A Key Role for Chronology: Contextualising Ancient Human Remains and Pathologies Spanning Thousands of Years

In this paper we stress the importance of a chronological approach to bioarchaeological and palaeopathological research, illustrating the key value of correct dating in the reconstruction of the history of diseases and civilisations. With this aim in mind, we present five case studies (from prehistoric times to the late Middle Ages) in which either archaeological or radiocarbon dating proved instrumental in answering research questions ranging from the antiquity of a pathological condition to the identification of historical remains.