Osteological Analysis Research Articles

Forgotten Children

Fetal and infant skeletal remains in anatomical collections remain an underutilized yet important source of information on the interactions of gender, class, and religion during pregnancy and infant loss. The W. D. Trotter Anatomy Museum at the University of Otago in New Zealand, founded in the nineteenth century, houses more than 2,000 models and anatomical “specimens,” with many of the skeletal remains lacking provenience information. This research aimed to both provide an inventory of the fetal and infant skeletal remains and identify through archival analysis the social context of those whose remains were obtained by the museum. An osteological analysis was carried out to assess the minimum number of individuals (MNI), estimate age-at-death, and provide evidencefor pathology and dissection. The results are interpreted in the context of the archival accession data and historical information at the time to provide the social context in which these people lived and therefore information that may be related to their deaths and acquisition of their bodies by the university. Most of the infants within the collection died around the time of full-termbirth, and some individuals have evidence for developmental pathology, birth trauma, and/or postmortem dissection. The historical context and legislation around body donation suggests structural inequality played a role in the acquisition of these infants’ remains from mothers (primarily poor and/or unmarried women) and that these remains went through a process of commodification and objectification and were retained as developmental teaching “specimens” and examples of pathology.

Confronting Taphonomic Challenges from Excavation Through Curation of Human Remains

Taphonomy as it applies to human remains from archaeological contexts typically considers issues of preservation and diagenesis in the burial environment. Less attention has been paid to biocultural taphonomic factors including excavation techniques, expertise of excavators, and post-excavation treatment. The ways in which human remains are transported from the field to the lab and long-term storage area; effects of field conservation; how skeletons are cleaned, stored, and organized; the degree to which excavation records and osteological analyses are documented; and the management and maintenance of collections over time all have substantial impact on the ability to evaluate and contextualize them. Examples drawn from fieldwork and study of human remains from Cyprus, Egypt, Sudan, and the USA confront these human-induced taphonomic factors. Insufficient expertise and planning for storage and ongoing care of human remains may lead to missing or damaged skeletal elements, mixing, loss of provenience information, and limited accessibility. Best practices are recommended, even where locally available materials are limited. All archaeological projects in which human burials are anticipated must include experienced bioarchaeologists in fieldwork and study to minimize damage and loss of information and to ensure ethical treatment of human remains at all stages.

Comparing morphology and cranial osteology in two divergent clades of dice snakes from continental Europe (Squamata: Natricidae: Natrix tessellata)

Abstract The Western Palearctic harbours a diverse snake fauna, including numerous endemic species and yet unnamed clades, identified through molecular analyses. However, morphological characteristics of these clades, even of common species, often remain relatively unexplored. In this study, we provide an examination of the morphology and cranial anatomy of the semi-aquatic snake species Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768), with a focus on populations of the so-called ‘Europe’ and ‘Greece’ clades. Utilising both museum collections and field data, we first morphologically examined 541 individuals of N. tessellata, categorising them according to previously established clades and lineages that resulted in relatively low morphometric and meristic variation across the species’ range. When assessing the 448 specimens from the ‘Europe’ and the ‘Greece’ clades separately, we similarly observed little variation in meristic characteristics. On the other hand, individuals of the ‘Greece’ clade displayed smaller and more slender body and head proportions compared to those of the ‘Europe’ clade and the pigmentation of the labial scales is distinctively paler in the ‘Greece’ clade, whereas the overall body colouration remains largely similar between the two. Our osteological analysis of 47 N. tessellata skulls also indicated slight differences in the frontoparietal portion of the braincase between the ‘Europe’ and the ‘Greece’ clades, warranting further examination with a larger dataset and extending to other skull components. These findings hold significance for ongoing enquiries into the species’ biogeography, morphology and ecological adaptations. In summary, the integration of morphological and osteological data with genetic information offers a promising avenue for potential taxonomic revisions of N. tessellata in the future.

Strontium isotopes and cremation: Investigating mobility patterns in the Roman city of Mutina (north-eastern Italy)

Cremation was a very common ritual in ancient Roman funerary traditions. However, the study of cremated human remains has always been complex and challenging, which has often led to an imbalance in data recording between inhumations and cremations. In this work, we study 14 cremation burials from two different urban cemeteries in the Roman city of Mutina (Modena, Emilia-Romagna, north-eastern Italy). The use of strontium isotope analysis provides insights into the mobility pattern and provenance of individuals cremated and buried at Mutina. The isotopic results suggest that nine samples fall outside the local bioavailable strontium range of the city of Modena, given their different 87Sr/86Sr values compared to the ratio compatible with alluvial deposits in the Po Valley. Both the isotopic results and the manufacture of some funerary objects suggest that the probable provenance of some individuals is compatible with western (Pre)Alpine areas. The values of 87Sr/86Sr also complement the results obtained from the osteological analysis increasing the minimum number of individuals buried in at least one grave. Our study revealed key insights about cremated individuals from Italy, highlighting variations of the mobility patterns within Roman funerary contexts of Mutina.

