Bioarchaeological evidence of mycoses during the Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages transition in Central Italy
Researchers analyzed burials from the archaeological site of Selvicciola to study the health impacts of the transition from the Roman Empire to the Early Middle Ages. The study found evidence of fungal infections, likely exacerbated by changes in diet and agricultural practices during the Longobard migration.
Why it matters
Understanding how historical geopolitical shifts affected human health provides insight into the long-term consequences of societal collapse and environmental change.
The collapse of the Roman Empire led to significant changes in the health status of populations in Italy. Socio-cultural, climatic, and geopolitical shifts, including the migration of the Longobards, influenced the lifestyle of many post-Roman communities. Their conquest led to agricultural intensification and reduced crop diversity, which likely contributed to deteriorating health. In this study, we examine burials from the archaeological site of Selvicciola (Viterbo, central Italy, late fourth - early eighth centuries CE) and find evidence of mycoses infections in several individuals (C14 dated between 426 and 639 CE). We propose that changes in agriculture, limited diet, and environmental factors may have increased infection rates, including those caused by fungi, which are often underdiagnosed by paleopathologists. This is due to the lack of uniform criteria for identifying mycotic infections in the discipline.
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