Bioarchaeological Research Research Articles

Imputation methods for mixed datasets in bioarchaeology

Missing data is a prevalent problem in bioarchaeological research and imputation could provide a promising solution. This work simulated missingness on a control dataset (481 samples × 41 variables) in order to explore imputation methods for mixed data (qualitative and quantitative data). The tested methods included Random Forest (RF), PCA/MCA, factorial analysis for mixed data (FAMD), hotdeck, predictive mean matching (PMM), random samples from observed values (RSOV), and a multi-method (MM) approach for the three missingness mechanisms (MCAR, MAR, and MNAR) at levels of 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% missingness. This study also compared single imputation with an adapted multiple imputation method derived from the R package “mice”. The results showed that the adapted multiple imputation technique always outperformed single imputation for the same method. The best performing methods were most often RF and MM, and other commonly successful methods were PCA/MCA and PMM multiple imputation. Across all criteria, the amount of missingness was the most important parameter for imputation accuracy. While this study found that some imputation methods performed better than others for the control dataset, each imputation method has advantages and disadvantages. Imputation remains a promising solution for datasets containing missingness; however when making a decision it is essential to consider dataset structure and research goals.

Bioarchaeological Approaches to African Diasporas in the Twenty-First Century: Intercontinental and Global Legacies of Displacement

ABSTRACT Bioarchaeological research offers a window into health and life experiences in the past, including the biocultural dimensions of social identities and structural inequalities experienced by enslaved and free Afro-descendants across the African diaspora. Given the long history of descendant communities and advocates contesting the authority of institutions to curate human remains in perpetuity, critical dialogues over the past several decades have stimulated new directions in the discipline of African diaspora bioarchaeology alongside increased engagement with Black scholarship and community and client-based collaborations. We build upon previous discussions and critiques to examine the current state of African diaspora bioarchaeology in global context in the early decades of the twenty-first century. We present a macro-level, chronological examination of published African diaspora and colonial African bioarchaeological research by region between 2001 and 2023 and conclude with a discussion of the current state of practices and engagement in the field and ethics of care.

Reconstructing diet after the fall of the Wari Empire in the central Andean Highlands: A study of human dental calculus

Stable isotopes from bones and teeth have been used to reconstruct human lifeways in bioarchaeological research for over 30 years. Recently, there have been efforts to use less invasive methods of analysis that meet ethical standards and do not compromise the integrity of human skeletal remains. To that end, this study examines dental calculus from human teeth as a proxy for paleodietary reconstruction. This current work builds on a handful of studies that have tested the use of dental calculus for reconstructing diet, which have shown mixed results. This study contributes to those ongoing efforts to improve methods and capacities in paleodiet research. The sample is comprised of dental calculus from individuals from the Wari (600–1000 CE) and post-Wari periods (1000–1400 CE). Individuals from both time periods with stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the calculus are directly compared to the stable isotope results from human bone collagen, dental carbonates, and bone carbonates. Results from dental calculus show δ13C that range from -20.5 ‰ to −12.3 ‰, consistent with the use of C4 plants (maize) as a major component of the diet. The δ13C from calculus are isotopically lighter and more varied than those obtained from collagen, and this is likely explained by the distinct composition of calculus compared to that of bone collagen and apatite. The δ15N from calculus range from +8.9 ‰ to +18.8 ‰, which is heavier than expected for highland maize-based diets in the Peruvian Andes. This may be explained by 15N enrichment from aridity or crop fertilization (e.g., camelid dung), especially during the post Wari period, a time of social upheaval and severe drought. The differences in stable isotope values may also be partially explained by the diet-sourced isotopes in bone collagen (e.g., averaging the last 5–10 years of life) versus that of dental calculus (e.g., averaging the last few years of life). Documenting these differences in stable isotope ratios from distinct components may aid in richer understandings of past diets and provide additional ways to compare diet through time and space. Indeed, as more researchers begin analyzing the stable isotope ratios from dental calculus, we can minimize destructive techniques and make direct comparisons between studies that use dental calculus. We suggest that this is an important expansion of our analytical toolkit.

