Asterios Aidonis - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Asterios Aidonis

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

OBJECTIVE The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient... more OBJECTIVE The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient Greek colony of Akanthos (5th - 1st c. BC) and juxtaposes the paleopathological observations with the Hippocratic treatises. MATERIALS A meta-analysis of 42 published trepanations on 27 individuals from Greece. METHODS Trepanations from Akanthos were observed macroscopically, stereoscopically and by computer tomography. The meta-analysis considers the demographic, geographical and temporal distribution, the techniques, associated pathology, and survival rate. RESULTS Trepanations were observed on four females in Akanthos. Three trepanations were performed with scraping and four with drilling. Two individuals exhibited significant signs of healing, and two survived shortly after the operation. In two cases, trepanation was practiced for treating cranial injuries. In Greek antiquity trepanation was performed predominantly in males, principally as a surgical treatment of cranial injuries. The survival rate was 62.9 %. Scraping was the oldest, most frequent and successful technique. CONCLUSIONS Trepanation performed systematically in Greece since the Bronze Age (ca. 2,000 BC). Hippocrates who rationally conceived medicine, codified the pre-existing empirical knowledge. The trepanations from Akanthos show technical similarities but also discrepancies from the Hippocratic recommendations, confirming the mental and technical readiness of the ancient surgeon. SIGNIFICANCE The synchronous to Hippocrates trepanations from Akanthos, provide the opportunity to compare physical evidence with the written sources. LIMITATIONS The frequency of trepanations is affected by the representativeness and the state of the skeletal preservation. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Trepanations published in previous decades, need to be reassessed with new imaging modalities. A standard recording methodology is fundamental for data comparison.

SSRN Electronic Journal

The recent development of measuring stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) in collagen from tooth ... more The recent development of measuring stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) in collagen from tooth microsections provides temporal resolution of dietary changes and has been widely used for the reconstruction of breastfeeding, weaning and physiological stress in archaeological datasets. We applied incremental dentine analysis, measuring the δ15N and δ13C in collagen from first permanent molars of 45 adult individuals from the city of Thessaloniki (4th c. BC - 16th c. AD). We were able to reconstruct the diet of 31 individuals from birth up to the age of seven. To this dataset, we added 20 previously published individuals from the same site and we re-examined the weaning ages with WEAN, an automated application for estimating the weaning age based on the measurements of δ15N. Furthermore, we used the k-means machine learning method to discern clusters of different isotopic patterns in the individual profiles and trace possible signals of physiological stress. Our results show that 45 out of 51 individuals were breastfed but weaned at different ages ranging from one to three years old. Five individuals were breastfed for an even shorter period or were never breastfed. The weaning diet was comprised mostly of animal protein and C3 plants, while the consumption of small fish and/or C4 plants intensified from the Roman period onwards. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females and among chronological periods. Based on the machine learning approach we could identify 9 individuals with probable evidence of physiological stress, which may be linked to maladaptive breastfeeding patterns. Our study reports new data on breastfeeding and weaning utilizing the implementation of computational methods and illustrates the complexity of the infant feeding practices in ancient societies.

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

Objective The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient... more Objective
The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient Greek colony of Akanthos (5th - 1st c. BC) and juxtaposes the paleopathological observations with the Hippocratic treatises.

Materials
A meta-analysis of 42 published trepanations on 27 individuals from Greece.

Methods
Trepanations from Akanthos were observed macroscopically, stereoscopically and by computer tomography. The meta-analysis considers the demographic, geographical and temporal distribution, the techniques, associated pathology, and survival rate.

Results
Trepanations were observed on four females in Akanthos. Three trepanations were performed with scraping and four with drilling. Two individuals exhibited significant signs of healing, and two survived shortly after the operation. In two cases, trepanation was practiced for treating cranial injuries. In Greek antiquity trepanation was performed predominantly in males, principally as a surgical treatment of cranial injuries. The survival rate was 62.9 %. Scraping was the oldest, most frequent and successful technique.

