Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41533675›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Health and lifestyle in the Iron Age Italian community of Pontecagnano (Campania, Italy, 7th-6th century BCE).

Roberto Germano, Owen Alexander Higgins, Emanuela Cristiani, Alessia Galbusera, Carmen Esposito, Dulce Neves, Carmine Pellegrino, Alessandra Sperduti, Giorgio Manzi, Luca Bondioli and 1 more

Abstract readHistorical Article
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Roberto GermanoDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0009-0001-4007-5483
Owen Alexander HigginsDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Emanuela CristianiDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Alessia GalbuseraDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0009-0000-2585-1256
Carmen EspositoDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy.
Dulce NevesDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8796-9652
Carmine PellegrinoDepartment of Cultural Heritage Sciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7082-3104
Alessandra SperdutiBioarchaeology Service, Museum of Civilizations, Rome, Italy.
Giorgio ManziDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Luca BondioliInstitute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
Alessia NavaDepartment of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study investigates health, dental development, diet, and human-environment interactions in individuals buried in the necropolises of Pontecagnano (Campania, Italy, 7th-6th century BCE), using an integrated approach merging dental histomorphometry and calculus micro-residue analysis. The sample consists of 30 permanent teeth (canines, first and second molars) from 10 individuals. Histomorphometric analysis of dental thin sections allowed the estimation of crown formation times, initial cusp formation, crown completion, and enamel extension rates. The prevalence of Accentuated Lines, marking physiological stress events, was analyzed chronologically across tooth classes. Dental calculus analysis was performed on five individuals, identifying plant micro-remains and fungal spores. Crown formation times varied by tooth class, with canines forming the longest (mean = 1,977 ± 295 days), followed by second molars (mean = 1,176 ± 179 days) and first molars (mean = 1,094 ± 154 days). Initial cusp formation values, estimated through chronological overlap between teeth, allowed for a more accurate reconstruction of crown completion timing. Accentuated Lines prevalence peaked at 12 and 44 months, likely reflecting early childhood dietary transitions and the differential recording of stress events across different crown regions. Calculus analysis identified starch granules from cereals (Triticeae) and legumes (Fabaceae), fungal spores (Saccharomyces), and plant fibers, indicating diverse dietary practices, food processing, and extra-masticatory activities. This interdisciplinary approach reinforces the validity of combining histomorphometric and micro-residue analyses to reconstruct childhood health, adult diet, and lifestyle. Our findings align with previous research while emphasizing population-specific variations. This study enhances understanding of Iron Age biocultural adaptations, offering insights into developmental and dietary behaviors in this ancient Italian community.

Indexed as

Life StyleDental CalculusDietHistory, AncientHumansItalyTooth

Identifiers

PMID41533675
PMCPMC12854131

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.