My primary research is on the Bioarchaeology of past population of Southern France. This includes works on the paleoanthropology and on the paleopathology of populations from Prehistory to modern times. To provide a secure actualistic framework for paleoanthropological studies, my researches are also focused on the three-dimensional imaging in paleoanthropology and prehistoric archeology. For this topic, I have organized an international colloquium in 2001 and conduct multidisciplinary research : the fovea-project (http://foveaproject.free.fr) ( French National Center of Scientif research Grant) on virtual archeology and paleoanthropology Currently, I am Research Scientist Associated at the Department of Prehistory into the French National Museum of Natural History and Chief of the Antenne of the Human Paleontology Institute in Europole Méditerranéenne de l’Arbois, Aix-en-Provence.
Abstract: The purpose of this report is to describe the case of a 46-year-old Comorian man in whom presentation with right hemiparesia with buccal and genital ulcerations lead to diagnosis of Behçet's disease. The most remarkable aspect of this case is the patient's ethnic group since Behçet's disease is less frequent in Africans than Caucasians. The most likely explanation for this difference is the absence of genetic susceptibility linked to HLAB51 that is rare in Africans. However lack of awareness of Behçet's disease and changes in environmental triggers in Africa cannot be ruled out.
Abstract: Dislocation of the hip can be consecutive to developmental dysplasia of the hip that is linked to a complex set of genetic and mechanical factors. The purpose of this report is to describe 13 cases of complete dysplastic hip dislocation observed in the skeletal remains of nine women exhumed from an historical gravesite dating from the 5th to 17th centuries in southern France. Despite the size of this palaeopathological series, which is the largest study published to date, ï¬ndings indicate that the prevalence of hip dislocation in this historical sample was still lower than in some French areas at the beginning of the 20th century. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing demonstrated possible kinship only between two women, i.e. one who died in the period from the 11th to 13th centuries and another who died in the period
from the 16th to 17th centuries. It is suggested that the tight swaddling of young infants in France up to the end of the 19th century could have been a predisposing factor for this highly debilitating disorder.
Abstract: The Middle Pleistocene open-air site of Biache-Saint-Vaast (Nord, France) has been dated between 150 and 200 kyears (A. Tuffreau, 1989). It delivered a mousterian industry and some human cranial remains mixed with a moderate/cold fauna. A posterior portion of neurocranium was discovered in situ (Biache-Saint-Vaast 1) and previously studied (B. Vandermeersch, 1982, H. Rougier, 2004). We present the study of other human cranial remains (Biache Saint-Vaast 2) that have been identified during the study of fauna assemblages. They include three fragments of the same skull: (i) a fragmented anterior portion of the frontal bone, (ii) the lateral squama of the left parietal bone in connection with the temporal bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, (iii) the anterior portion of the occipital bone.
After X-Ray CT scanning of each bone, we have carried out a virtual 3D reconstruction of the skull. The frontal bone fragments were isolated and repositioned. The left osseous block was articulated with the frontal bone. Its spatial position was based on several 3D references (X-Ray CT and 3D morphometric characteristics of other European Pleistocene hominids). The anterior fragment of the occipital bone has been positioned approximately because the anatomical connection.
The 3D anatomical and morphometric study of Biache-Saint-Vaast 2 and Biache-Saint-Vaast 1 clearly shows morphological similarities between those individuals and the so-called Classical Neandertals (i.e. beginning of a lambdoid flattening, reduced mastoid, elongated temporal bone, depressed external auditory meatus, supraorbital torus shape). These similarities support the hypothesis of Biache-Saint-Vaast fossils as being among the earliest Neandertals in Western Europe.
Abstract: A fragmented skull of a child aged between two and four years was discovered within a Magdalenian level (11255±50 BP,
OxA-16932) in the cave of Rochereil in the Dordogne departementâ, France. The presence of a lacuna in the frontal bone and the general appearance of the skull had led to the conclusion of a postmortem trepanation of one hydrocephalous child. Examination of the tables and of the diploe and, by means of electron microscopy, of the edges shows that the frontal lacuna is a pathological lesion and not a trepanation. Several dysmorphic and dysplasic lesions of deciduous teeth are associated. The virtual three-dimensional reconstruction of the cerebral skull rules out the previous diagnosis of hydrocephaly. The only tenable diagnosis is macrocrania.
