The antiquity of the spondyloarthritides: Presentation of one of the oldest Neolithic cases in Western Europe

We report a paleopathological case of European origin, dated from the late Neolithic (3621-3023 cal BC), consisting of an isolated vertebral block combining erosion, ossification and severe anterior and posterior ankylosis. The lesional presentation is very suggestive of a severe form of axial spondyloarthritis. This specimen and some other rare cases from the same period found in Western Europe suggest that these diseases appeared, in this geographical region, in evolving groups of humans as part of the demographic and epidemiological transition that constituted the Neolithic period. The emergence of infectious agents and the profound dietary changes that occurred during this period of human history may have favoured the appearance of the spondyloarthritides.
Source: International Journal of Paleopathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research