Hälsan i behåll? : en studie av sjukdomsbilden i det vikingatida Fröjel, Gotland

Sammanfattning: 13 individuals from the Viking Age trading place in Fröjel, Gotland, were examined for this thesis. The aim was to gain a deeper knowledge about the individuals, and the main focus was to study their health. Three men, eight women and two children were examined. The age of the two children was estimated to around birth, and was no longer relevant for this thesis. The age distribution showed that two individuals were young (10-24 years), seven individuals were adults (18-44 years) and two individuals were middle-aged or older (35-79 years). The estimated height of the individuals was a little bit greater than the average for this time period. Various pathologies were observed during the analysis, for example osteoarthritis, Schmorl’s nodes and osteomyelitis. Dental diseases such as caries, calculus and periapical changes were also present. Nine of the eleven adults were tested for osteoporosis, all with good results. Traces of activity were seen in some of the individuals. Fractures were observed and X-rayed, and some of them showed traces of infections. One individual, the man in grave 03504, showed trauma related to violence. Over all, the results from the material from Fröjel were expected, and similar changes can be observed in material from the same era, as Birka and Fjälkinge, and from the early medieval towns Lund and Skara.