[The first Nassaus in The Netherlands: identification of and paleopathological findings in Willem van Oranje's ancestors, buried in the Grote Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk in Breda].
OBJECTIVE
Identification and paleopathological analysis of the remains of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands.


METHODS
Descriptive.


METHODS
Centre for Physical Anthropology 'Barge's Anthropologica', Leiden University.


METHODS
In 1996, seven interments were discovered in situ in a tomb under the Nassau monument of the so-called 'Grote' or 'Onze Lieve Vrouwe' Church of the city of Breda. The interments were excavated and examined by osteological analysis, X-ray analysis, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating of bone and dendrochronological dating.


RESULTS
Evaluation of archaeological, osteological, dendrochronological and AMS 14C-dating data resulted in identification. in order of death, of: Engelbrecht I van Nassau (ca. 1370-1442 AD), Johanna van Polanen (1392-1445 AD), Jan IV van Nassau (1410-1475 AD), Cimburga van Baden (1450-1501 AD), Maria van Loon (1425-1502 AD), Engelbrecht II van Nassau (1451-1504 AD) and Françoise van Savoye ((1480-1486)-1511 AD). Remarkable medical findings were: embalming procedures employed (skull cap detachment, removal of viscera), treponematosis (Engelbrecht II), tumour metastases (Jan IV) and scoliosis (Françoise van Savoye).


CONCLUSIONS
The methods employed resulted in positive identification of the first members of the Nassau dynasty in the Netherlands and diagnoses of their paleopathological changes.
Maat
G J
GJ
Rijksuniversiteit, Centrum voor Fysische Antropologie, Leiden.
van den Eynde
G
G
Mastwijk
R W
RW
D004615:Embalming / Q000266:history; D005197:Famous Persons; D049668:History, 15th Century; D009426:Netherlands; D010164:Paleopathology; D010375:Pedigree