Novel multidisciplinary approach detects multiple individuals within the same Late Bronze–Early Iron Age cremation graves

AbstractCremation graves appear in different forms and shapes, from urns to simple pits and from single to plural graves. The challenging nature of highly fragmented cremated human remains renders the identification of multiple individuals within the same cremation grave rather complex. Osteological analyses alone are often insufficient to detect the presence of bone fragments from different individuals as they are small and diagnostic elements are often missing, although, detection of nonadult bone fragments within adult bone assemblages (or the other way around) points to the presence of at least two individuals—one adult and one nonadult—within the same grave. The combination of osteological analyses, radiocarbon dating, and strontium isotope ratios has proven to be particularly powerful. At different Belgian Metal Age sites, this novel multi-disciplinary approach enabled to identify the presence of bone fragments belonging to up to three different individuals within the same cremation grave who were cremated up to several centuries apart. Whether the presence of these two or three individuals in the same grave is intentional (e.g. curation) or not requires more in-depth analyses. This study shows the high level of complexity of cremation burial (intentionally or not) and shows the necessity to carry out all analytical measurements (i.e. radiocarbon dating, infrared, elemental and isotope analyses) on the same bone fragment to ensure the results are related to the same individual.

The life and death of cremated infants and children from the Neo-Punic tophet at Zita, Tunisia

Tophets are Phoenician and Punic sanctuaries where cremated infants and children were buried. Many studies focus on the potentially sacrificial nature of these sites, but this article takes a different approach. Combining osteological analysis with a consideration of the archaeological and wider cultural context, the authors explore the short life-courses and mortuary treatments of 12 individuals in the tophet at the Neo-Punic site of Zita, Tunisia. While osteological evidence suggests life at Zita was hard, and systemic health problems may have contributed to the deaths of these individuals, their mortuary rites were attended to with care and without concrete indication of sacrifice.

Deep learning in sex estimation from photographed human mandible using the Human Osteological Research Collection

Sex estimation is a necessary part of forensic and osteological analyses of skeletal human remains in the construction of a biological profile. Several skeletal traits are sexually dimorphic and used for skeletal sex estimation. The human mandible and morphological traits therein have been long used for sex estimation, but the validity of using the mandible in this purpose has become a concern. In this study, we examined the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and especially deep learning (DL) to provide accurate sex estimations from the mandible. We used 193 modern South African mandibles from the Human Osteological Research Collection (HORC) in the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences university with known sex to conduct our study. All mandibles were photographed from the same angle and the photographs were analyzed with an open-source DL software. The best-performing DL algorithm estimated the sex of males with 100% accuracy and females with 76.9% accuracy. However, further studies with a higher number of specimens could provide more reliable validity for using AI when building the biological profile from skeletal remains.

Ancient DNA and osteological analyses of a unique paleo-archive reveal Early Holocene faunal expansion into the Scandinavian Arctic.

Paleo-archives are essential for our understanding of species responses to climate warming, yet such archives are extremely rare in the Arctic. Here, we combine morphological analyses and bulk-bone metabarcoding to investigate a unique chronology of bone deposits sealed in the high-latitude Storsteinhola cave system (68°50' N 16°22' E) in Norway. This deposit dates to a period of climate warming from the end of the Late Glacial [~13 thousand calibrated years before the present (ka cal B.P.)] to the Holocene thermal maximum (~5.6 ka cal B.P.). Paleogenetic analyses allow us to exploit the 1000s of morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments resulting in a high-resolution sequence with 40 different taxa, including species not previously found here. Our record reveals borealization in both the marine and terrestrial environments above the Arctic Circle as a naturally recurring phenomenon in past periods of warming, providing fundamental insights into the ecosystem-wide responses that are ongoing today.

A NEW MOORISH IDOL (TELEOSTEI, ZANCLIDAE) FROM THE EOCENE OF BOLCA, ITALY

The acanthuriform family Zanclidae, whose members are commonly known as moorish idols, has until now been comprised of two species, the extant Zanclus cornutus and the Eocene Eozanclus brevirostris. Herein, a new moorish idol, Angiolinia mirabilis n. gen. et sp., is described based on three specimens from the Eocene Pesciara site of the Bolca locality, northern Italy. Morphologically, Angiolinia mirabilis n. gen. et sp. appears to be intermediate between Eozanclus brevirostris and Zanclus cornutus and differs from them by having the following features: body depth 85–87% SL; head length 38.3–39.2% SL; third dorsal-fin spine reaching about 50% SL; pectoral disc width 23.2% SL; dorsal fin containing 31 or 32 rays; anal fin containing 26 or 27 rays; pectoral fin with 11 or 12 moderately elongate rays and caudal fin truncate. A comparative osteological analysis suggests that the family Zanclidae is defined by two morphological features, namely the presence of a broadly expanded and anteroventrally convex cleithrum forming the so-called pectoral disc together with the coracoid and having a large number of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. The Eocene acanthuriform Massalongius gazolai from Bolca represents the sister group to the Zanclidae. Within the zanclids, Eozanclus brevirostris represents the sister group to the pair formed by Angiolinia mirabilis n. gen. et sp. and Zanclus cornutus. This clade is supported by the shared possession of a single supernumerary spine on the first dorsal-fin pterygiophore, a single uroneural in the caudal skeleton, and all but the first two dorsal-fin spines distally filamentous.

