ABSTRACT
The famous castrato singer Carlo Broschi, better known as Farinelli (1705-1782), was exhumed by our research group in July 2006 to study his skeletal remains and reconstruct his osteobiography. He was castrated before puberty to preserve his high voice into adulthood. The osteological study has revealed several skeletal features probably related to the effects of castration (Hyperostosis frontalis interna, long limb bones, persistence of epiphyseal lines, osteoporosis) (Belcastro et al., 2011). Here we present the study of the teeth and maxilla-mandibular region using classic and tomographic morphological methods. Considering the subject's age and the period during which he lived, his oral health conditions were good. On the basis of the very pronounced anomalous vestibular buccal wear, a overbite visualized by 3D reconstruction, was hypothesized. This facial disharmony is of particular interest when considering Farinelli's extraordinary singing qualities and stage presence.
ABSTRACT
The study of teeth is very important in archaeoanthropology for reconstruction of the nutritional habits and living conditions of past populations. We have analysed dental lesions of pathological (caries, abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss) and non-pathological origin (calculus), linear enamel hypoplasia and tooth wear in 67 adults from the Roman Imperial age necropolis (1st-4th c. AD) of Quadrella (Molise, Italy). The high frequency of caries (likely giving rise to the abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss), the abundant calculus and the low frequency of heavy wear are probably due to a limited use of hard fibrous foods and a high consumption of carbohydrates. The high frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia suggests metabolic problems during growth. Comparison of these data with those for two coeval Italian necropoleis near Rome (Latium), Isola Sacra and Lucus Feroniae, indicates poorer living conditions in the Quadrella population.
