Bioarchaeology Of Care Approach Research Articles

Health-Related Caretaking in an Institutionalized Setting

Health-related caretaking was provided to individuals institutionalized in the Mississippi State Asylum (MSA), Jackson, MS (AD 1855–1935). However, because of limited associated documentary evidence on caretaking in the MSA and a general dearth of academic knowledge about caretaking in asylums in the Southern United States, information on caretaking and its efficacy in the MSA is limited. Accordingly, we apply a modified Bioarchaeology of Care (BoC) approach and associated web-based Index of Care to a single deceased individual from the MSA, referred to here as their burial designation—Burial 1—integrated with available documentary information, to generate direct insights into caretaking in the MSA. Burial 1’s skeleton exhibits recidivistic cranial trauma (i.e., cranial depression fractures) and substantial entheseal changes in the upper extremities. This trauma, paired with subsequent traumatic brain injury, suggests that Burial 1 may have experienced physical impairment and disability. Further, the disability Burial 1 experienced likely increased their risk of being institutionalized and created complications for them in the MSA. However, the lack of identifying information for individuals buried at the MSA complicates interpretations of the caretaking they may have received, both before and after institutionalization, as well as the efficaciousness of the caretaking and insights from the caretaking into patient and staff communities in the MSA and Burial 1’s social identity and agency. Despite this, findings affirm that future research applying the modified BoC approach could generate otherwise inscrutable information about the lived experiences of institutionalized patients with impairments and disability within historic institutions of care.

Myoglobinuria and acute renal insufficiency in patients with electrocution

This article presents a partial bioarchaeology of care case study of a mummified adult female with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from late historic period United States. It examines likely clinical and functional impacts of disease and corresponding need for provision of care, stopping short of Stage 4 Interpretation/analysis. The case study illustrates and argues for the importance of an interdisciplinary research team for achieving a comprehensive understanding of disability and care. The article highlights the necessity of knowledge of pathophysiology for identifying the potential interventions (supports) dictated by the associated functional limitations. inter alia, this case is a powerful illustration of the way analysis of preserved soft tissue can provide insights into disease and likely care that are inaccessible using skeletal analysis alone. The article represents an interesting contribution to the theory and methodology of both the bioarchaeology of care approach and mummy studies.

Bioarchaeological evidence of care provided to a physically disabled individual from Pachacamac, Peru

This paper presents a bioarchaeology of care case study based on the skeletonized remains of an elderly female with a congenital condition that compromised both mobility and independence in undertaking certain basic tasks, and which generated requirements for long-term care in the form of both direct support and accommodation. The remains show evidence of bilateral cervical ribs, severe osteoarthritic destruction in the right shoulder joint, and a healed skull trepanation. The remains were recovered from a cemetery dating to the initial part of the Late Intermediate Period at the archaeological site of Pachacamac, Peru. The subject has been identified as belonging to an Ychsma ayllu. This paper applies the bioarchaeology of care methodology in considering the implications of care provision within the Ychsma socialcontext, and suggests that caregiving may have been a relatively common practice in this complex society. This case study is a good example of how the application of social theory through the bioarchaeology of care approach can enrich bioarchaeological studies.

The importance of pathophysiology to the understanding of functional limitations in the bioarchaeology of care approach

This article presents a partial bioarchaeology of care case study of a mummified adult female with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from late historic period United States. It examines likely clinical and functional impacts of disease and corresponding need for provision of care, stopping short of Stage 4 Interpretation/analysis. The case study illustrates and argues for the importance of an interdisciplinary research team for achieving a comprehensive understanding of disability and care. The article highlights the necessity of knowledge of pathophysiology for identifying the potential interventions (supports) dictated by the associated functional limitations. inter alia, this case is a powerful illustration of the way analysis of preserved soft tissue can provide insights into disease and likely care that are inaccessible using skeletal analysis alone. The article represents an interesting contribution to the theory and methodology of both the bioarchaeology of care approach and mummy studies.

Calculated or caring? Neanderthal healthcare in social context

ABSTRACT Explanations for patterns of healed trauma in Neanderthals have been a matter of debate for several decades. Despite widespread evidence for recovery from injuries or survival despite impairments, apparent evidence for healthcare is given limited attention. Moreover, interpretations of Neanderthals’ approach to injury and suffering sometimes assume a calculated or indifferent attitude to others. Here the authors review evidence for Neanderthal healthcare, drawing on a bioarchaeology of care approach and relating healthcare to other realms of Neanderthal social life. The authors argue that Neanderthal medical treatment and healthcare was widespread and part of a social context of strong pro-social bonds which was not distinctively different from healthcare seen in later contexts. They suggest that the time has come to accept Neanderthal healthcare as a compassionate and knowledgeable response to injury and illness, and to turn to other questions, such as cultural variation or the wider significance of healthcare in an evolutionary context.