Archaeological Populations Research Articles

Linking Bone Changes in the Distal Femur to Functional Deficits

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that leads to functional deficits in the afflicted. Quantifying these deficits in a clinical population and relating them to bone changes in the distal femur is crucial to identifying potential impairment in archaeological populations. This study provides a hybrid knee OA grading system linking MRI observations of clinical populations and direct bone observations on skeletal populations. This system is then related to 28 pain, disability, and activity limitation outcome variables provided by the OA Initiative through frequency distributions, probability profiles, and Spearman's rank correlations. The results suggest that while the five outcome variables with the highest probabilities were common to males and females, bone changes in knee OA impact males and females differently. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Signs of Maize? A Reconsideration of What δ13C Values Say about Palaeodiet in the Andean Region

Palaeodietary isotope studies have long assumed C4 signals in South American archaeological populations to be due to the consumption of maize (Zea mays), which in turn, underlie interpretations important social processes. We presents δ13C data from wild plants (n = 89) from the south coast of Peru, which may have been significant in the diets of humans and animals in the past. A combination of these with previously published results from domesticates of the Andean region (n = 144) brings the proportion of C4 species likely to have contributed to the human dietary isotopic signal, whether directly or indirectly, to almost one third. This undermines the widespread assumption that maize is the only plant to contribute a C4 signal to diets. By considering both direct and indirect routes whereby C4 plants may have contributed to the human isotopic signal we show the need for a reassessment of how palaeodietary studies are interpreted in the Andes, and perhaps elsewhere in the Americas.

Trauma to the Skull: A Historical Perspective from the Southern Levant (4300BCE-1917CE)

Background: Although the southern Levant is commonly perceived as having been a violent region throughout history, few studies have explored the pattern and intensity of skull trauma through time in the general population. The aim of this study is to follow changes in traumatic injury patterns in the southern Levant, over an extensive period of 6,000 years. Methods: 783 archaeological skulls from the Tel Aviv University osteological collection were examined for evidence of trauma. The specimens were divided into three periods: Chalcolithic-Bronze-Iron Age (4300–520 BCE), Hellenistic-Roman-Byzantine Period (332 BCE-640 CE), and Early and Late Arab Period (640–1917 CE). The characteristics of injury on each skull were recorded. Results: A high frequency (25%) of traumatic lesions to the skull was evident among historic populations of the southern Levant, a rate that did not fluctuate significantly over 6,000 years. The most common pattern of trauma was minor circular depressed injuries. Most of the injuries were located on the parietal or frontal bones. Traumatic lesions were more frequent in males than in females, and in mature individuals than in adolescents and children, during all periods. Conclusions: The rate of trauma in the southern Levantine populations was shown to be considerably higher than in other archaeological populations worldwide. The fact that no significant differences in trauma rates were found over time implies that socio-economical shifts (from agrarian to urban populations) had little impact on the local populations’ aggressive behavior. In contrast, changes in type of injury, from blunt force trauma to sharp force trauma and eventually projectile trauma, reflects changes in weaponry over time. The accumulated characteristics of cranial trauma pattern (type, location, side, size, sex, age) suggest that most of the individuals studied were not engaged directly in warfare. Rather, most injuries seem to be due to blows given during interpersonal violent encounters. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Diet, residential origin, and pathology at Machu Picchu, Peru

Pathological conditions in human skeletal remains provide a wealth of information about archaeological populations, but many are limited in their interpretive significance by their nonspecific etiologies. This study analyzes three common pathological conditions known to manifest in infancy and childhood in the skeletal population from Machu Picchu, Peru (N = 74) with published carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic data (Turner et al.: J Archaeol Sci 36 (2009) 317-332; Turner et al.: Chungara: Revista de Antropología Chilena 42 (2010) 515-524) to distinguish early-life diet from residential origins as significantly associated with pathologies among the site's inhabitants. Analyses of variance indicate highly significant variation between enamel δ(18)O values, which serve as a rough proxy of local environment, and both cribra orbitalia (CO) and porotic hyperostosis (PH), generally understood to be markers of anemia. Results tentatively suggest that individuals manifesting these lesions may have lived closer to the arid coasts; however, no significant variation was found in parameters of diet (enamel δ(13) C(carbonate), dentin δ(13) C(collagen), dentin δ(15)N) by either CO or PH, suggesting that the primary factors causing anemia may have been more significantly related to residential origin rather than diet. Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency significantly varied by both dietary and residential parameters, supporting models of LEH formation from a synergy of dietary and environmental factors. These results support previous research on the etiology of PH in the Andes; they also represent a useful approach to refining site-specific interpretations of pathological conditions in archaeological populations, and exploring etiological variation between populations.

