: elderly and diseased were executed with the intention to kill, by the gunshot facing victims, whilst the more violent behavior expressed towards younger and healthy individuals was indicated by the higher frequency of blunt force trauma.
AIM:
To compare the population group from the Šopot graveyard with population groups from tradit... more AIM:
To compare the population group from the Šopot graveyard with population groups from traditional Croatian medieval graveyards by using anthropological, craniometrics, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis and to examine if the cultural differences between population groups reflect biological differences.
METHODS:
We determined sex, age at death, pathological, and traumatic changes of skeletal remains from the Šopot graveyard and compared them with a cumulative medieval sample from the same region. We also performed principal component analysis to compare skeletal remains from Šopot with those from Ostrovica and other Central European samples according to 8 cranial measurements. Finally, we compared 46 skeletons from Šopot with medieval (Ostrovica) and contemporary populations using mDNA haplogroup profiling.
RESULTS:
The remains from Šopot were similar to the cumulative sample in lifestyle and quality of life markers. Principal component analysis showed that they were closely related to Eastern Adriatic coast sites (including Ostrovica and Šopot) in terms of cranial morphology, indicating similar biological makeup. According to mDNA testing, Šopot population showed no significant differences in the haplogroup prevalence from either medieval or contemporary populations.
CONCLUSION:
This study shows that the Šopot population does not significantly differ from other medieval populations from this area. Besides similar quality of life markers, these populations also had similar biological markers. Substantial archeological differences can therefore be attributed to apparent cultural influences, which in this case do not reflect biological differences.
Programme and abstracts of the conference MetArh by Ivan Jerković
by Ina Miloglav, Ivor Karavanić, Mirna Cvetko, Maja Miše, Selena Vitezović, Manca Vinazza, Branko Mušič, Petra Basar, Frane Mihanovic, Bartul Šiljeg, Ivan Jerković, Katarina Šprem, Silvija Lasić, Sime Ivic, Katarina Pavlek, Igor Medarić, Matej Dolenec, and Mateja Moslavac Book of abstracts - 4th scientific conference Methodology and Archaeometry, Zagreb, 2016.
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Papers by Ivan Jerković
Upon differential diagnosis, based on the affected compartment and the type of the ossification we have concluded that it was very probably a case of a calcific myonecrosis. However, due to lack of clinical data that are almost never available in ancient skeletons, we could not determine what had caused the condition. As it was to our knowledge the oldest finding of the disease and also the first one that describes pathology on the dry bone specimen, we believe that this case study will contribute both to the study of the antiquity of disease as well as to its manifestations on dry bones.
To compare the population group from the Šopot graveyard with population groups from traditional Croatian medieval graveyards by using anthropological, craniometrics, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis and to examine if the cultural differences between population groups reflect biological differences.
METHODS:
We determined sex, age at death, pathological, and traumatic changes of skeletal remains from the Šopot graveyard and compared them with a cumulative medieval sample from the same region. We also performed principal component analysis to compare skeletal remains from Šopot with those from Ostrovica and other Central European samples according to 8 cranial measurements. Finally, we compared 46 skeletons from Šopot with medieval (Ostrovica) and contemporary populations using mDNA haplogroup profiling.
RESULTS:
The remains from Šopot were similar to the cumulative sample in lifestyle and quality of life markers. Principal component analysis showed that they were closely related to Eastern Adriatic coast sites (including Ostrovica and Šopot) in terms of cranial morphology, indicating similar biological makeup. According to mDNA testing, Šopot population showed no significant differences in the haplogroup prevalence from either medieval or contemporary populations.
CONCLUSION:
This study shows that the Šopot population does not significantly differ from other medieval populations from this area. Besides similar quality of life markers, these populations also had similar biological markers. Substantial archeological differences can therefore be attributed to apparent cultural influences, which in this case do not reflect biological differences.
Programme and abstracts of the conference MetArh by Ivan Jerković
Upon differential diagnosis, based on the affected compartment and the type of the ossification we have concluded that it was very probably a case of a calcific myonecrosis. However, due to lack of clinical data that are almost never available in ancient skeletons, we could not determine what had caused the condition. As it was to our knowledge the oldest finding of the disease and also the first one that describes pathology on the dry bone specimen, we believe that this case study will contribute both to the study of the antiquity of disease as well as to its manifestations on dry bones.
To compare the population group from the Šopot graveyard with population groups from traditional Croatian medieval graveyards by using anthropological, craniometrics, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis and to examine if the cultural differences between population groups reflect biological differences.
METHODS:
We determined sex, age at death, pathological, and traumatic changes of skeletal remains from the Šopot graveyard and compared them with a cumulative medieval sample from the same region. We also performed principal component analysis to compare skeletal remains from Šopot with those from Ostrovica and other Central European samples according to 8 cranial measurements. Finally, we compared 46 skeletons from Šopot with medieval (Ostrovica) and contemporary populations using mDNA haplogroup profiling.
RESULTS:
The remains from Šopot were similar to the cumulative sample in lifestyle and quality of life markers. Principal component analysis showed that they were closely related to Eastern Adriatic coast sites (including Ostrovica and Šopot) in terms of cranial morphology, indicating similar biological makeup. According to mDNA testing, Šopot population showed no significant differences in the haplogroup prevalence from either medieval or contemporary populations.
CONCLUSION:
This study shows that the Šopot population does not significantly differ from other medieval populations from this area. Besides similar quality of life markers, these populations also had similar biological markers. Substantial archeological differences can therefore be attributed to apparent cultural influences, which in this case do not reflect biological differences.