[Correlations between cribra orbitalia, archeometric findings on the skeleton and habitat conditions]

The interpretation of cribra orbitalia as an isolated skeletal lesion is mainly based on malnutrition, in particular in terms of iron deficiency or vitamin C deficiency. A chronic iron deficiency anemia should result in both a reduced iron content of the skeleton and an underhydroxylation of the amino acid proline with the consequence of a less stable collagen matrix of the bone. The latter holds also for a vitamin C deficiency. Trace element and amino acid analyses were independently applied to subsamples of two early medieval human skeletal series to test whether a relation between cribra orbitalia and skeletal iron content and amino acid hydroxylation was detectable. For one of these series (Nusplingen, district Balingen, Schwäbische A1b), habitat specific properties have already been assumed to be responsible for an insufficient iron supply of the inhabitants. Both archaeometric approaches led to a verification of the malnutrition hypothesis, but for advanced states of the skeletal lesion only. Less affected individuals did not reveal any of the expected relationships. Possible adaptive subsistence strategies are discussed which might compensate for such unfavourable living conditions.