Ancient skull of 35-year-old man with fused jaws
Found in 2008, near Ostia, the skull of a 35-year-old man who suffered from a completely fused jaw (probably due to a strong trismus related to the abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint), which prevented him from opening his mouth all his life.
Interestingly, it was decided to help him, and several of his front teeth were removed to allow him to eat; the man probably ate only liquid food all his life.
As it turns out, the bone analysis showed that the diet was rich and well-balanced. Other skeletal injuries show that he worked for many years in a challenging environment, perhaps as a labourer in the nearby salt pans in Ostia.
It should be emphasized that man, despite (probably) inborn defects, was able to live to adulthood and finally be buried with dignity.
The man lived in the 1st-2nd century CE. The male skeleton was inventoried as number 132 and was found in the necropolis, along with 300 other skeletons from ancient times. Research has shown that most of the people buried in this place had to deal with severe stress in their lives.
