The migration and transmission of infectious zoonotic disease: A multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis, manifestation and analysis of tuberculosis in faunal remains from both Iron Age/Roman Britain and the Viking Age/Norse settlement periods in the North Atlantic Region.

Jen Wooding (University of Bradford, UK)

This doctoral research draws together archaeozoology and human osteology through the study of tuberculosis – a disease known to affect both animals and humans. Rural settlements within Iron Age/Roman Britain and the Viking Age/Norse period in the Northern Isles and Iceland form the primary focus of this study.

Key research themes include the spread and introduction of disease through immigration and migration and the incidence/frequency of tuberculosis within smaller rural communities, where the catalyst of transmission focuses upon the close proximity of humans and animals as opposed to the densely populated living conditions associated with larger urban centres. The ability to diagnose and recognise the manifestation and aetiology of tuberculosis in faunal material will provide a better understanding of its prevalence and impact on past society. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach integrating analytical techniques and palaeopathogical experience from both disciplines will aim to create reliable criteria for its identification in faunal assemblages.