Numerous aetiologies can be cautiously evoked for the large cranial lacuna and the associated dysmorphic lesions, but no conclusive,diagnosis can be put forward for this insulated skull. To cite this article: B. Mafart et al., C. R. Palevol 6 (2007).
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hallux valgus in a historical population in France, to identify associated skeletal abnormalities, and to look for an influence of footwear changes through time. METHODS: We studied the 605 first metatarsals found in the necropolis of the Notre-Dame-du-Bourg cathedral in Digne in the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence region of southern France. The necropolis contains remains from the 5th to the 17th century. RESULTS: Hallux valgus was identified only in individuals older than 30years at death, and its prevalence increased significantly with age. Exostosis at the medial and dorsal aspects of the head of the first metatarsal were common in advanced forms. The prevalence was comparable in males and females in the Middle Ages but was significantly higher in males in the 16th and 17th centuries, whereas in contemporary populations females are selectively affected. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the prevalence of hallux valgus over time suggests an influence of changes in footwear. The heeled shoes and boots made of stiff leather that men wore in premodern times probably promoted the development of hallux valgus. However, the prevalence of hallux valgus in women in western industrialized countries today is even higher than that in our historical population of older premodern individuals, suggesting an extremely deleterious effect of contemporary female footwear.
Abstract: The most reliable methods of determining sex from skeletal remains are based on examination of the hip bone. However, hip bone specimens may be incomplete or fragmented. The purpose of this study was to identify the best-preserved regions of the hip bone with the greatest diagnostic value for sex determination.
The Bruzek method of visual sex determination using 11 anatomic hip bone features was applied to a sample of 963 hip bones from the Notre-Dame-du-Bourg necropolis dating from the fourth to seventeenth centuries AD in Provence (Digne, France). Assessment of the value of various regions of the hip bone for sex determination in function of the degree of preservation showed that the ischiopubic pelvis complex was highly informative but often unavailable whereas the posterior region of the os coxae was as informative and much better preserved. This finding indicates that priority care should be given to the posterior coxal bone during exhumation.
Abstract: We carried out a series of research missions at sites in the Azrag area of Mauritania. The purpose was to obtain preliminary data on human footprints that have been discovered in the sediments of this palaeolake.
The El Azrag (âmulticolouredâ) sebkra flat is a vast sink located 30 km from the mining town of Zouerat. It is 6 km long and 1.5 km wide and is part of a larger network of successive sinks running from Northeast to Southwest over a distance of more than 25 km along the El Hammami sand dune chain. Anthropological study of 118 footprints included direct and photogrammetric measurements. Findings
demonstrated a wide variability in the measured parameters that cannot be adequately explained simply by the presence of children and adults of different sexes. Plantar weight bearing studied using the isthmus index and the morphology of the footprint seemed to be of the leukodermic type with a high arch. Comparison of these footprints with those of current inhabitants of the Azrag area of West Africa indicated greatest similarity with the Peuls and Maures from the Adrar especially with regard the length and width of the foot. Eleven trails of up to 21 footprints were studied. Our findings showed that the subjectâs gait was characterized by a difference in the weight-bearing area and step reach of the right and left foot, indicating that that the subject presented a deformity involving the lower extremities.
Abstract: Before Homo neanderthalensis various types of hominids occupied Europe, Homo heidelbergensis being one of them. We focused on examining the morphometric differences of the frontal bone between these two fossil hominid species on the one hand, and these species and the Modern Man on the other hand. The study population consisted of 36 European fossil hominids (10 Homo heidelbergensis, 26 Homo neanderthalensis) and a sample of 60 modern crania from a French historical necropolis. Metric methods and Procustes superimpositions were associated. A flatness and widening of the frontal scale and a district of the orbital cavities in Homo neanderthalensis compared to Homo heidelbergensis were highlighted. This study does not settle the matter of cladogenesis vs anagenesis between Homo heidelbergensis â Homo neanderthalensis, but suggests a clear difference of the morphological organization of the frontal bone in these species and in these hominids fossils as compared to Modern Man.