Propagating Terroir Revival in the Negev: How the Wine Industry Can Amplify Its Resilience to Climate Adversity through a Deeper Understanding of Historic Dryland Viticulture

Based on an examination of the outlooks and practices held by past and present Negev desert viticulturists vis-à-vis their environs, the article offers insights into how the wine sector can bolster its response to current climate adversity. The discussion fuses bio-archaeological research on the evolution of ancient grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera) in the Negev with an extensive ethnographic inquiry into the ongoing wine revival in arid southern Israel. Ancient DNA analysis of relic grape material led to the identification of an historical Negev viticulture lineage. The findings provide a temporal framework for contextualizing tphe interrelated anthropological data obtained on contemporary dryland viticulturalists and wine makers in Israel. Since the climate in the Negev has remained relatively stable over the last several millennia, it makes for an apt point of comparison via which to gauge the outlooks held by both historical and modern viticulturalists towards the local landscape. We suggest enacting two evidence-based adjustments to counter ecological instabilities: the holistic revival and applied renewal of historical cultivars, and the attendant agronomic routines that sustained their growth in the past. A more nuanced understanding of the unique terroir arid viticulturalists are operating in, together with the learned incorporation of the hardy genetic traits of age-old cultivars, will benefit wine growers to attune their responses to the array of challenges wrought by climate change on the wine industry. It is therefore our hope that the research methodologies and heritage-oriented horticultural perspectives we present in this paper will prove beneficial to broader wine growing regions (pax-Mediterranean and beyond) who are fortunate to likewise possess their own rich viticultural histories and lineages.

Using computed tomography to diagnose chronic frontal sinusitis in the skeletal remains of a post-medieval Dutch rural community (AD 1829–1866)

Chronic frontal sinusitis (CFS) has afflicted humanity throughout history and continues to be a significant global health issue today. In bioarchaeology, sinusitis is often diagnosed through the identification of bone alterations within the maxillary sinus cavities by macroscopic and/or endoscopic examination. However, due to the inaccessible nature of frontal sinuses, CFS specifically has not been studied extensively archaeologically yet. This paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of diagnosing CFS through computed tomography (CT), highlighting the potential of radiographical imaging for future advancements in paleopathological research.We conducted a CT examination of 41 crania from the rural community of Middenbeemster, the Netherlands (AD 1829–1866) to assess the presence of CFS. Criteria for identifying CFS included bone formation and/or thickening of the sinus walls. Our analysis revealed that 14 individuals (34.1%) exhibited signs of CFS in one or both frontal sinuses. We found that males exhibited a slightly higher CFS prevalence (38%) than females (32%), although no significant correlation between sex and sinusitis occurrence was found. This lack of correlation suggests equal exposure to risk factors (e.g., indoor air quality, environmental pollution, allergens, and cold weather) among both sexes.To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to confirm the presence of CFS through CT scanning in an archaeological skeletal collection. It demonstrates that computed tomography allows for a straightforward and non-destructive detection of sinusitis in archaeological assemblages. Considering the currently limited bioarchaeological research on frontal sinusitis, our findings should be considered relevant and promising for future osteoarcheological studies on upper respiratory diseases.

What's luck got to do with it? A generative model for examining the role of stochasticity in age-at-death, with implications for bioarchaeology.

