Abstract
Paleopathological evidence of leprosy from Central Asia remains extremely limited, despite the region’s importance in long-distance mobility and cultural interaction across Eurasia. This study presents the osteological assessment of an adult female individual recovered from the Kok Kesene Mausoleum, contributing new data on chronic infectious disease in a Central Asian context. The skeletal remains were examined using standard anthropological and paleopathological methods, with particular emphasis on the distribution and patterning of cranial and postcranial lesions for differential diagnosis. The individual exhibits a combination of changes consistent with leprosy, including resorptive alterations of the nasal region consistent with facies leprosa, destructive remodeling of the anterior maxilla and hard palate, and porosity with abnormal remodeling affecting multiple metacarpals, proximal phalanges, and a metatarsal. This case adds to the limited paleopathological record of leprosy in Central Asia and offers insights into the biological and social dimensions of chronic disease in past Eurasian populations.