An Iron Age Child from Pottenbrunn (Lower Austria): Archaeology, Paleopathology  and Evidence of Salmonella enterica

Peter Ramsl; Friederike Novotny; Aida Andrades Valtueña; Angela  Mötsch; Stephan Schiffels; Karin Wiltschke-Schrotta; Alexander Herbig

doi:10.55015/OKOV5728

An Iron Age Child from Pottenbrunn (Lower Austria): Archaeology, Paleopathology and Evidence of Salmonella enterica

Peter Ramsl
, Friederike Novotny
, Aida Andrades Valtueña
, Angela Mötsch
, Stephan Schiffels
, Karin Wiltschke-Schrotta
, Alexander Herbig

Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

The aim of this short article is to present the unexpected results of extended DNA
analyses conducted within the framework of the ERC project MICROSCOPE (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary
Anthropology, Leipzig) and the FWF project CATA (University of Vienna). e analyses focused on skeletal remains of
a 1.5- to 2-year-old child from the La Tène period burial ground at Pottenbrunn in the Traisen Valley, Lower Austria.
e burial was accompanied by a necklace featuring an amulet-like pendant and two arm rings, suggesting a distinctive
costume ensemble. Using in-solution capture and high-throughput sequencing, the bone samples were analysed, reveal
ing a pathogenic infection with Salmonella enterica, which may have contributed to the child’s death.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	131-143
Number of pages	13
Journal	Zborník Slovenského národného múzea. Archeológia
Volume	119
Issue number	35
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.55015/OKOV5728
Publication status	Published - 30 Jan 2026

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)	P36086-G

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

601021 Prehistory

Keywords

Traisen Valley
La Tène period
Salmonella enterica

Access to Document

10.55015/OKOV5728

CATA: Celts Across The Alps
Ramsl, P. (Project Lead), Belcastro, M. G. (Co-Lead) & Gerling, C. (Co-Lead)
1/02/23 → 31/12/26
Project: Research funding

Cite this

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title = "An Iron Age Child from Pottenbrunn (Lower Austria): Archaeology, Paleopathology and Evidence of Salmonella enterica",

abstract = " The aim of this short article is to present the unexpected results of extended DNA analyses conducted within the framework of the ERC project MICROSCOPE (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig) and the FWF project CATA (University of Vienna). e analyses focused on skeletal remains of a 1.5- to 2-year-old child from the La T{\`e}ne period burial ground at Pottenbrunn in the Traisen Valley, Lower Austria. e burial was accompanied by a necklace featuring an amulet-like pendant and two arm rings, suggesting a distinctive costume ensemble. Using in-solution capture and high-throughput sequencing, the bone samples were analysed, reveal ing a pathogenic infection with Salmonella enterica, which may have contributed to the child{\textquoteright}s death.",

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T1 - An Iron Age Child from Pottenbrunn (Lower Austria): Archaeology, Paleopathology and Evidence of Salmonella enterica

AU - Ramsl, Peter

AU - Novotny, Friederike

AU - Andrades Valtueña, Aida

AU - Mötsch, Angela

AU - Schiffels, Stephan

AU - Wiltschke-Schrotta, Karin

AU - Herbig, Alexander

PY - 2026/1/30

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N2 - The aim of this short article is to present the unexpected results of extended DNA analyses conducted within the framework of the ERC project MICROSCOPE (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig) and the FWF project CATA (University of Vienna). e analyses focused on skeletal remains of a 1.5- to 2-year-old child from the La Tène period burial ground at Pottenbrunn in the Traisen Valley, Lower Austria. e burial was accompanied by a necklace featuring an amulet-like pendant and two arm rings, suggesting a distinctive costume ensemble. Using in-solution capture and high-throughput sequencing, the bone samples were analysed, reveal ing a pathogenic infection with Salmonella enterica, which may have contributed to the child’s death.

AB - The aim of this short article is to present the unexpected results of extended DNA analyses conducted within the framework of the ERC project MICROSCOPE (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig) and the FWF project CATA (University of Vienna). e analyses focused on skeletal remains of a 1.5- to 2-year-old child from the La Tène period burial ground at Pottenbrunn in the Traisen Valley, Lower Austria. e burial was accompanied by a necklace featuring an amulet-like pendant and two arm rings, suggesting a distinctive costume ensemble. Using in-solution capture and high-throughput sequencing, the bone samples were analysed, reveal ing a pathogenic infection with Salmonella enterica, which may have contributed to the child’s death.

KW - Traisental

KW - Latènezeit

KW - Salmonella enterica.

KW - Traisen Valley

KW - La Tène period

KW - Salmonella enterica

U2 - 10.55015/OKOV5728

DO - 10.55015/OKOV5728

M3 - Article

SN - 1336-6637

VL - 119

SP - 131

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JO - Zborník Slovenského národného múzea. Archeológia

JF - Zborník Slovenského národného múzea. Archeológia

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ER -