Cribra orbitalia in skeletal remains of a religious crypt in the south of the Iberian Peninsula: La Ermita de San Telmo in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)

Abstract

The Ermita de San Telmo, in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), was built between the 16th and 17th centuries by a religious brotherhood of Trade Union character, particularly fishermen and boatmen of the environment of the Guadalete River and the Bay of Cadiz. After the archaeological intervention carried out in 2015 for the restoration and rehabilitation of the hermitage, access to a crypt was located. There were 21 niches containing a series of skeleton remains, mostly subadults. The crypt was opened in the mid-20th century and most of the niches were altered, so they were in a moderate conservation status. The study of the skeleton remains was carried out, including anatomical identification, paying special attention to the basic demographic profile and the paleopathological conditions of the remains. Cribra orbitalia was observed in skull fragments. Present findings were crossed with existing files and data which allowed us, to some extent, to characterize the child population of Jerez de la Frontera, in the 16th and 17th centuries.