The role of "luck" in determining individual exposure to health insults is a critical component of the processes that shape age-at-death distributions in mortality samples but is difficult to address using traditional bioarcheological analysis of skeletal materials. The present study introduces a computer simulation approach to modeling stochasticity's contribution to the mortality schedule of a simulated cohort. The present study employs an agent-based model of 15,100 individuals across a 120 year period to examine the predictive value of birth frailty on age-at-death when varying the likelihood of exposure to health insults. Birth frailty, when accounting for varying exposure likelihood scenarios, was found to account for 18.7% of the observed variation in individual age-at-death. Analysis stratified by exposure likelihood demonstrated that birth frailty alone explains 10.2%-12.1% of the variation observed across exposure likelihood scenarios, with the stochasticity associated with exposure to health insults (i.e., severity of health insult) and mortality likelihood driving the majority of variation observed. Stochasticity of stressor exposure and intrinsic stressor severity are underappreciated but powerful drivers of mortality in this simulation. This study demonstrates the potential value of simulation modeling for bioarchaeological research.

Life and death in the Roman period Pula – A bioanthropological analysis of human skeletal remains from the Ozad Arene site

Human skeletal and dental remains are the primary focus of bioarchaeological research, as different diseases and pathological conditions can leave marks on the bones and teeth. Study of these remains provides insights into the lifestyle, health and quality of life of past populations. In this paper, the human skeletal remains from the Ozad Arene archaeological site in Pula (Istria, Croatia), originating from 25 graves and four bone assemblages dated between the 1st and the 4th centuries CE, were analysed. The aim of the paper is to reconstruct demographic and pathological characteristics of the Roman period population from Pula to gain insight into the living conditions and the quality of life in this community, and to determine whether the site differs from other archaeological sites from the same period in terms of general health and living conditions. The human skeletal sample in question comprises skeletal remains of a minimum 48 individuals; the high subadult mortality rate and high prevalence of dental enamel hypoplasia and the presence of cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, and periostitis indicate overall poor living conditions and widespread metabolic stress during childhood in Pula. Vertebral osteoarthritis and Schmorl′s nodes in the spines of younger individuals suggest continuous hard labour and strenuous physical activity. Based on the available data, it seems that living conditions in the Roman period Pula did not differ significantly from other Roman sites on the eastern Adriatic coast.

Editorial: Overview and progress in bioarchaeological research in East Asia

Editorial: Overview and progress in bioarchaeological research in East Asia

Understanding the maternal-infant nexus from dental histology and high-resolution compositional biogeochemistry: implications for bioarchaeological research

La relation intime entre la mère et l’enfant pendant la grossesse et la petite enfance est un aspect encore peu exploré chez les humains du passé. L’étude des tissus dentaires minéralisés permet d’obtenir des informations sur ce lien à la fois biologique et culturel. En effet, les dents conservent un enregistrement permanent de l’histoire biologique de l’individu, de la vie intra-utérine aux premières années après la naissance et jusqu’au début de l’âge adulte. En outre, les tissus formés pendant la période prénatale enregistrent l’état de santé, le régime alimentaire et la mobilité de la dyade mère-enfant pendant la grossesse. L’histomorphométrie classique et l’histomorphométrie virtuelle non destructive constituent les approches les plus modernes pour étudier les trajectoires de croissance des nourrissons, les stress physiologiques et l’état de santé de la mère et du nourrisson. En outre, l’alimentation maternelle, les pratiques d’allaitement, le début du sevrage et les schémas de mobilité peuvent être reconstitués avec une haute résolution temporelle grâce à des analyses biogéochimiques élémentaires et isotopiques de l’émail dentaire basées sur le laser. En effet, la croissance et le développement humains, dès les premières phases de l’ontogenèse, sont fortement corrélés aux comportements alimentaires, y compris ceux de la mère pendant la grossesse. Des modèles sur l’incorporation des oligo-éléments dans l’émail dentaire et leur corrélation avec les principaux changements alimentaires ont été dérivés de l’analyse des dents déciduales exfoliées de nourrissons contemporains dont l’histoire biologique est bien connue. Ces modèles constituent la boîte à outils interprétative permettant de démêler les variations, même subtiles, des régimes alimentaires individuels à une résolution infra-hebdomadaire. Cette contribution présente une vue d’ensemble de la biogéochimie compositionnelle à haute résolution couplée à l’histomorphométrie dentaire en tant qu’outils permettant d’approfondir notre connaissance du lien mère-enfant à partir des tissus dentaires minéralisés et d’étudier, avec la plus haute résolution temporelle possible, les stratégies de survie et d’adaptation des femmes et des enfants.

