Approach to disability in a population from the Argar Culture

María G Roca,Sylvia Jiménez-Brobeil,Ihab Al Oumaoui,Fernando Molina,Juan M Tristán

doi:10.3989/tp.2012.12086

Abstract

A new research field is being developed on disability in Archaeology and Physical Anthropology, which is investigated in this article in the context of the Argaric Culture. More than 200 skeletons, coming from sites in Granada province (Castellon Alto, Fuente Amarga, Cuesta del Negro, Terrera del Reloj and Cerro de la Encina), were studied, finding four with signs of physical impairment: one male and one female who must both have used a walking aid, and two males with shoulder dislocations. All four individuals were buried according to Argaric Culture rituals, beneath their dwellings, indicating that they were not socially rejected. Nevertheless, further insight into disability in this culture is hampered by the limited biological and archaeological data available.

Highlights

There has been considerable recent interest in the study of disability in the past, largely focussed on the role of physically impaired individuals and their survival in the group and on the possible presence of some type of care (Berkson 2004; Tarlow 2000; Thorpe 2008; Winzer 1997)
The most ancient cases that have been studied in Palaeoanthropology are those found in Dmanisi (Lordkipanidze et al 2005), Atapuerca (Gracia et al 2009) and Shanidar (Trinkaus and Zimmerman 1982) among others
As we can see, recognising disablement in the archaeological record is truly difficult because we have only biological evidence and some cultural clues as to how the individuals were considered by the social group at the time of death. Taking into account these limitations, we have addressed the issue of disability in the Bronze Age culture, a period of great social complexity

Summary

INTRODUCTION

There has been considerable recent interest in the study of disability in the past, largely focussed on the role of physically impaired individuals and their survival in the group and on the possible presence of some type of care (Berkson 2004; Tarlow 2000; Thorpe 2008; Winzer 1997). The most ancient cases that have been studied in Palaeoanthropology are those found in Dmanisi (Lordkipanidze et al 2005), Atapuerca (Gracia et al 2009) and Shanidar (Trinkaus and Zimmerman 1982) among others Many of these skeletons are individuals who reached a relatively old age despite physical impairment. As we can see, recognising disablement in the archaeological record is truly difficult because we have only biological evidence and some cultural clues as to how the individuals were considered by the social group at the time of death. Taking into account these limitations, we have addressed the issue of disability in the Bronze Age culture, a period of great social complexity. Our main objective was to identify injuries and abnormalities that could cause physical impairment and to assess whether this condition could be considered a disability and whether these individuals were accepted or marginalised by their social group

MATERIAL AND METHODS

CASE REPORTS AND DISCUSSION

FINAL COMMENTS