Orofacial pathology in Homo heidelbergensis: the case of Skull 5 from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain)

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed palaeopathological study of the orofacial lesions present in Skull 5 from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site. Besides testing a previous diagnosis of periodontal disease, tooth wear, left P3 fracture and two periapical abscesses, unreported lesions are identified: the I1 abscess and the M3 fracture. The timing of the pathological events that have produced the conspicuous bone growth of the maxilla was determined with the aid of computer tomography techniques. This is particularly important to assess the duration/chronicity of the lesions and the cause/s of them. Some physiological particularities of the region affected could account for the maxillary osteitis and concomitant infection as a probable cause of death.