Scurvy in the Great Irish Famine: evidence of vitamin C deficiency from a mid-19th century skeletal population.

Scurvy has increasingly been recognized in archaeological populations since the 1980s but this study represents the first examination of the paleopathological findings of scurvy in a known famine population. The Great Famine (1845–1852) was a watershed in Irish history and resulted in the death of one million people and the mass emigration of just as many. It was initiated by a blight which completely wiped out the potato—virtually the only source of food for the poor of Ireland. This led to mass starvation and a widespread occurrence of infectious and metabolic diseases. A recent discovery of 970 human skeletons from mass burials dating to the height of the famine in Kilkenny City (1847–1851) provided an opportunity to study the skeletal manifestations of scurvy—a disease that became widespread at this time due to the sudden lack of Vitamin C which had previously almost exclusively been provided by the potato. A three-scale diagnostic reliance approach has been employed as a statistical aid for diagnosing the disease in the population. A biocultural approach was adopted to enable the findings to be contextualized and the etiology and impact of the disease explored. The results indicate that scurvy indirectly influenced famine-induced mortality. A sex and stature bias is evident among adults in which males and taller individuals displayed statistically significantly higher levels of scorbutic lesions. The findings have also suggested that new bone formation at the foramen rotundum is a diagnostic criterion for the paleopathological identification of scurvy, particularly among juveniles. Am J Phys Anthropol, 148:512–524, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ageing in the Danube gorges population (9500-5500 BC): Tooth cementum annulation method

Tooth cementum annulation, the microscopic method for the determination of an individual?s age, gives results that are highly correlated with the chronological age of an individual. Nevertheless, this method is still rarely used for age estimation in archaeological populations. In this study, using the tooth cementum annulation method, teeth of 21 individuals of the Djerdap anthropological series, dated to a period from the 10th to the 6th millennium BC, were analysed. The obtained data are important for overcoming some methodological issues in anthropology of the Danube Gorges, as well as with the precise age estimation of old individuals and with the assessment of age in cases where the skeletal material has been very poorly preserved. The only obstacle to the full application of the tooth cementum annulation method is the taphonomy changes of tooth cementum which were detected on several teeth in this study.

Multivariate carbon and nitrogen stable isotope model for the reconstruction of prehistoric human diet

Using a sample of published archaeological data, we expand on an earlier bivariate carbon model for diet reconstruction by adding bone collagen nitrogen stable isotope values (δ(15) N), which provide information on trophic level and consumption of terrestrial vs. marine protein. The bivariate carbon model (δ(13) C(apatite) vs. δ(13) C(collagen) ) provides detailed information on the isotopic signatures of whole diet and dietary protein, but is limited in its ability to distinguish between C(4) and marine protein. Here, using cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, we generate a multivariate diet reconstruction model that incorporates δ(13) C(apatite) , δ(13) C(collagen) , and δ(15) N holistically. Inclusion of the δ(15) N data proves useful in resolving protein-related limitations of the bivariate carbon model, and splits the sample into five distinct dietary clusters. Two significant discriminant functions account for 98.8% of the sample variance, providing a multivariate model for diet reconstruction. Both carbon variables dominate the first function, while δ(15) N most strongly influences the second. Independent support for the functions' ability to accurately classify individuals according to diet comes from a small sample of experimental rats, which cluster as expected from their diets. The new model also provides a statistical basis for distinguishing between food sources with similar isotopic signatures, as in a previously analyzed archaeological population from Saipan (see Ambrose et al.: AJPA 104(1997) 343-361). Our model suggests that the Saipan islanders' (13) C-enriched signal derives mainly from sugarcane, not seaweed. Further development and application of this model can similarly improve dietary reconstructions in archaeological, paleontological, and primatological contexts.

