Life on a Napoleonic battlefield: A bioarchaeological analysis of soldiers from the Battle of Aspern, Austria.

摘要: On the 21st-22nd of May 1809, French and Austrian soldiers engaged in battle near village Aspern on outskirts Vienna. This battle, first defeat Napoleon's army land, was one largest deadliest encounters during Napoleonic Wars (1798-1815). Salvage excavations between 2009 2016 have revealed several battlefield burial sites Aspern. The remains 30 individuals were evaluated for a series pathological conditions which develop childhood adulthood to elucidate impact military health. Statistical comparisons conducted stature estimates frequencies soldiers, contemporaneous military, two civilian samples differing socioeconomic status. These data compared test hypothesis that conscripts had 'healthy' childhoods, but then experienced deteriorating health as result conditions. analysis comparatively high mean stature, also prevalence enamel hypoplastic defects, indicating recruits more varied than initially expected. High carious lesions, dental calculus, active maxillary sinusitis pleuritis osteoarthritis recorded, demonstrating deleterious effects life