La necropoli della Basilica di Santa Mustiola (Chiusi, Siena). Indagini Bioarcheologiche.

The Necropolis of the Basilica of Santa Must iola (Chiusi, Siena). Bioarchaeological Investigations - The Basilica of St. Mustiola is located about 1 km northeast of the city of Chiusi (Tuscany) and is closely related to the homonymous underlying catacomb, established in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries A.D. Between 1998 and 2000, the archeological excavations brought to light a burial area consisting of at least 50 pavement tombs, chronologically related to the first phase of the necropolis, likely coeval to the catacomb. Burials were laid within pits of rectangular or anthropomorphic shape, enclosed by tiles arranged flat, with few cappuccina tombs. In the same area, burials chronologically related to the 17th and 18th-19th cent. A.D. were also recovered. This paper provides a historical contextualization of the necropolis while presenting a reappraisal of the archaeological documentation integrated with an in-depth anthropological analysis of the human remains. In the late antique period, most inhumations were single, and some were specifically intended for children. In contrast, the 17th-century grave was collective with a high preponderance of male individuals. The poor conservation of the skeletal individuals hampered the systematic survey for reconstructing the health status of the burying community; nevertheless, we observed, and here describe, a few interesting pathological affections, including a probable case of rheumatoid arthritis.