Biomarcadores de doenças em remanescentes ósseos e dentes dos sítios arqueológicos Moconha (Serra Grande) e Chã das Laranjeiras (Pilõezinhos), estado da Paraíba, Brasil

Abstract

Disease Biomarkers in Bone and Dental Remains from the Archaeological Sites of Moconha (Serra Grande) and Chã das Laranjeiras (Pilõezinhos), State of Paraíba, Brazil. Thamires Silva Cavalcante.Advisor: Juvandi de Souza Santos. Co-advisor: Allysson Allan Farias. Master's Dissertation. Graduate Program in Translational Medicine. Research and Drug Development Center, School of Medicine, UFC. Fortaleza, 2026. The present research aimed to identify disease biomarkers, biological characteristics associated with morphological alterations observed in human teeth and bones, in order to establish a preliminary profile of dental and skeletal conditions in past individuals. The analyzed samples consist of human bones and teeth recovered from secondary burials placed in funerary urns associated with the Tupiguarani and Aratu ceramic traditions, collected from the archaeological sites of Moconha (Serra Grande, Paraíba, Brazil) and Chã das Laranjeiras (Pilõezinhos, Paraíba, Brazil). At the first site (SAM–SG), 34 bone samples and 8 human teeth were recorded, while at the second site 29 bone samples and 15 human teeth were identified. The research methodology followed interdisciplinary laboratory principles grounded in approaches from Translational Medicine, Translational Bioarchaeology, Forensic Anthropology, Radiology, Dentistry, and Histopathology. Preliminary results identified acidic pH levels below 7 in the sediment found within the urns at both sites, which represents one of several factors associated with the deterioration of human bones and teeth. Among the health-related biomarkers identified, a consolidated fracture was observed in a partially preserved humerus, presenting bone callus formation and bone remodeling, indicating that the individual survived the injury. Radiographic and microtomographic analyses enabled the evaluation of structural inconsistencies in the trabecular field and cortical density associated with pathological and mechanical processes. Furthermore, the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) analysis identified remains corresponding to at least three biologically male individuals at the SAM–SG site and one individual at the Chã das Laranjeiras site (SAL–PL). Dental analyses revealed enamel hypoplasia, severe wear, dental calculus, and carious lesions, conditions associated with physiological stress and abrasive dietary patterns. Finally, a fragment of a human mandible from the SAM–SG site was subjected to histopathological examination. This study enabled the establishment of a preliminary profile of these past populations through the investigation of biomarkers preserved in human bones and teeth, providing new historiographical, archaeological, and bioarchaeological perspectives on the life and health conditions of part of the ancient Indigenous populations of Northeastern Brazil.