media coverage of recent paper

A paper Justyna co-authord, led by Chloe Boucher, recently published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, received international attention, with major outlets highlighting its significance for understanding disease, disability, and caregiving in early Philippine societies. 

Medium profiled the study as a window into disease and disability during the Metal Period, emphasising how the skeletal evidence reveals the lived experience of impairment in early Philippine communities. 

PhilStar Global News focused on the discovery as rare evidence of prehistoric caregiving, noting that the individual’s long-term survival with severe impairment suggests strong community support and social care practices 2,000 years ago. 

Archaeology Magazine highlighted the identification of scurvy in the remains, underscoring the study’s contribution to understanding micronutrient deficiency, health stress, and the interplay between diet and disability in ancient Luzon.

Link to paper:
Boucher C, Hussin D, Miszkiewicz JJ, Bolunia MJLA, De Leon AS, Peñalosa AL, Pagulayan PS, Soranio V, Oxenam M, Vlok M. 2026. Nutritional deficiency contributing to physical impairment of an individual in the Metal Period Philippines (~2000-1800BP). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 

Links to the news sites:
What a 2,000-Year-Old Philippine Skeleton Reveals About Disease and Disability During the Metal Period Medium
What prehistoric bones bare about early Filipino caregiving PhilStar Global News
Scurvy detected on 2,000-year-old remains from the Philippines. Archaeology Magazine

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