Multiple traumatic dental injuries: a case report in a young individual from the Samnitic necropolis of Opi Val Fondillo (VI–V century BC; Central Italy)

Traumatic dental injuries, although apparently rare in archaeological populations, can be found under certain circumstances affecting the dentition in a variety of ways. This paper contributes to the paleopathology literature by reporting one case of dental trauma. Evidence for differentiating antemortem/ perimortem dental trauma from postmortem damage is presented, and it is suggested that these injuries were sustained due to an accidental fall, supported by the morphology, location and extension of the injuries and characterization of the impact. These data provide a valuable information for a reconstruction of past behaviors in the Samnitic necropolis of Opi Val Fondillo (VI–V century BC; Central Italy).

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater: Estimating fertility from subadult skeletons

AbstractRecent research interest has focused on the bioarchaeology of children. Although paleodemography is essential for accurate reconstructions of lifestyle and health in past populations, currently there is no published technique for estimating fertility and life expectancy at birth for skeletal populations in which adults are under‐enumerated. This paper provides a formula to predict Gross Reproductive Rate (GRR) from the proportion of young infants to subadults in a skeletal population. The formula was developed from 98 of Coale and Demeny's Female Model West Life Tables, which represented diverse fertility and mortality rates. The formula's accuracy was examined using independent samples from historical and archaeological cemeteries. Estimates of GRR from the subadult fertility formula were compared with estimates from Bocquet‐Appel and Masset's juvenile:adult ratio. Results indicate that the subadult fertility formula predicts GRR with consistent accuracy (R2 = 0.98) and precision (± 1 offspring) in the model life tables, across diverse subadult age structures and demographic characteristics. The formula is useful for subadult populations with a proportion of perinates:subadults between 0.12 and 0.45. The adult component of the sample is not included in the analysis and thus the formula is similarly useful in cases where adults are under‐enumerated, or not. When applied to historical and archaeological populations, estimates for GRR are similar to previous estimates from the juvenile:adult ratio. Because crude birth rate and life expectancy at birth can be calculated from GRR using established fertility centred approaches to demography, the subadult fertility formula allows skeletal populations of diverse composition to be included in demographic research, essential for understanding of how mortality and fertility are affecting the morbidity profiles of subadult samples and for comparative bioarchaeological analyses. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessment of Musculoskeletal Stress Marker Development in the Hand

ABSTRACTThe analysis of musculoskeletal stress marker (MSM) development is a commonly employed tool in osteological surveys and is used to infer patterns of occupational activity and societal organisation in archaeological populations. Although the majority of research into upper limb MSMs has focused on the bones of the arm, the bones of the hand have been conspicuous by their absence. This is likely to be due to methodological issues surrounding the study of hand bones and a presumed lack of variation in MSM development in this area. To date, there have been no systematic studies investigating the presence and variation in MSM morphology for the muscles of the human hand. To address this issue, a presence/absence scoring system was developed for twelve sites of muscle origin and insertion in the metacarpals and phalanges, which was used to determine bilateral asymmetry in the hands of 31 individuals from the Naval Hospital Cemetery site in Greenwich, London. Analysis found observable variation in MSM development between and within the hands, which could be used to determine patterns of asymmetry within the sample. Comparisons with MSM scores from the humeri of these individuals indicate a differentiation in MSM development and asymmetry between these anatomical regions. Levels of asymmetry in the hands and humeri were generally low, with only the dorsal interossei displaying statistically significant asymmetry. Subsequent upper limb MSM research will benefit from the inclusion of data from the hands. These results do not support the continued use of the humerus as a proxy for MSM expression across the upper limb as a whole and suggest that important information regarding behavioural asymmetry in the hands is being lost because of the continual exclusion of this anatomical unit from MSM research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Age-associated bone loss and intraskeletal variability in the Imperial Romans.

An Imperial Roman sample from the Isola Sacra necropolis (100-300 A.D.) offered an opportunity to histologically examine bone loss and intraskeletal variability in an urban archaeological population. Rib and femur samples were analyzed for static indices of bone remodeling and measures of bone mass. The Imperial Romans experienced normal age-associated bone loss via increased intracortical porosity and endosteal expansion, with females exhibiting greater bone loss and bone turnover rates than in males. Life events such as menopause and lactation coupled with cultural attitudes and practices regarding gender and food may have led to increased bone loss in females. Remodeling dynamics differ between the rib and femur and the higher remodeling rates in the rib may be attributed to different effective age of the adult compacta or loading environment. This study demonstrates that combining multiple methodologies to examine bone loss is necessary to shed light on the biocultural factors that influence bone mass and bone loss.