Reconciling Identity Narratives

Isotopic methods have provided breakthrough insights into bioarchaeological identity studies, yet merit more critical theoretical perspectives. Inspired by and in conversation with intersectional feminist, Indigenous, and environmental literatures, we interrogate with and for whom such research is conducted. Potential inequities in bioarchaeological research using isotopes include the extractive and specialized nature of isotopic methods. Additionally, in the context of identity studies, Western notions of the individual may separate humans from nature, creating an artificial division between people and place. We propose isotopic baselines may create amore engaged practice by considering living human dynamics and place. Looking toward a more inclusive and equitable future for bioarchaeological and isotopic research, we propose ways to reduce power imbalances created by isotopic research. Ultimately, we suggest the collection and interpretation of environmental baseline data provide an opportunity to reconcile and expand conceptualizations of identity beyond the West.

Historical overview and challenges in the development of bioarchaeology in Japan

Archaeological human skeletons provide direct evidence of the physical features, lifestyle, diseases, mortality, and health of our ancestors. Bioarchaeology explores population-based trends that vary according to subsistence, social stratification, urbanization, and industrial development. The first systematic bioarchaeological studies in Japan were those on medieval human skeletons in Kamakura City, Japan, in 2003. However, most anthropological studies have focused on the origin and population history of the Japanese since the end of 19th century. Moreover, the number of bioarchaeological studies in Japan is far lower than that in North America, Europe, and Latin America. This paper reviews the history of bioarchaeological research in Japan and discusses the problems associated with its development.

The impact of age on sex bias in models for height and sex estimation based on hand and foot dimensions the impact of age on sex bias

There are sex differences in age-related bone modifications after puberty. Androgens stimulate radial bone expansion in males, while estrogen stimulates endosteal apposition but limits periosteal expansion in females. The potential effect of age on observed sex biases in height and sex estimation models is most significantly relevant for forensic or bioarchaeological research that relies, at least in part, on hand and foot bone measurements of living or skeletal remains for purposes of identification or demographic reconstruction. This study sought to determine whether age affects sex biases in models for height and sex estimation which are based on hand and foot dimensions. The study was cross-sectional between January and June 2021 at the University for Development Studies. The study included 379 participants (male = 161 and female = 218) between 20 and 29 years. The hand length (HL), hand width (HW), foot length (FL) and foot width (FW) were measured twice from the left side using computer-assisted analysis. Univariable and multivariable discriminant and linear regression models were formulated for sex and height estimation respectively. Females were better classified than males with sex biases (male-female) ranging from −1.3% to −22.6% for all models. Models for height estimation were more precise in males (bias: 0.0–0.3 cm) than in females (bias: 0.3–1.4 cm). However, age did not have an impact on the observed sex biases. Height and sex estimation from foot and height dimensions may not need adjustment for age. This may, however, be limited to a given population and age group.

Проблема формирования выборки для биоархеологического исследования (по результатам изучения палеоантропологических материалов эпохи Нижнего Поволжья)

