Child and adolescent paleoanthropological materials from the medieval Agarak burial ground (paleopathological aspect)

The article presents the results of a study of the skeletal remains of non-adult individuals from the medieval cemetery of Agharack (Aragatsotn Province, Armenia). The material includes the remains of sixteen children and adolescents unearthed during archaeological excavations and currently housed in the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. The aim of the study is to assess the living conditions and biosocial status of the non-adult population of early medieval Agharack. The sex and age characteristics of the individuals were determined, and pathological changes in the cranial and postcranial bones were identified, reflecting living conditions, dietary patterns, and the impact of infectious diseases. Evidence of cribra orbitalia, periostitis, Harris lines, and other stress markers indicates a high level of physiological and infectious stress. The increased frequencies of physiological stress markers (particularly cribra orbitalia) and other pathological indicators are interpreted not as signs of maladaptation, but rather as evidence of adaptive responses of the child segment of the Agharack population to environmental stressors. Of particular interest is a case of unintentional parietal cranial deformation in one individual, probably associated with carrying loads on the back. The obtained data contribute to a better understanding of the demographic and biosocial characteristics of the medieval population of Armenia.