Research Information System
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY, pp.21-28, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: To evaluate a case of elongated styloid processes in an individual from a Byzantine burial. Materials: One well preserved adult human skeleton dated to the 7th-9th centuries buried within the church of Constantine-Helena near Nigde in the Cappadocia region of Anatolia. Methods: Macroscopic and metric analysis using a digital sliding calliper, enhanced and complemented by a Multi-Detector Computer Tomography scan of the cranium. Results: Individual was estimated to be an old adult male. Total lengths of the left styloid process were 79.0 mm using a calliper and 78.7 mm based on computerised digital measurement. The right styloid process measured 73.0 mm using a calliper and 75.5 mm based on computerised digital measurement. Conclusions: Bilateral elongation of the styloid processes and Eagle's syndrome were confirmed based on the lengths of the styloid processes greater than the normal range. The most consistent aetiology of the condition in this instance is anatomic variance. Significance: Recognising the presence of Eagle Syndrome in the past provides insight into population dynamics and potentially the evolution of this condition. Limitations: Only a single individual was evaluated without aDNA analysis. Suggestions for further research: Further analysis and review of skeletal populations, using standardised methods and modern imaging techniques, to identify this condition geographically and chronologically.