Although there are many clinical studies exploring the frequency and causes of rickets in Turkey, the status of this disease in the ancient populations has not attracted sufficient attention. This study intended to investigate the status of rickets in ancient Anatolia. A comprehensive literature review on the previous studies describing the health conditions of ancient Anatolian populations has shown that, out of dozens of settlements, rickets had been investigated in only eight settlements, alongside other diseases. On the basis of the evidence obtained from the Tasmasor (Erzurum) settlement, where the highest frequency of the disease was recorded, and from the Karagündüz (Van), Topaklı (Nevşehir), İkiztepe (Samsun), İznik (Bursa), and Allianoi (İzmir) populations, the skeletal remains of which bore witness to the existence of the disease, it is understood that ancient Anatolian populations suffered from rickets just as their modern counterparts. With the modern clinical studies, it has been possible to arrive at the conclusion that the geographical conditions of the ancient populations and the cultural patterns were influential on the occurrence of rickets. It is also concluded that specific cultural patterns and diet with poor calcium and vitamin D played a significant role in the frequency and the healing process of the disease in ancient populations.

Keywords: rickets, paleopathology, ancient peoples, culture, nutrition.