Roman skeleton found with freak pelvic tumour containing four TEETH

Body of 30-something Roman woman with an ovarian teratoma uncovered in a Catalonian necropolis

She died 1,600 years ago, but the tumour may not have been the ultimate cause of her death

It is thought to be the first time such a tumour has been discovered in a corpse that dates back to ancient times



Low socio-economic status: The woman was buried in a grave covered with tiles called tegulae - a common form of burial in the Roman era

The body of a Roman woman with a tumour in her pelvis embedded with four deformed teeth and a bone has been uncovered by archaeologists.

The 30-something woman, whose body was interred in a necropolis near Lleida, in the Catalonia region of Spain, died some 1,600 years ago, researchers believe.

An examination of the corpse revealed she suffered from a condition known to doctors as an ovarian teratoma - a Greek-derived term meaning, roughly, a 'monster swelling in the ovaries'.

Such tumours stem from mutations of the germ cells which form human eggs; they have the potential to create hair, teeth and bone - or even more complex organs like eyes.

It is understood that it is the first time scientists have found this type of teratoma in human remains dating back to ancient times.

'This is an extraordinary case, not only for its antiquity, but also its identification in the archaeological record,' wrote the researchers in a study published recently in the International Journal of Paleopathology.

Despite its gruesome contents, it's possible that the bizarre tumour, which is about 1.7 inches in diameter at its largest point, never caused the woman any symptoms, the researchers note.

However, they add, its also possible that it was the ultimate cause of her untimely death, since 'sometimes the development of teratomas results in displacement and functional disturbances of adjacent organs'.

Other possible fatal effects of the tumour could have been infections, hemolytic anemia and pregnancy complications, the team noted.

Paleopathology: A close-up of the pelvic region of the skeleton discovered in the Roman necropolis in Catalonia. The arrow points to the calcified tumour embedded in her pelvis

'Monster swelling in the ovaries': This look inside the woman's ovarian teratoma reveals the inner protuberance with two teeth attached - a further two teeth have been removed

The tumour would not have been outwardly obvious, however, and researchers admit they can't tell for certain what effect it had on the woman.

Lead researcher Núria Armentano, of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, told LiveScience : 'We suppose that, at least during a long part of her life, she was completely unaware of this tumor.'

She said that 'depending on the eventual complications, she could have suffered' but that there is no evidence of that. 'She could have died because of many other causes!' Ms Armentano added.

T he owner of the tumour lived in a period when the Roman Empire was in sharp decline as barbarian invaders flooded in from the north, eventually overrunning France, Spain and other territories.

'Extraordinary case': A CT scan image of the tumour (0.3 mm) confirming the presence of complete teeth and several calcified septa. The tumour is about 1.7 inches in diameter at its largest point

She was gound in a necropolis with only a few artefacts buried with her. Tiles known as tegulae had been put over her to give her grave a kind of gabled roof