Conclusions
Trepanation performed systematically in Greece since the Bronze Age (ca. 2,000 BC). Hippocrates who rationally conceived medicine, codified the pre-existing empirical knowledge. The trepanations from Akanthos show technical similarities but also discrepancies from the Hippocratic recommendations, confirming the mental and technical readiness of the ancient surgeon.

Significance
The synchronous to Hippocrates trepanations from Akanthos, provide the opportunity to compare physical evidence with the written sources.

Limitations
The frequency of trepanations is affected by the representativeness and the state of the skeletal preservation.

Suggestions for future research
Trepanations published in previous decades, need to be reassessed with new imaging modalities. A standard recording methodology is fundamental for data comparison.

What’s New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period Edited by V. Di Napoli, F. Camia, V. Evangelidis, D. Grigoropoulos, D. Rogers, S. Vlizos, 2018

New findings from the Roman times burial habits in Thesprotia

Journal of neurosurgery, 2014

Cranial trepanation is the oldest neurosurgical operation and its roots date back to prehistory. ... more Cranial trepanation is the oldest neurosurgical operation and its roots date back to prehistory. For many centuries, religion and mysticism were strongly linked to the cause of diseases, and trepanation was associated with superstitions such as releasing evil spirits from inside the skull. The Hippocratic treatise "On injuries of the head" was therefore a revolutionary work, as it presented a systematic approach to the management of cranial trauma, one that was devoid of spiritual elements. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of skeletal findings that confirm that the practice of trepanation was performed as part of Hippocratic medicine. In this historical vignette, the authors present a trepanned skull that was found in Chios, Greece, as evidence of the procedure having been performed in accordance with the Hippocratic teaching. The skull bears a parietal bur hole in association with a linear fracture, and it is clear that the patient survived the procedure. In...

Thesprotia Expedition II. Environment and Settlement Patterns, 2011

Thesprotia Expedition I. Towards a Regional History, 2009

Εργασίες ανάδειξης στους αρχαιολογικούς χώρους της Θεσπρωτίας: Ελέα, Ντόλιανη, Δυμόκαστρο

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

OBJECTIVE The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient... more OBJECTIVE The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient Greek colony of Akanthos (5th - 1st c. BC) and juxtaposes the paleopathological observations with the Hippocratic treatises. MATERIALS A meta-analysis of 42 published trepanations on 27 individuals from Greece. METHODS Trepanations from Akanthos were observed macroscopically, stereoscopically and by computer tomography. The meta-analysis considers the demographic, geographical and temporal distribution, the techniques, associated pathology, and survival rate. RESULTS Trepanations were observed on four females in Akanthos. Three trepanations were performed with scraping and four with drilling. Two individuals exhibited significant signs of healing, and two survived shortly after the operation. In two cases, trepanation was practiced for treating cranial injuries. In Greek antiquity trepanation was performed predominantly in males, principally as a surgical treatment of cranial injuries. The survival rate was 62.9 %. Scraping was the oldest, most frequent and successful technique. CONCLUSIONS Trepanation performed systematically in Greece since the Bronze Age (ca. 2,000 BC). Hippocrates who rationally conceived medicine, codified the pre-existing empirical knowledge. The trepanations from Akanthos show technical similarities but also discrepancies from the Hippocratic recommendations, confirming the mental and technical readiness of the ancient surgeon. SIGNIFICANCE The synchronous to Hippocrates trepanations from Akanthos, provide the opportunity to compare physical evidence with the written sources. LIMITATIONS The frequency of trepanations is affected by the representativeness and the state of the skeletal preservation. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Trepanations published in previous decades, need to be reassessed with new imaging modalities. A standard recording methodology is fundamental for data comparison.