Abstract: Apical periodontitis (AP) are frequent findings in contemporary dental practice in association with dental pathology or dental care. They have also been studied from an anthropological background. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of apical and dental lesions in an archeological Middle Ages sample and a modern population, and to evaluate the influence of environmental factors. Both the archaeological sample group and dental practice subjects were from southern France. The study included full mouth surveys of 252 individuals (2,780 teeth) from a historic necropolis and 223 subjects (5,678 teeth) randomly selected from the Gard area. Tooth wear, caries, and AP were accounted for clinically and radiographically according to specific indexes. Significant differences were found between period and age in the archeological sample as regards the main risk factors for AP. Antemortem teeth loss and dental wear had been reduced, whereas caries rates and AP had increased between archaeological and modern population. The AP ratio was associated with the level of dental care in the modern population. Although significant variations could be observed between archaeological periods, the rupture in E3 (sixteenth and seventeenth centuries) leads to consider the associated population as a premodern. However, it was found that although cultural and alimentary factors seemed to be the main risk factors in an archeological population, dental care seemed to have a strong influence on AP ratio in modern ones.
Abstract: The acetabular crease is a linear indentation located in the antero-superior quadrant of the surface of the acetabulum at the level of the Byers Feature 17. Considered by palaeoanthropologists as a discrete trait, it has received scarce attention and the mechanisms underlying its formation and variations according to sex and age remain largely unclear. The purpose of this study, carried out on a large sample from a historic population in France, was to (i) analyse variations according to side, sex and estimated age at death; (ii) assess diachronic variations; and (iii) compare prevalence in various prehistoric and historic populations. Hip bones from a total of 425 subjects of both sexes and all ages were studied. Specimens were from two French historic samples dating from the 11th to 13th centuries and 16th to 17th centuries. The proportion of subjects that died young was higher in the 11th to 13th century group, but the prevalence of the acetabular crease was comparable between the two groups regardless of site or laterality (unilateral or bilateral). No sexual dimorphism or correlation with age was noted at either period. The acetabular crease appears to be a stable anatomical trait throughout adult life, with no predominant side and no correlation with sex. The significantly higher prevalence of the acetabular crease in some historic French samples and in prehistoric native Canadian populations could be linked to greater biomechanical stress during childhood in rural medieval populations and in the prehistoric period
Abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate dental crowding from the Copper Age and examine the extent and patterns of wear. Crowding was estimated in 43 adult mandibles using Little's irregularity index. Dental wear, dental diameters, arch width and the presence of third molars were also studied as possible aetiological factors for crowding. The remains were found at the archaeological site of Roaix, located in the south of France. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the lower layer was from 2150 +/- 140 years BC (date +/- 1 standard deviation) and the upper level from 2090 +/- 140 years. The graves were estimated to contain the remains of 150 adults and 50 children. Forty-three intact mandibles were used for this study. All of the mandibles presented incisor crowding with a majority of minimal and moderate irregularities, but in seven cases there were extreme irregularities and in two canine impaction was observed. These results are in contrast with the literature where it is reported that malocclusions were rare in prehistoric populations. The findings of this study suggest that crowding may be of a genetic origin and might not be caused by excessive tooth size or changes in environmental factors (masticatory activity).
Abstract: The skeletal remains of a medieval warrior were found in an 11th century tomb in the church of Ganagobie Priory in the French Department of Alpes de Haute Provence. Examination revealed evidence of multiple injuries including an arrow in the thorax, several sword blows, and a fractured sternum. The chest had been opened probably to allow removal of the heart after the last fatal blow to the skull. Post-mortem ablation of the heart was a widespread medieval funerary practice among elite classes in northern Europe. Numerous cases have been described involving British and French royalty. The practice was based on a mystical Middle Age belief that the heart was the spiritual and moral centre. After ablation, the heart was buried separately in a high place of holy worship where the living could pray for the salvation of deceased's soul. The rest of the body was sometimes dismembered and boiled to keep only the skeleton. Pope Boniface VIII forbade body boiling in 1299. In France the practice of removing and burying the heart in a sacred worship place continued among royalty, noblemen, and ecclesiastics until the Revolution of 1789. A few cases were reported into the 19th century.