Vertebral pathologies in two early modern period (16th–19th century) populations from Croatia

In order to test to what degree Schmorl's nodes (SN), osteophytosis of the vertebral bodies (VO), and osteoarthritis of the articular facets (OA) are useful indicators of activity-related stress, an analysis of their frequencies and severity of expression was conducted in two early Modern period skeletal samples from Croatia--Koprivno and Sisak. Historic and contemporary ethnographic sources suggest that living conditions were more demanding in Koprivno, and that a sexual division of labor existed in both populations. A total of 2,552 vertebral bodies (990 from Koprivno and 1,562 from Sisak) and 5,186 articular facets (2,135 from Koprivno and 3,051 from Sisak) were analyzed. Koprivno exhibits significantly higher total frequencies of SN, VO, and OA than Sisak, and the total frequencies of SN and OA in both series are significantly higher in males. When, however, the series were analyzed by age and sex categories, the same trend was noted only in SN. The frequencies and severity of VO and OA could not be interpreted in keeping with the historic and contemporary ethnographic sources and were additionally, unlike SN, found to be strongly correlated with increased age. This study, therefore, suggests that while SN are useful indicators of different lifestyles and/or different activity patterns between various archaeological populations, VO and OA are-possibly because of their more varied etiologies-less useful markers of activity-related stress.

Anthropology of Archaeological Populations from Northeast Asia

Anthropology of Archaeological Populations from Northeast Asia

Implications of heat-induced changes in bone on the interpretation of funerary behaviour and practice

Bones submitted to heat experience structural and chromatic modifications. In particular, heat-induced bone warping and thumbnail fractures have been linked to the burning of fleshed and green bones – where the soft tissues have been removed from the bones soon after death – in contrast to dry bones. Those have been suggested as indicators of the state of the individual before being burned thus allowing inferences about the funerary behaviour of archaeological populations. A large sample of 61 skeletons submitted to cremation has been examined for the presence of both of these heat-induced features. Although uncommon, bone warping and thumbnail fractures were present in some of the skeletons demonstrating that its presence is not restricted to the burning of non-dried bones as generally believed. Rather than being an indicator of the presence of bones with soft tissues, bone warping seems to be more of an indicator of the preservation of collagen–apatite links which can be maintained on dry bones with low collagen deterioration. In addition, our results also do not confirm thumbnail fractures as an exclusive sign of the burning of bones with soft tissues. As a result, these heat-induced changes should be used with caution when trying to infer about the pre-burning state of an individual.

Stafne's defects in two mandibles from archaeological sites in Croatia

Salivary gland inclusions in the mandible are relatively uncommon in recent as well as archaeological populations. This condition is well known to oral surgeons, but less so to anthropologists, osteologists and skeletal biologists. At present a limited number of reports pertaining to this condition in ancient populations are available in anthropological and palaeopathological literature, although scattered reports of cases in recent populations are found in dental journals. This paper analyses the prevalence of Stafne's bone defect in a large composite Croatian archaeological series (n = 4250 mandibles), and reports on two cases in which computerised tomography was performed, in order to draw the attention of anthropologists, osteologists and skeletal biologists to this condition when faced with differential diagnosis of odontogenic lesions, cysts and neoplasms in the area of the angle of the mandible. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thalassaemia: Its diagnosis and interpretation in past skeletal populations

