| This study presents the results of a pathological examination of the dental remains of nine individuals from the territory of Cortona (Tuscany), dated to the Late Republican period (first century BC to first century AD). Eight of the individuals were excavated from the area of the Sodo tumuli, Etruscan funerary mounds dating to the sixth century BC, and a single individual from the nearby modern city of Terontola. The sample was examined for caries, abscesses, antemortem tooth loss, calculus, and enamel hypoplasia. Analysis reveals a high prevalence of caries, consistent with an agrarian diet, and enamel hypoplasia, indicative of poor health during childhood. Comparison of these data with those from other studies on Etruscan and Roman populations suggests that although the “typical” Mediterranean regimen of grains, legumes, and olives was consumed throughout the region, significant differences existed between populations in terms of the day-to-day diet. |