SSRN Electronic Journal

The recent development of measuring stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) in collagen from tooth ... more The recent development of measuring stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) in collagen from tooth microsections provides temporal resolution of dietary changes and has been widely used for the reconstruction of breastfeeding, weaning and physiological stress in archaeological datasets. We applied incremental dentine analysis, measuring the δ15N and δ13C in collagen from first permanent molars of 45 adult individuals from the city of Thessaloniki (4th c. BC - 16th c. AD). We were able to reconstruct the diet of 31 individuals from birth up to the age of seven. To this dataset, we added 20 previously published individuals from the same site and we re-examined the weaning ages with WEAN, an automated application for estimating the weaning age based on the measurements of δ15N. Furthermore, we used the k-means machine learning method to discern clusters of different isotopic patterns in the individual profiles and trace possible signals of physiological stress. Our results show that 45 out of 51 individuals were breastfed but weaned at different ages ranging from one to three years old. Five individuals were breastfed for an even shorter period or were never breastfed. The weaning diet was comprised mostly of animal protein and C3 plants, while the consumption of small fish and/or C4 plants intensified from the Roman period onwards. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females and among chronological periods. Based on the machine learning approach we could identify 9 individuals with probable evidence of physiological stress, which may be linked to maladaptive breastfeeding patterns. Our study reports new data on breastfeeding and weaning utilizing the implementation of computational methods and illustrates the complexity of the infant feeding practices in ancient societies.

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

Objective The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient... more Objective
The study presents seven new cases of trepanations on four individuals from the ancient Greek colony of Akanthos (5th - 1st c. BC) and juxtaposes the paleopathological observations with the Hippocratic treatises.

Materials
A meta-analysis of 42 published trepanations on 27 individuals from Greece.

Methods
Trepanations from Akanthos were observed macroscopically, stereoscopically and by computer tomography. The meta-analysis considers the demographic, geographical and temporal distribution, the techniques, associated pathology, and survival rate.

Results
Trepanations were observed on four females in Akanthos. Three trepanations were performed with scraping and four with drilling. Two individuals exhibited significant signs of healing, and two survived shortly after the operation. In two cases, trepanation was practiced for treating cranial injuries. In Greek antiquity trepanation was performed predominantly in males, principally as a surgical treatment of cranial injuries. The survival rate was 62.9 %. Scraping was the oldest, most frequent and successful technique.

Conclusions
Trepanation performed systematically in Greece since the Bronze Age (ca. 2,000 BC). Hippocrates who rationally conceived medicine, codified the pre-existing empirical knowledge. The trepanations from Akanthos show technical similarities but also discrepancies from the Hippocratic recommendations, confirming the mental and technical readiness of the ancient surgeon.

Significance
The synchronous to Hippocrates trepanations from Akanthos, provide the opportunity to compare physical evidence with the written sources.

Limitations
The frequency of trepanations is affected by the representativeness and the state of the skeletal preservation.

Suggestions for future research
Trepanations published in previous decades, need to be reassessed with new imaging modalities. A standard recording methodology is fundamental for data comparison.

What’s New in Roman Greece? Recent Work on the Greek Mainland and the Islands in the Roman Period Edited by V. Di Napoli, F. Camia, V. Evangelidis, D. Grigoropoulos, D. Rogers, S. Vlizos, 2018

New findings from the Roman times burial habits in Thesprotia

Journal of neurosurgery, 2014

Cranial trepanation is the oldest neurosurgical operation and its roots date back to prehistory. ... more Cranial trepanation is the oldest neurosurgical operation and its roots date back to prehistory. For many centuries, religion and mysticism were strongly linked to the cause of diseases, and trepanation was associated with superstitions such as releasing evil spirits from inside the skull. The Hippocratic treatise "On injuries of the head" was therefore a revolutionary work, as it presented a systematic approach to the management of cranial trauma, one that was devoid of spiritual elements. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of skeletal findings that confirm that the practice of trepanation was performed as part of Hippocratic medicine. In this historical vignette, the authors present a trepanned skull that was found in Chios, Greece, as evidence of the procedure having been performed in accordance with the Hippocratic teaching. The skull bears a parietal bur hole in association with a linear fracture, and it is clear that the patient survived the procedure. In...

Thesprotia Expedition II. Environment and Settlement Patterns, 2011

Thesprotia Expedition I. Towards a Regional History, 2009

Εργασίες ανάδειξης στους αρχαιολογικούς χώρους της Θεσπρωτίας: Ελέα, Ντόλιανη, Δυμόκαστρο