Findings from computed tomography examinations of Viking skulls

Introduction Computed tomography images can provide information about anatomical structures and pathological processes in ancient skulls. A previous study on the teeth and jaws of 171 individuals in a late Swedish Viking-age population, dating around the 10th − 12th century made clinical examinations that included intraoral radiographs. To gain more information about these unique remains, this study examined a subset of this population with computed tomography. Materials and method The skulls of 15 Viking-era individuals were examined with computed tomography. Two dental specialists in maxillofacial radiology and one general dentist examined the images together, performing the diagnostics. Results Findings included signs of pathological conditions of the teeth; of the alveolar, auricular, mandibular, and maxillary bone; and of the sinuses and temporomandibular joints. These findings indicated the presence of dental caries, periodontal disease, periapical destructions with and without communication to the maxillary sinus or the oral cavity, infection-induced periosteal bone deposition, remodelling of the caput mandibulae, infection located to the ramus mandibulae, and sinusitis. Conclusion Computed tomography investigation of skeletal remains from an early Christian community in the Viking era in Sweden found that the population suffered from numerous orofacial pathologies, including dental disease, sinusitis, otitis, and various infections. As an investigation method of skeletal remains, computed tomography imagery was able to identify pathologies that might be difficult to find through clinical examination.