Title: Paleoimaging of Azilian human remains from Les Iboussières (France) as evidence of possible Upper Paleolithic tuberculosis

Authors: Hélène Coqueugniot^1,2, György Pálfi³, Bernard Gély⁴, Olivier Dutour^1,2

Affiliations: ¹UMR 5199 PACEA (Université de Bordeaux-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Pessac, France; ²École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL University Paris, Paris, France; ³Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary; ⁴DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Lyon, France

Abstract: Azilian burials dated to 10210 ± 80 BP (Gely & Morand, 1998) were discovered in the Aven des Iboussières, near Montélimar (South-East France). The human remains correspond to at least 4 adult males and 5 children. Various paleopathological lesions were observed on these human skeletons (Dutour & al, 1995; Aymard, 2005). Rich archaeological material (d'Errico & Vanharen, 2000) and abundant remains of wild fauna (Chaix, 2005) were associated with the human remains.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of µCT-scan and 3D imaging analyses of two skeletal lesions: a sacroiliac osteoarthritis and a femoral lesion suggestive of osteomyelitis with cold abscess imprints. The results of this paleopathological 3D analysis strongly suggest the presence of tuberculosis among the last European hunter-gatherers at the end of Paleolithic. This diagnosis, which will have to be confirmed by molecular analysis, should be put into perspective with the evidence of tuberculosis in the Fertile Crescent at the same period among semi-nomadic Neolithic populations (PPNB) before animal domestication (Baker & al, 2015).

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Hunter-gatherers, Late Upper Paleolithic, Paleoimaging

References:

AYMARD I, 2005. Etude paléopathologique des vestiges humains aziliens de l’Aven des Iboussières (Malataverne, Drôme). Thèse Doctorat de Médecine, Université de Nantes, 320 p.

BAKER & al, 2015. Human tuberculosis predates domestication in ancient Syria. Tuberculosis, 95(Suppl 1): S4–S12.

CHAIX L, 2005. Hétéroclite et éclectique : la faune épipaléolithique de l’Aven des Iboussières (Drôme, France). Munibe, 57: 411–420.

D’ERRICO F. & VANHAEREN M, 2000. Le mobilier funéraire de l ‘Aven des Iboussières et l’identification des marqueurs culturels à l’Epipaléolithique. In: Les derniers chasseurs-cueilleurs d’Europe occidentale 13000-5500 av. J.-C.). Annales Littéraires de l’Université de Besançon, 699: 325–342.

DUTOUR O, PALFI Gy, PANUEL M, GELY B, 1995. Paleopathological study of Upper Paleolithic remains from Southeastern France. Journal of Paleopathology, 7(2): 98.

GELY B. & MORAND P, 1998. Les sépultures épipaléolithiques de l’aven des Iboussières à Malataverne (Drôme, France): Premiers résultats. Ardèche Archéologie, 15 : 13–18.