The white plague   A critical review of palaeopathological data of   tuberculosis in the Netherlands.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that left a large mark on the history of the Netherlands. Archaeological remains may help us to reconstruct the distribution of TB both spatially as well as demographically, and may provide information on the (changing) social conditions of the Netherlands. Therefore I have posed the following research question: is it possible to create a database on TB cases in the Netherlands, and, what can this database then tell us about TB in the Netherlands and Europe? The TB database was based on physical anthropological records as well as excavation reports. In order to contextualize the data, a comparison with Great Britain was included. A database of all archaeological sites with skeletal remains was also provided in order to study the distribution of skeletal remains in the archaeological record as a whole. The TB database shows 12 individuals out of 11 sites. This amount is low considering that tuberculosis was one of the main causes of death for...Show moreTuberculosis is an infectious disease that left a large mark on the history of the Netherlands. Archaeological remains may help us to reconstruct the distribution of TB both spatially as well as demographically, and may provide information on the (changing) social conditions of the Netherlands. Therefore I have posed the following research question: is it possible to create a database on TB cases in the Netherlands, and, what can this database then tell us about TB in the Netherlands and Europe? The TB database was based on physical anthropological records as well as excavation reports. In order to contextualize the data, a comparison with Great Britain was included. A database of all archaeological sites with skeletal remains was also provided in order to study the distribution of skeletal remains in the archaeological record as a whole. The TB database shows 12 individuals out of 11 sites. This amount is low considering that tuberculosis was one of the main causes of death for centuries, and especially compared to Great Britain. Several social factors play a role in the spread of TB, including migration, animals, heating, nutrition and living conditions. When compared to Great Britain, urbanization and industrialization, both strongly linked to the rise of TB, are slow in their progress. Migration does not seem to have played a large role, nor do other social conditions. Nutrition may have been an important factor. For the Netherlands, a large problem seems to lie in the preservation, excavation and documentation of skeletal remains and pathologies. Often, not much attention is paid to pathologies. TB is often only differentially diagnosed on the occurrence of Pott’s disease, ignoring other lesions such as new bone formation on the ribs that may be consistent with TB. More thorough examination of skeletal remains, in combination with biomolecular studies, will ensure a more representative view of TB in the Netherlands.Show less

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The white plague A critical review of palaeopathological data of tuberculosis in the Netherlands.