ABSTRACTThe diagnosis of thalassaemia in archaeological populations has long been hindered by a lack of pathogonomic features, and the non‐specific nature of cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis. In fact, clinical research has highlighted more specific diagnostic criteria for thalassaemia major and intermedia based on changes to the thorax (‘rib‐within‐a‐rib’ and costal osteomas). A recent re‐examination of 364 child skeletons from Romano‐British Poundbury Camp, Dorset revealed children with general ‘wasting’ of the bones and three children who demonstrated a variety of severe lesions (e.g. zygomatic bone and rib hypertrophy, porotic hyperostosis, rib lesions, osteopenia and pitted diaphyseal shafts) that are inconsistent with dietary deficiency alone, and more consistent with a diagnosis of genetic anaemia. Two of these children displayed rib lesions typical of those seen in modern cases of thalassaemia. The children of Poundbury Camp represent the first cases of genetic anaemia identified in a British archaeological population. As thalassaemia is a condition strongly linked to Mediterranean communities, the presence of this condition in a child from England, found within a mausoleum, suggests that they were born to wealthy immigrant parents living in this small Roman settlement in Dorset. This paper explores the diagnostic criteria for genetic anaemia in the archaeological literature and what its presence in ancient populations can contribute to our knowledge of past human migration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Not Growling but Smiling: New Interpretations of the Bared‐Teeth Motif in the Pre‐Columbian Caribbean

Insights into the character of social relations are rare but exciting glimpses when it comes to archaeological populations. This paper uses a multidisciplinary combination of archaeological and evolutionary biological approaches to assess the social value of the bared‐teeth motif (BTM) in pre‐Columbian iconography of the Greater Antilles. Bared teeth feature on discrete artifact categories within the material culture of many different groups in the Taino culture area after AD 1000. This BTM, usually part of facial anthropomorphic or zoomorphic decoration, is used for bodily adornments and items associated with healing and shamanic practices. It has generally been interpreted as representative of death, aggression, or the shamanic trance. However, the motif has never been examined in terms of its signal value as a positive facial expression. Studies of facial expression in human and nonhuman primates have shown that the bared‐teeth expression is used in social contexts as an unambiguous signal of nonaggres...

Brief communication: Tissue isotopic enrichment associated with growth depression in a pig: Implications for archaeology and ecology

Stressors such as fasting or poor diet quality are thought to potentially alter the nitrogen and carbon isotopic values of animal tissues. In this study, we demonstrate an inverse correlation between growth rate and multiple tissue enrichment of delta(15)N, delta(13)C, and, to a lesser degree, delta(18)O in a juvenile pig. A more complex pattern is observed with respect to tissue deltaD and growth rate. The observed association between growth rate and tissue isotopic fractionation has important implications for paleodietary and migratory reconstructions of archaeological populations that may have been affected by famine, malnutrition, seasonal variation in food availability, and/or other factors that can affect childhood growth rates.

COMMENTARY. prevalence of carious and non‐carious cervical lesions in archaeological populations from north america and europe

Journal of Esthetic and Restorative DentistryVolume 21, Issue 5 p. 335-335 COMMENTARY. prevalence of carious and non-carious cervical lesions in archaeological populations from north america and europe Martin J. Tyas BDS, DDS, PhD, Martin J. Tyas BDS, DDS, PhD Professor, Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author Martin J. Tyas BDS, DDS, PhD, Martin J. Tyas BDS, DDS, PhD Professor, Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 October 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8240.2009.00286.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume21, Issue5October 2009Pages 335-335 RelatedInformation

Prevalence of Carious and Non‐carious Cervical Lesions in Archaeological Populations from North America and Europe

The purpose of this study was to report the prevalence of carious and non-carious cervical lesions in the teeth of five archaeological populations. A secondary purpose was to report the association between age, gender, diet, tooth wear, carious cervical lesions, and non-carious cervical lesions. One hundred and four archaeological specimens from subjects originating from five distinct geographical areas were examined to detect the presence of carious cervical lesions, non-carious cervical lesions, and tooth wear. Data were tabulated and statistics used to describe prevalence and non-causal associations. Carious cervical lesions were prevalent in all populations except among Labradoreans, while non-carious cervical lesions were found predominantly in Mexicans. The authors found no association between non-carious cervical lesions and age, gender, and diet in any of the populations. Tooth wear was noted in all populations, but the highest rates of severe wear were noted among the Labradoreans and New Mexicans. Age was associated with tooth wear in all populations except Ohioans. There was no association between tooth wear and non-carious cervical lesions. The prevalence of carious cervical lesions among the five archaeological populations studied ranged from 0 to 65%. Non-carious cervical lesions were not prevalent among these populations, being found predominantly in Mexicans (26%). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Historically, carious and non-carious cervical lesions can be found in individuals with no access to modern oral hygiene tools. The findings of this study are not conclusive, however, as the associations described are not causal. (J Esthet Restor Dent 21:324-335, 2009).