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A paleoneurohistological study of 3,000-year-old mummified brain tissue from the mediterranean bronze age
Gemma Prats-Muñoz1, Assumpció Malgosa, Nuria Armentano
1Department of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology, Hospital Clínic and Institut d'Investigacions August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Objectives:
Mummified nervous tissue is very rarely found in ancient remains and usually corresponds to corpses which were frozen or preserved in bogs, conditions which limit tissue autolysis and bacterial degradation. Here, we show the unusual finding of spontaneously mummified brain tissue from several individuals from the little known megalithic talaiotic culture of the island of Minorca, dating approximately 3,000 years before present and corresponding to the late Mediterranean Bronze Age.
Methods:
These individuals were part of an intact burial site containing 66 subjects. Intracraneal samples were carefully rehydrated with Sandison's solution. We used classical histochemical as well as 2D and 3D (scanning) electron-microscopic techniques.
Results:
We provide evidence of the nervous nature of the samples as well as a detailed description of the morphological features of these ancient tissues. The intracranial material consisted of well-preserved eosinophilic reticular tissue and, although mostly absent, some exceptional pigment-containing neurons were identified.
Conclusions:
We present a detailed morphological analysis which can provide valuable information and guidelines for the interpretation of this scarce type of mummified samples and provide explanations for this surprising preservation.
Insights
Spontaneously mummified brain tissue from the ancient Talaiotic culture of Minorca was discovered. This rare finding offers new insights into the preservation of ancient nervous tissue.
Area of Science:
- Archaeology
- Paleopathology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mummified nervous tissue is exceptionally rare in ancient remains, typically requiring specific preservation conditions like freezing or bog immersion.
- The Talaiotic culture of Minorca, dating to the late Mediterranean Bronze Age (approx. 3,000 years BP), is poorly understood.
Observation:
- An intact burial site containing 66 individuals yielded spontaneously mummified brain tissue.
- Intracranial samples were rehydrated using Sandison's solution and analyzed with histochemical and electron-microscopic techniques.
Findings:
- Evidence confirms the nervous origin of the ancient tissue samples.
- Morphological analysis revealed well-preserved eosinophilic reticular tissue and rare pigment-containing neurons.
Implications:
- This study provides a detailed morphological analysis for interpreting scarce mummified nervous tissue.
- The findings offer potential explanations for the unusual preservation of brain tissue in this Bronze Age population.
