Las Hermanas del Fin del Mundo. La Salud de las Hermanas Salesianas en la Misión "La Candelaria" (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina).

SUBY JORGE A; GUICHÓN RICARDO A.; IBAÑEZ ALEJANDRA

Necochea, Quequen. Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Humana, FACSO, UNCPBA

Congreso; III Congreso de la Asociación de Paleopatología en Sudamérica (PAMinSA III); 2009

Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Humana (Quequen) FACSO, UNCPBA y Dpto. de Biología, FCEyNAT UNMDP

The aim of this work is to study the human bone remains of two salesian nuns who lived in “La Candelaria” mission of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). We are interested in the relationship of the religious and natives' health as evidence of the final period of Native-European contact in Tierra del Fuego. Chronics show high percentages of respiratory illnesses in the mission (tuberculosis and pneumonia) as the cause of death of natives Selk´nam. The sisters worked in manual labors, teaching sewing to the native women. The human bone remains of Sister Antonietta Taparello and Sister Maria Rodas were recovered from the mission´s cemetery. Both Tapparello and Rodas died of acute unknown illnesses, according to their biographies. The remains were studied, looking for pathological signs evaluating the illnesses suffered by these two salesian religious women and the possible relationship with the pathologies reported from aboriginal population. Slight to severe osteoarthrosis was found in vertebral bodies and hands, possibly as a result of the activities of the nuns in the missions of Tierra del Fuego. Sister Tapparelllo suffered a vertebral ligaments fusion compatible with DISH and cervical ankilosis, which could have produced reduction of mobility. No lesions compatible with infectious diseases were found and no signs of nutritional-metabolic stress were observed in bones and radiographies. These are possibly differences with the native population in the mission, who until now, have shown high prevalence of systemic stress and unspecific infection