[MR] Bones of Leper Warrior Found in Medieval Cemetery

[J. C. Smith ispán]

Hi there,
 
Interesting article I was sent today.
 
The bones of a soldier with leprosy who may have died in battle have been found 
in a medieval Italian cemetery, along with skeletons of men who survived blows 
to the head with battle-axes and maces.
 
Studying ancient leprosy, which is caused by a bacterial infection, may help 
scientists figure out how the infectious disease evolved.
The find also reveals the warlike ways of the semi-nomadic people who lived in 
the area between the sixth and eighth centuries, said study researcher Mauro 
Rubini, an anthropologist at Foggia University in Italy. The war wounds, which 
showed evidence of surgical intervention, provide a peek into the medical 
capabilities of medieval inhabitants of Italy. 

 
The cemetery of Campochiaro is near the central Italian town of Campobasso. 
Between the years 500 and 700, when the cemetery was in use, Rubini said, the 
area was under the control of the Lombards, a Germanic people who allied with 
the Avars, an ethnically diverse group of Mongols, Bulgars and Turks. No signs 
of a stable settlement have been found near Campochiaro, Rubini said, so the 
cemetery was likely used by a military outpost of Lombards and Avars, guarding 
against invasion from the Byzantine people to the south.

Two surprises:  Avars in Italy and Soldiers with leprosy
 
Read more at http://www.livescience.com/13607-bones-leper-warrior.html
 
Janos

JEFFREY C. SMITH 
 
"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."  -- Ralph Waldo 
Emerson