This work proposes to contribute through an interdisciplinary perspective to the evaluation of paleoeconomic and paleoenvironmental changes during Middle Holocene in Southwestern Transylvania. The study integrates archaeozoological data with phytolith analysis to reconstruct subsistence and vegetation dynamics from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age at Șoimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County, Romania). Animal remains are described in terms of their frequency (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), taphonomic changes, and livestock management (i.e., animal selection by age and sex). Archaeozoological samples are dominated by skeletal remains from domestic mammals (e.g., cattle, sheep/goat, and pig), whose importance varies depending on the cultural level; the skeletal remains of wild mammals are less frequent, mainly belonging to species with large size (e.g., red deer, wild boar, roe deer, aurochs). This study tests whether animal exploitation strategies shifted from ruminant-dominated economies in the Neolithic to greater pig reliance in the Bronze Age, using the Shannon–Weaver diversity index and correspondence analysis. Phytolith analysis of eleven sediment samples from various cultural layers reveals the dominance of Pooideae-type grasses, with both vegetative plant parts and cereal inflorescences as resources. Bioarchaeological data presented in this study reveal a diachronic shift in subsistence practices, reflecting cultural and environmental transformations.

The Lower Danube region represents a long-standing zone of interaction between indigenous communities, mobile pastoral populations, and Mediterranean colonial networks. During the Late Iron Age, such contexts have frequently been interpreted through culture-historical frameworks that emphasise socio-economic differentiation among coexisting populations. This study examines whether communities traditionally described in culturally or economically differentiated terms can instead be understood as functionally diverse social entities responding to shared environmental conditions. Three Late Iron Age (4th–3rd centuries BC) settlements from Central Dobruja (Romania), Medgidia Hellenistic 1, 2, and 3, were investigated using an integrated bioarchaeological approach combining archaeozoological and phytolith analyses. The sites are situated along a major communication corridor linking the Danube with the western Black Sea coast, colonised by the Greeks at that time. Faunal assemblages are dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, caprine, and horses, indicating a pastoral economy structured around livestock management, secondary product exploitation, and varying degrees of mobility. Phytolith assemblages reveal a strong cereal signal alongside evidence for grassland exploitation, woody resource use, and wetland vegetation, reflecting mixed agro-pastoral practices embedded within a heterogeneous landscape. Taken together, the results suggest that Getae and Scythian-associated populations did not represent temporally or hierarchically differentiated socio-economic stages, but rather coexisting communities characterised by complementary subsistence practices, shaped by mobility, seasonality, and regional connectivity. This study highlights the value of bioarchaeological evidence for refining interpretations of cultural interaction and adaptive strategies in Late Iron Age Europe.

This study presents the first bioarcheological analysis of the Mnogovalikovaia culture (Middle Bronze Age) from the North Pontic region, evaluating six human skeletons (six adult males) discovered in tumuli at Novosiolovca, Burlăceni, and Ordășei (Republic of Moldova). Dental analysis reveals moderate-to-advanced occlusal wear, chipping on posterior teeth, and anterior teeth modifications indicating both dietary practices and extramasticatory activities. The characteristics of the dental morphology, including non-metric dental traits (i.e., degree of cusp expression, presence of supernumerary cusps, bilateral asymmetry and the occlusal surface shape of maxillary and mandibular second molars (M2) highlight population-specific features influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Traces of ochre on skeletons suggest specific funerary practices. The study fills a significant gap in the understanding of Mnogovalikovaia communities, providing important data on their biological and cultural characteristics, lifestyle, and funerary practices. These findings also represent a basis for future research on this population, requiring larger samples and biomolecular analysis.

Seria scheletică umană la care ne referim în prezentul studiu a fost deshumată în anul 2024 din perimetrul necropolei medievale de la Lozova-La hotar cu Vornicenii (raionul Străşeni, Republica Moldova). Conform datelor furnizate de echipa de cercetare, pe baza inventarului funerar, utilizarea necropolei este încadrată cronologic în perioada secolului al XIV-lea. Necropola a aparţinut unei comunităţi creştine deoarece defuncţii erau înhumaţi potrivit ritualului creştin. Studiul antropologic a fost precedat de marcarea și restaurarea osoasă, pentru a permite analiza morfologică, osteometria, estimarea vârstei la deces și a sexului, precum și evaluarea paleopatologică. În această campanie de săpătură au fost investigate 18 schelete provenite din 17 complexe funerare: şase copii (trei infans I şi trei infans II – 33,33%), patru adolescenți indeterminabili ca sex (22,22%) şi opt adulți (trei bărbaţi şi cinci femei – 44,45%). Starea de conservare a scheletelor este satisfăcătoare. Sex ratio (indicele de masculinitate) în acest eşantion osteologic este subunitar. Prezența anomaliilor, patologiilor și a trăsăturilor non-metrice este moderată. La nivel cranian au fost identificate: carii dentare, hipoplazia smalțului dentar (câte patru cazuri) şi granulomul (chistul radicular – un caz). La nivelul segmentului postcranian au fost semnalate: osteoartrita, perforaţia olecraniană (câte două cazuri) și spina bifida occulta (un caz).

Syphilis, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, has a complex evolutionary history, most likely being transferred from the Americas to Europe after the 15th century and subsequently spreading widely through sexual transmission. This work is one of the few studies on the skeletal evidence of probable treponematosis in archaeological populations discovered on the Romanian territory, providing data to better understand the disease history. Pathological lesions identified in three human skeletons of the 15th–19th centuries are described, and a diagnosis of treponematosis is performed. The three analyzed skeletons were discovered during the archaeological excavations in the necropolis of the Roman-Catholic Cathedral in Iasi City (Romania). The investigated skeletons belonged to individuals aged 30–40 years old (two females and one male). Somatoscopic, radiographic, tomographic, and microscopic examinations were used for the differential diagnosis. The results of multiple investigation methods support the diagnosis of probable treponematosis in all three skeletons, showing different stages of caries sicca in skull bones, cortical thickening, and new periosteal bone formation in postcranial bones.