Authors
1
Department of Archaeology, faculty of art and architecture, University of Mazandaran
2
Faculty member, Mazandaran University
3
Department of archaeology, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Mazandaran
10.22084/nb.2025.31069.2779
Abstract
Domestication and Physical Pathologies in Early Neolithic Societies of Iran
Domestication and Physical Pathologies in Early Neolithic Societies of Iran
Abstract
According to archaeological findings, the onset of agriculture, permanent settlement in villages, increased labor, dietary changes, and population growth led to a significant rise in diseases and physical traumas among Neolithic humans. Neolithic lifeways carried substantial physiological consequences, marked by the appearance and spread of skeletal lesions that had been rare or absent in earlier foraging societies. These health issues can be broadly categorized as skeletal traumas resulting from shifts in physical activities, oral and dental diseases, anemia caused by dietary changes, infectious and epidemic diseases triggered by population growth (e.g., skeletal tuberculosis), and zoonotic diseases resulting from close cohabitation with domesticated animals.
The cultivation and consumption of cereals, which are low in iron, frequently led to iron-deficiency anemia among Neolithic populations. This, in turn, contributed to other skeletal conditions such as porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia. The high carbohydrate content of cereals also contributed to a noticeable increase in dental caries. Another frequent condition of Neolithic populations was osteoarthritis, arising from repetitive and strenuous agricultural labor, particularly tasks such as grinding grain, hoeing, and carrying heavy loads.
Infectious and epidemic diseases became more prevalent due to factors such as increased population density, permanent settlements, close interpersonal contact, and poor hygiene practices—factors conducive to the spread of diseases like skeletal tuberculosis. The onset of sedentism and increased proximity to animals also led to the emergence of deadly and epidemic zoonotic diseases such as plague and brucellosis.
Although the evidence for these diseases in Iran remains limited and unevenly studied, signs of such conditions have been identified in several Neolithic sites, including Sheikh-e Abad (Sahneh County) and Ganj Dareh (Harsin County) in Kermanshah Province, as well as Hajji Firuz Tepe in Azerbaijan.
Keywords: Domestication, Disease, Neolithic, Social Structure
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