Introduction. The problem of studying the ethnogenesis and ethnic history of ancient and medieval peoples appeared immediately after the formation of archaeology as a science. At first, archaeologists tried to identify the bearers of archaeological cultures with specific ethnic groups, and then they began to determine cultural-historical communities and color them ethnically. In the anthropological context, cultural-historical communities exist in the form of paleopopulations or samples. The question of the relationship between the materials of the monument and the sample is legitimate since often the archaeological and anthropological contexts do not coincide. Methods and materials. The work is based on a comparison of data from an anthropological sample (paleopopulation) and cultural and chronological definitions of archaeological complexes from where the material originated. For this, both the results of studies published by the author and new data, which were studied by the methods of simple and multivariate statistics, were used. Analysis and discussion. Comparative analysis of the Sauromat-Sarmatian materials shows that the series of previous and subsequent cultures often show great similarity, which can be explained not only by the continuity of the population but also by the fact that the chronological groups are members of the same paleopopulation. In addition, there are a number of complexes of the transitional period that are culturally defined by different archaeologists in different ways. Another aspect, which is considered in the article, is connected with the materials of the same burial ground or even a mound-cemetery of the Middle and Late Bronze Age. With the relative synchronism of the burials, a different cultural interpretation (variant, culture) is given, which leads to significant difficulties in the study of anthropological materials, the results of which also allow us to assume that all individuals belong to the same population. Conclusions. The problem associated with the procedure of sampling for bioarchaeological research has a long history, and it needs to be solved in the context of the archaeological source being studied. It is necessary to constantly compare the monument data with the results of the sample study, rethink, revise, and test them, and determine how reliable they are and whether they fall into the confidence interval.

Life and Death on the Tuapeka Goldfields — stakeholder input for a community museum's bioarchaeology-based exhibit

This practice insight describes community consultation and creation of an exhibit that was installed in a local museum to share findings from research involving excavations of historic cemeteries. Two individuals who had been buried in unmarked sites in historic cemeteries in the town of Lawrence, in the Otago region of New Zealand were exhumed for bioarchaeological research that included biochemical methods. Results were combined with cultural and environmental information from the Otago goldrush era to reconstruct lives of these settlers and tell their stories in the exhibit described here. Community values about exhibit representations related to human remains were explored through 16 semi-structured stakeholder interviews. Interviewees overwhelmingly but not unanimously supported the creation of an exhibit about this research. Interviewees recommended things to exclude from the exhibit (human remains or images of them) as well as information and objects to include. Information was compiled from multiple sources, including: existing bioarchaeological research findings; interviews with descendant groups, community, and other stakeholders; and historical archives. Information from these multiple sources was combined to create osteobiographies of two individuals — a woman and a Chinese journeyman — who had lived in Lawrence during the goldrush period (1850–1910). These osteobiographies formed the basis of an exhibit that was created and installed in a community museum in the town where their graves were located.

Bioarchaeological research in Cyprus: A review

We present a review of the history of human bioarchaeological research in Cyprus through the examination of published literature. We survey and discuss past and current trends, indicate gaps, highlight developments within recent years, propose future directions and provide an up-to-date literature review. While scholarly studies of ancient Cypriot human remains had already begun to emerge towards the end of the 19th century, continuing intermittently throughout the 1900s, significant changes took place during the 1980s. This later flourishing of human bioarchaeology in Cyprus, in contrast to conventional archaeological research, which had been making significant contributions to the investigation of ancient Cyprus since the early 20th century, is aligned with international developments. During the last two decades of the 20th century, human bioarchaeology in Cyprus sees a significant development towards a more scientific orientation in contrast to previous years. To date, 201 publications on Cypriot archaeological human remains have been found in journals, bulletins, books, monographs, proceedings and postgraduate research theses. The 1980s mark the beginning of a new era within human bioarchaeology in Cyprus. The number of problem-oriented human bioarchaeological studies focusing on archaeological questions as well as the number of studies drawing on scientific techniques beyond the standard morphological and metric approaches have increased significantly within the last decades. The number of researchers focusing on human bioarchaeology in Cyprus has also increased. Recent years have seen state-of-the-art approaches increasingly applied to the investigation and analysis of human remains, taking place within an interdisciplinary archaeological framework. These developments and the introduction of further cutting-edge methods and techniques are contributing towards key interpretations about the ancient inhabitants of the island and their lifeways.

Relationships between Dental Topography, Gross Wear, and Bang and Ramm/Liversidge and Molleson Age Estimates for a Sample of Human Premolar Teeth.

