1. Introduction

This CD-ROM is a digital archive of a large body of research observations on the enamel microstructure of 228 human deciduous teeth from 122 infant and juvenile individuals. It forms part of a much larger paleobiological research project, the 'Isola Sacra Project' (Bondioli et al., 1993, 1994, 1995; Macchiarelli, 1995; Bondioli and Macchiarelli, 1997a, b).

Initiated in 1992 by the Anthropology Section of the National Prehistoric Ethnographic 'L. Pigorini' Museum of Rome, and in collaboration with a number of Italian and foreign research Institutions, the project encompasses the study of the human odontoskeletal collection excavated from the Roman Imperial necropolis of Isola Sacra , which was intensively used by the inhabitants of Portus Romae during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD (see Baldassarre, 1987; Baldassarre et al., 1996).

The development of this CD-ROM has taken nearly three years of work and the continuous updating of data and analytical methods. Its primary objective is to act as a histomorphometric archive for future observations, data analyses, remarks, and criticisms, and to permit comparison of this work to other paleobiological (skeletal biology) research. Consequently, the CD-ROM does not contain detailed discussions of results, nor discussions of the specific or general implications of the results from a paleoepidemiological perspective. These issues will be dealt with more appropriately in a scheduled series of articles to be submitted for peer review and publication in international journals. Similarly, we do not present any comparative analyses of this material with other available data on deciduous dental enamel microdefects (which are, in fact, quite scarce) from archaeological or modern populations. However, comments on the preliminary results obtained, as well as further comments on particular methodological aspects of the research (e.g., the role of digital image processing techniques in dental histological analyses) appear in a number of published articles and abstracts (Rossi et al., 1995, 1996, 1997a, b, c).

The digital archive of data and images is preceded by an introductory section on terminology and anatomy (Chapters 2, 3.1 to 3.3) and is intended for those who do not have an extensive background in the study of teeth and, in particular, enamel. Following this is a synthetic review of the literature, mainly anthropological, on micro- and macrodefects of dental enamel and on relative methodological and populational problems (Chapters 3.4, 4, 5.1 to 5.4). Appendix 1 contains a selection of references on dental enamel defects and related subjects for those interested in further information.

Normally, qualitative and quantitative analyses of microdefects of enamel development are based on photographic images, or on observations obtained directly from the microscope. For the 'Isola Sacra Project', however, new digital techniques were developed and used in a systematic and comprehensive manner to collect the data (see Macchiarelli and Bondioli, 1995; Macchiarelli et al., 1996a, b). The use of these techniques (Chapter 5.3) assures a high level of reliability and replicability of the estimates and measurements obtained from images, regardless of the diagnostic capability and level of experience of the observer. Thus, they also increase the reliability of the population-level reconstruction derived from the data.

The images of deciduous teeth from the Isola Sacra sample form the bulk of the images contained in this CD-ROM for the purposes identified above. Results of other aspects of the 'Isola Sacra Project' will be made available periodically in the form of digital archives.

From a (paleo)epidemiological perspective, systematic studies on dental enamel microstructure are also currently in progress on: a) the deciduous teeth retained in the dentition of the Portus Romae adults; b) the permanent teeth of the Portus Romae adults; and c) the deciduous teeth of a large sample of healthy living children. The results (data and images) of this further histomorphometric research (developed by means of digital image processing techniques) will also appear in CD-ROM format within the Digital Archives of Human Paleobiology. These archives are intended for scientific documentation and more widespread research and instructional use (Macchiarelli et al., 1996b; Geusa et al., 1997a, b).

We also expect to continue to develop new and advanced methodological techniques in human paleobiology which can be applied, after adequate scientific validation, to other human skeletal samples from different geographical and chronological contexts.

Cited References

Baldassarre I. (1987) La necropoli dell'Isola Sacra (Porto). In (H. von Hesberg & P. Zanker, eds.) Römische Gräberstrassen. München: Bayerische Akademie Wissenschaft, pp. 125-138.

Baldassarre I., Bragantini I., Morselli C., Taglietti F. (1996) Necropoli di Porto. Roma: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.

Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R. (1997a) Paleobiologia dell'età romana imperiale: il 'Progetto Isola Sacra' (necropoli del Portus Romae) due anni dopo. XII Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. Storia del Popolamento del Mediterraneo: Aspetti Antropologici, Archeologici e Demografici, Palermo (abstract). Antropologia Contemporanea (in press).

Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R. (1997b) Advanced methods in human osteodental paleobiology; The 'Isola Sacra Project'. International Symposium Humans from the Past: Advancement in Research and Technology, Roma, Italy, 5-6/12/1997.

Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R., Salvadei L. (1993) Notiziario del Museo: Laboratorio di Antropologia. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana, 83: 564-565.

Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R., Salvadei L. (1994) Notiziario della Soprintendenza Speciale al Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico 'L. Pigorini'. Sezione di Antropologia. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana, 84: 558-565.

Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R., Salvadei L., Passarello P. (1995) Paleobiologia dell'età romana imperiale: il Progetto 'Isola Sacra'. In (C. Peretto & S. Milliken, eds.) XI Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. L'Adattamento Umano all'Ambiente. Passato e Presente. Isernia: C. Iannone Ed., pp. 78-79 (abstract).

Geusa G., Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R. (1997a) Applicazioni e archivi digitali in paleobiologia umana tra ricerca, documentazione, divulgazione scientifica. XII Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. Storia del Popolamento del Mediterraneo: Aspetti Antropologici, Archeologici e Demografici, Palermo (abstract). Antropologia Contemporanea (in press).

Geusa G., Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R., De Stefano G.F. (1997b) Digital archives in human paleobiological research. A new answer to old questions. International Symposium Humans from the Past: Advancement in Research and Technology, Roma, Italy, 5-6/12/1997.

Macchiarelli R. (1995) Notiziario del Museo: Sezione di Antropologia. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana, 86: 519-526.

Macchiarelli R., Bondioli L. (1995) Advanced technologies in human paleobiology: toward a public access to the odontoskeletal collections. 1st International Congress on Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin. Catania: Litostampa Idonea, p. 383 (abstract).

Macchiarelli R., Galichon V., Geusa G., Rossi P.F., Sperduti A., Bondioli L. (1996a) Digital image analysis in human paleobiology and paleoanthropology. 10th Congress of the European Anthropological Association. Brussels, p. 34 (abstract).

Macchiarelli R., Geusa G., Rossi P.F., Salomone F., Sperduti A., Bondioli L. (1996b) Tecnologie avanzate in paleobiologia umana: verso un accesso pubblico alle collezioni odontoscheletriche. In (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ed.) Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin. Catania: Litostampa Idonea (in press).

Rossi P.F., Bondioli L., Condò S.G., Geusa G., Macchiarelli R. (1997a) Linea neonatale dello smalto e dinamiche della nascita: evidenze archeo-istologiche dalla Roma imperiale. Odontostomatologia, 23/5: 546-553.

Rossi P.F., Bondioli L., Geusa G., Macchiarelli R. (1996) Stress e adattamento in età romana imperiale. In (C. Peretto & S. Milliken, eds.) L'Adattamento Umano all'Ambiente. Passato e Presente. Atti dell'XI Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. Forlì: ABACO, pp. 343-354.

Rossi P.F., Bondioli L., Geusa G., Macchiarelli R. (1997b) I microdifetti di sviluppo dello smalto nella dentizione primaria. Analisi del segmento infantile della comunità romana imperiale del Portus Romae (necropoli di Isola Sacra) mediante nuove tecnologie digitali d'indagine. Quaderni del Civico Museo del Finale, 3: 29-38.

Rossi P.F., Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R. (1995) Stress e adattamento in età romana imperiale. In (C. Peretto & S. Milliken, eds.) XI Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. L'Adattamento Umano all'Ambiente. Passato e Presente. Isernia: C. Iannone Ed., pp. 80-81 (abstract).

Rossi P.F., Bondioli L., Macchiarelli R. (1997c) Istomorfometria dello smalto dentario in relazione all'evento della nascita. XII Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. Storia del Popolamento del Mediterraneo: Aspetti Antropologici, Archeologici e Demografici, Palermo (abstract). Antropologia Contemporanea (in press).