Archaeologists exploring the necropolis of Castel Malnome, near Ostia, have discovered the remains of a man that shed new light on the attitudes of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire towards people with severe disabilities.
Skeleton number 132 (grave 13218), dated to the 1st–2nd century AD, belonged to a man suffering from a complete fusion of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ ankylosis). This condition—most likely congenital or the result of a childhood injury—prevented him from opening his mouth throughout his life.
Detailed examination revealed that several front teeth had been removed, and a special opening had been made in the mouth to allow for the passage of liquid food. All indications are that the man ate exclusively liquids throughout his life. Despite this severe restriction, bone analysis revealed that his diet was rich and well-balanced, allowing him to avoid severe malnutrition.
The bones also bear traces of years of hard physical labor. Researchers speculate that the man worked in salt mining in the nearby Ostia salt pans—a place where numerous workers were employed in exceptionally demanding jobs.
This discovery challenges the widespread belief that people with severe disabilities were left without assistance in ancient times. Without long-term care from family or owners (if he was a slave), the man likely would not have survived childhood. Instead, he lived to adulthood, performed hard labor for many years, and after his death, was buried as a full member of his community.
The necropolis at Castel Malnome, from which the skeleton comes, contains approximately 300 burials. Many of the skeletons found there show signs of intense physical exertion, supporting the hypothesis that most of those buried there worked in the nearby salt pans that supplied Rome with precious salt.