Abstract: Before the Second World War, the plague was still rife in North Africa but occurred only as sporadic cases or small outbreaks as in Egypt or Morocco. The permanent foci of infected wild rodent were the cause of these rural outbreaks. In 1943 and 1944, plague came back in several Mediterranean towns and ports and was considered as a serious danger for the Allied Forces. These resurgences were related to the World War as well as the overpopulation of the cities, regroupings and population movements, relaxation of prophylactic measures of the plague in sea transport. The Allied Forces medical officers then showed the resistance of Yersinia pestis to penicillin which they had been supplied with recently, the effectiveness of sulphamides but mortality remained high (27%). In parallel, the drastic fight against rodents and fleas (DDT) gave excellent results.
Abstract: Noncarious tooth lesions (NCTL) are frequent findings in contemporary dental practices. Unlike other dental and periodontal diseases, NCTL have not been studied in an anthropological context. The purpose of the present study was to compare the prevalence of NCTL in three archaeological samples from the Copper Age and Middle Ages and in subjects examined in three dental practices. Both archaeological samples and dental-practice subjects were from southern France. In the archaeological sample group, no NCTL were detected in 3,927 teeth from 259 individuals. In the dental-practice group, prevalence rates were in agreement with current epidemiological data. Our data also suggest that prevalence of NCTL increases with age and is higher in females. Premolars were the most affected tooth type. Occurrence of NCTL has long been attributed to toothbrushing and to erosion by intrinsic and extrinsic acids. More recently, occlusal stress associated with tooth flexure has been implicated. The reasons underlying the total absence of NCTL in archaeological samples are discussed. The most likely explanations involve differences in lifestyle, diet, and dental condition.
Abstract: Two groups living in southeast France several centuries apart were compared to assess changes in occlusion from medieval times to the present day. The present-day sample included 82 people, and the medieval sample included the skulls of 58 people who lived between the 8th and the 17th centuries. Variations in tooth contacts were examined in accordance with Angle classification. A decrease in Class III occlusion (mesioclusion) was noted from medieval to present-day populations. The rate of Class II occlusion (distoclusion) has increased progressively and has became a general feature in the present-day population (34%). Although the rate of Class I occlusion has generally decreased from proto-historic and medieval times to the present day, it is still the highest percentage (45%) and thus the "normal" reference in European populations. This study highlights distoclusion in human teeth and allowed us to ask questions about functional, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors that cause this malocclusion as opposed to the global harmony that Angle described.
Abstract: Quarantine is a concept developed by society to protect against the outbreak of contagious diseases. From its original application in the favorable context of Medieval Europe, the quarantine concept has been driven by three main currents. The first involves the personification of epidemics. Although this personification had superstitious implications and led to many excesses, it did have the merit of establishing a concrete connection between travel and outbreak of disease. The second fundamental aspect of quarantining is the existence of a social organization capable of providing the necessary infrastructure for isolation. Specialized facilities are needed and laws must be made and enforced by competent officials. The last fundamental aspect of the development of the quarantine concept is the role of science. After a long process involving better medical knowledge and international negotiations, epidemic controls has largely outgrown the early stage involving essentially local control measures. In accordance with the development of these three currents, infected individuals have been branded as curse bearers, possible criminals, and innocent victims of natural contamination. While forced quarantine is no longer practiced, several recent examples of heated debates illustrate that strong emotional feelings are still present in societies threatened by epidemic disease outbreak. Since the major responsibility for disease control now rests in their hands, physicians must take these factors into account for management of possible future epidemic crises.
Abstract: Within 20th century, small plague outbreaks and many sporadic cases were recorded in Marseille. A first small outbreak occurs in a cardboard factory at 1903 (9 deaths, 21 cases).
Between 1919 and 1934 132 plague cases had been registered (41 deaths), concerning mainly poor people, without any personal contact with harbor activities in 101 cases (30 deaths). The others sick people were sailor men (21 cases, deaths) and harbor workers (10 cases, 4 deaths).
The plague became again anademo-epidemic in Marseille at the beginning of the 20th century with the third pandemy. These resurgence of a disease which the only evocation makes fear involved not easily controlled social and politic reactions but also efficiency medical attitudes.
