Paleopathology is a scientific discipline that examines skeletal and biological remains from archaeological excavations to study diseases and conditions in human and animal populations throughout history. Paleopathology in Switzerland remains underdeveloped compared to other countries, with no independent university discipline or established paleopathological school. Almost all Swiss paleopathologists have devoted only part of their research time to the field, working primarily in isolation. Nevertheless, early examples of paleopathological remarks exist, with Swiss studies potentially among the oldest in the field worldwide. Today, a small but active interdisciplinary community continues paleopathological research in Switzerland. By examining pathological modifications of skeletons and other remains, researchers can identify injuries, infections, tumors, congenital malformations, deficiencies, metabolic diseases, and dental conditions. Combining paleopathological data with anthropological and archaeological information—such as age at death, sex, dating, burial location, and grave goods—allows reconstruction of not only individual medical histories but also the living conditions of population groups and epidemiological events. Investigation methods include examination of remains, imaging (radiography, computed tomography), tissue microscopy (histology), and molecular biology analyses, particularly ancient DNA analysis. Significant bone collections exist in Switzerland, particularly in Basel, including the Galler Collection and skeletons from the cemetery of the former Saint-Jean hospital. Due to limited systematically collected data, epidemiological approaches to understanding disease patterns have been constrained compared to other regions.
Early history and key individuals Felix Platter (1536–1614) of Basel is credited as one of the first paleopathologists in the world. Working as a physician and one of the very first great anatomists of the early modern period, Platter was also a cofounder of forensic medicine and appointed professor of medicine at the University of Basel, the oldest Swiss university. In his famous Observationes—a treatise on every kind of disease—Platter described a peculiar case of gigantism in the third volume. In 1584, he analyzed an assemblage of large "old" bones from the Lucerne area that he and his contemporaries believed dated to an earlier epoch. Based on their enormous size, equivalent to nineteen feet tall, Platter concluded this was evidence of human gigantism. This reference is regarded as possibly the very first paleopathological comment in Switzerland. Between the 16th century and the middle of the 19th century, no clear evidence of paleopathological research in Switzerland exists. During the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, researchers such as Jakob Nüesch (1845–1915), Julius Kollmann (1834–1918), and Otto Schlaginhaufen (1879–1973) developed interest in anthropological questions concerning the origin of excavated individuals. At this time, craniometry and stature comparison were the main research topics. Kollmann, professor of anatomy at the University of Basel, particularly gained an international reputation, and under his direction the skull collection from Basel's Anatomical Institute became world-renowned. Nüesch discovered the important Swiss archaeological site of Schweizersbild in 1891 in the canton of Schaffhausen, containing a Neolithic cemetery from the first half of the 4th millennium BC. He excavated and precisely documented twenty-two prehistoric graves. The famous German pathologist Rudolf Virchow visited this site and discovered the graves, and the finds attracted international attention. Emil Bächler (1868–1950) of St. Gall excavated and analyzed several Paleolithic caves in Switzerland, including Wildkirchli, Wildenmannlisloch, and Drachenloch. He described bone pathology and potential human modifications of cave bear bones, making him an early Swiss researcher who described animal bone pathology. Otto Schlaginhaufen, professor of anthropology at the University of Zurich from 1911 to 1951, conducted extensive osteometric analyses including studies of abnormally short skeletons from Neolithic sites at Egolzwil and Wauwil. He also studied traumatic lesions from the Hallstatt period and was a founding member of the Swiss Association of Anthropology in 1920. For over forty years he edited the Journal of the Swiss Association of Anthropology and Ethnology, where paleopathological papers are published. Following World War II, an increasing number of Swiss researchers became interested in paleopathology. Erik Hug (1911–1991), professor of anthropology at the University of Geneva, conducted meticulous work analyzing skeletal remains from historically dated Swiss cemeteries. His work on Ulrich von Hutten confirmed skeletally that this famous humanist had suffered from syphilis. Hug was also a founding member and first scientific director of the Interkantonale Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Betreuung Anthropologischer Funde (Interstate Anthropology Work Unit, IAG). Siegfried Scheidegger (1903–1989), professor of pathology at the University of Basel, specialized in conditions such as syphilis and arthritis on skeletal remains. He was involved in founding the IAG in 1957 and an international symposium dedicated solely to paleopathology was held on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1984 in Liestal. Roland Bay (1909–1989), professor of dentistry at the University of Basel, developed a deep interest in dental paleopathology and anthropology. He was responsible for the Collection of Physical Anthropology at the Basel Natural History Museum and chairman of the Swiss Association of Anthropology. Erwin Uehlinger (1899–1980) of Schaffhausen, head of the Institute of Pathology at the University of Zurich and dean of the Faculty of Medicine, pioneered the study of modern bone pathology. He first described the late primary infection of tuberculosis and his influence on bone pathology was so significant that a leading paleopathology textbook was dedicated to him. His work remains of importance for paleopathologists today.
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