A Digital X-Ray Analysis of Middle Bronze Age Skeletal Samples from the Baraba Forest-Steppe

Abstract

We present the results of a comparative analysis of skeletal and dental pathologies in Middle Bronze Age individuals buried at Late Krotovo and Andronovo (Fedorovka) cemeteries in southwestern Siberia. This was the period when the Andronovo steppe tradition in Northern and Central Asia expanded in various directions, including the foreststeppe. Growth arrest lines on tibiae (Harris lines) and dental pathologies (enamel hypoplasia and caries) were recorded. To evaluate developmental anomalies in the bone tissue, digital X-ray analysis was used. The principal sample includes representatives of various sex and age groups buried at the largest cemetery in the region, Tartas-1 (Baraba forest-steppe). Harris lines and enamel hypoplasia result from a broad range of factors such as infections, occasional malnutrition, traumas, vitamin defi ciencies, etc. Caries is caused by a high amount of carbohydrates in the diet, accompanied by low standards of oral hygiene. These pathologies occur at different ages: Harris lines and enamel hypoplasia evidence adverse factors during infancy and adolescence, whereas caries is typical of adulthood. Late Krotovo and Andronovo groups differ in terms of occurrence and combination of pathologies. Enamel hypoplasia is less frequent in the Andronovo sample, indicating a lesser stress level in children. Harris lines are less frequent in the Late Krotovo group, suggestive of lower stress level during adolescence. These differences may be tentatively attributed to various models of subsistence and cultural adaptation.