EXCALIBUR Project Highlights Bioarchaeological Research at the 25th European PPA Meeting in Berlin

The EXCALIBUR project was represented at the 25th European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association (PPA) in Berlin, Germany, highlighting research carried out in the framework of the project’s pilot site focusing on the Bioarchaeological Collection of Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH).

Representing DUTH, Ms Panagiota Bantavanou presented the study “Mapping Developmental Stress: A Diachronic Examination of Dental Enamel Hypoplasia and Interglobular Dentin from the Ancient City of Thessaloniki.” The presentation showcased how bioarchaeological research, combined with advanced documentation and digitisation approaches, can contribute to a deeper understanding of health and physiological stress in past populations.

The meeting brought together an international community of bioanthropologists, archaeologists, medical professionals, historians, conservators, and other specialists working at the intersection of human remains, disease, and cultural heritage.

EXCALIBUR presentation at PPA

Mapping Developmental Stress in Ancient Thessaloniki

The presentation examined Dental Enamel Hypoplasia (DEH) and Interglobular Dentin (IGD) in the teeth of 99 individuals from Roman and Late Byzantine Thessaloniki. By comparing the formation, duration, and severity of these developmental defects, the study explored patterns of childhood physiological stress across different historical periods.

The findings showed that DEH and IGD developed at similar ages but followed different timelines, suggesting distinct underlying causes and tissue responses. DEH was more prevalent in the Late Byzantine sample, pointing to increased exposure to disease, malnutrition, and other health-related stressors during this period. The study also highlighted the challenges of analysing archaeological dental remains, particularly those affected by attrition.

Connecting Bioarchaeology with EXCALIBUR’s Digital Approach

Alongside the scientific findings, the presentation introduced the wider objectives and methodological framework of the EXCALIBUR project, with particular emphasis on the digitisation and long-term preservation of bioarchaeological material.

A key aspect of EXCALIBUR’s work is the high-precision scanning of dental and skeletal samples to create digital twins. These detailed digital representations can help preserve valuable information from fragile archaeological material and support future research while reducing the need for repeated physical handling or destructive analysis.

Through this approach, EXCALIBUR aims to facilitate:

  • High-precision digital documentation of dental and skeletal remains;
  • Long-term preservation of research data, safeguarding information from unique and fragile archaeological material;
  • Non-destructive and repeatable analysis, enabling researchers to revisit specimens digitally as methods and technologies evolve; and
  • Diachronic and interdisciplinary research, supporting comparisons across populations, periods, and different types of evidence.

The presentation therefore demonstrated how EXCALIBUR can connect established bioarchaeological methods with emerging digital technologies to support more sustainable, accessible, and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of burial cultural heritage.

About the 25th European PPA Meeting

The 25th European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association was hosted in Berlin and organised by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in collaboration with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Society for Anthropology (GfA).

Marking the 25th edition of the European meeting, the conference brought together the international palaeopathology community under the motto “The dead teach the living.” Its multidisciplinary programme connected expertise from anthropology, archaeology, biology, medicine, and related fields to explore ancient health and disease.

The meeting also provided an important forum for discussing emerging analytical methods, digital resources, and technological developments that are expanding the possibilities of palaeopathological and bioarchaeological research.

EXCALIBUR’s participation provided an opportunity to share research emerging from its DUTH bioarchaeological pilot, engage with the international scientific community, and demonstrate how digital technologies can contribute to the documentation, study, and long-term preservation of human remains and associated burial heritage.