Molar crown wear is often used in bioarchaeological research as a proxy for age at death. However, a small number of researchers have used premolars or compared the application of different methods of relative age estimation. Using a sample of 197 previously extracted maxillary first premolars from US dental patients, we considered three protocols for estimating age: the Bang and Ramm/Liversidge and Molleson (BRLM) age estimate method, occlusal topographic analysis, and the Smith system of macrowear scoring. A previous study utilizing the Bang and Ramm method yielded an age estimate range of 9.4 to 10.8 years for the sample. Our analyses showed no associations between occlusal topography parameters (occlusal slope, relief, or faceting) and BRLM age estimates, but some concordance was found between Smith scoring and BRLM ages estimates and between Smith scoring and occlusal topography parameters. The results of the present study suggest that relationships between gross tooth wear, tooth shape, and dental age estimates are complex, and available methods should be considered together to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how teeth change their shape with wear throughout the lifecourse.

When “the Sweet Gifts of Bacchus” Ended—New Archaeological Evidence for Settlement Changes and the Decline of Wine Production in Late Antique Southern Palestine

Based on the accumulated data from numerous excavations in the hinterland of Gaza and Ashkelon and the results of the comprehensive bioarchaeological research on Late Antique settlement and economy of the Negev Highlands, this article addresses the decline of the flourishing wine industry of southern Palestine, dating it to the second half of the 6th century c.e. The decline in wine production in the region had a direct effect on the rapid abatement of Elusa, the main city of the Negev, and Shivta, a wealthy large village in the western Negev Highlands. Consequently, the extensive system of industrial farms that formed the hub of the flourishing wine industry declined at the same time. This article suggests connecting these events with changes in the patterns of demand, supply, and production of the “sweet gift of Bacchus,” taking into consideration regional aspects, environmental fluctuations, economic transformations, and the decline of consumption markets.

Proteins and Our Past: An Exploration of Human Bone Protein from the Eighteenth-Century Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and Its Potential Applications in Bioarchaeological Research

Bioarchaeologists can further investigate human bone metabolism at the biomolecular level by incorporating biochemical methods into their research. Recently, there has been a focus on osteocalcin, an abundant non-collagenous bone protein, because of its clinically identified relationship with biological factors (i.e., age and sex), activity, and pathological conditions (i.e., disease). For this study, osteocalcin was extracted and quantified from the femora of 27 individuals from the Fortress of Louisbourg (1713–1758) skeletal collection to explore if the clinical relationship between osteocalcin and sex, age, activity, and pathological conditions can also be established in archaeological bone. However, no significant relationships between osteocalcin concentrations and biological factors (i.e., age and sex), activity, or pathological conditions were identified. This is the first study to quantify osteocalcin from archaeological human skeletal remains from a Canadian context and provides another example of how this method may be used to study stress in bioarchaeological populations.

Human Mobility in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean during Hellenistic and Roman Times: The Potential and Limitations of Bioarchaeological Research

Human Mobility in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean during Hellenistic and Roman Times: The Potential and Limitations of Bioarchaeological Research

CONTEXTUALIZING HUMAN REMAINS IN THE THREE RIVERS REGION OF BELIZE

Approximately 150 human burials have been reported from excavations at 12 prehistoric Maya sites located within the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP). Of these, 115 are documented from residential settings. This dispersed sample of burials from varied Maya communities provides a unique perspective of scale, allowing for an assessment of household, community, and regional practices and customs, mortuary contexts, and cultural continuity. As a uniquely sustained research program, the PfBAP allows for inherently rich bioarchaeological research. This paper provides a brief overview of past work on human remains by PfBAP researchers, addresses recent and ongoing studies in the area, and assesses how bioarchaeological investigations can help to illuminate regional and temporal patterning among ancient Maya individuals from northwest Belize. Finally, we offer insight into the possibilities for future lines of inquiry involving this burial population.