Osteological Analysis of Hard Palate in North Indian Skulls and its Forensic Significance: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Various therapeutic procedures, such as cleft palate surgery, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, nasopharyngoscopy, and nasogastric intubation, rely on the morphometric measurements of the hard palate. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in passive speech articulation. Therefore, understanding the morphological and osteological diversity of the hard palate holds clinical significance. Aim: To assess the normal and aberrant morphology and morphometry of the hard palate. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was initiated in December 2017 and completed in December 2021. It was conducted on 100 dry adult human skulls collected from the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India. The palate was analysed to determine the mean palatal length, breadth, and height. Additionally, the palatal index and palatal height index were calculated. Different osteological parameters of the lesser palatine foramen, including its number, distance from the greater palatine foramen, palatomaxillary suture, and interpalatine suture, were measured. Mean, standard deviation, range, and p-value were calculated for the metric parameters. Results: The mean palatal length, breadth, and height were 46.16±4.18 mm, 33.01±2.67 mm, and 11.06±1.88 mm, respectively. In the present study, 83% of skulls belonged to the leptostaphyline type, 10% to the mesostaphyline type, and 7% to the brachystaphyline type. The number of lesser palatine foramen varied from 0-2 on both sides, with predominance of a single foramen on both sides. The distances of the lesser palatine foramen from the greater palatine foramen, palatomaxillary suture, and intermaxillary suture were found to be 3.55±1.56 mm, 11.45±2.42 mm, and 17.57±3.06 mm on the right side, and 3.38±1.57 mm, 10.90±2.39 mm, and 17.47±2.99 mm on the left side, respectively. Conclusion: The data provided by this study will be helpful in various disciplines of medical, dental, and anthropometrical sciences.

Osteological analysis of Cervidae relics excavated from the Gasan-Ri archaeological site in Jinju

Osteological analysis of Cervidae relics excavated from the Gasan-Ri archaeological site in Jinju

The humans of ancient Hermione. The necropolis in the light of bioarchaeology

Bioarchaeology has the potential to substantially inform about ancient lifeways through osteological analyses of the remains of the once-living individuals. This article provides insights of the demography and health of the people of ancient Hermione (Geometric–Roman period). A minimum number of 85 individuals from the Hermione necropolis was osteologically analysed. Although the analysis was limited by taphonomic processes and the long period of use of the necropolis, the results point towards a population affected by urban hazards, such as infections, high child mortality, and, possibly, decreased opportunity to survive into senescence. Further, stunted growth, evidence of general stress primarily in the juvenile skeletal assemblage, and a possible case of child abuse informs of the hardships experienced by children in ancient Hermione. The osteological analysis also confirms that the two individuals buried in the “Warrior Tomb” were of both sexes. The skeletal remains were unfortunately too poorly preserved for detailed analyses of trauma or other health-related patterns. The practice of burying all age groups and both sexes in collective graves between the 6th–5th and 2nd centuries BC might correspond to the necropolis as a communal burial ground, while older and younger graves were assigned for single individuals only.

Awareness of forensic anthropology in Switzerland: a survey among forensic practitioners, police, and prosecutors.

Forensic anthropology (FA) as a specialized discipline has been practised in multi-lingual Switzerland for over a decade. A variety of expertise regarding osteological assessments as well as facial image comparison (FIC) is provided by different centres. Nevertheless, information is lacking about the awareness of FA and its benefits for forensic investigations among forensic stakeholders. Therefore, a survey was sent to Swiss anthropologists (AN) and related professions (police officers, prosecutors, and forensic pathologists) to assess three main aspects: (1) the experience of working (biological/forensic) anthropologists within FA; (2) how FA is perceived by other professions within the legal system; and (3) identifygaps (if any) in understanding of FA with the aim to suggest avenues for improvement if necessary. The results show that awareness of FA varies by occupation and cantonal regions. In areas where close collaborations betweenforensic anthropologists (FAs) and other stakeholders have been formally established, be it with focus on osteological analyses or FIC, the awareness of FA competencies was superior to areas where this was not the case. An overwhelming majority of forensic actors expressed interest in continuing education related to the role of FA. These findings indicate that facilitation of communication and collaboration leads to improvement in the awareness of the competencies of FAs and their contribution to forensic investigations.

Descriptive Osteology of Catfish, Sperata aorides (Jerdon, 1849) of the Bagridae Family from Cauvery River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

The descriptive and comparative osteological analysis was conducted on Bagridae catfish S. aorides based on the specimens collected from the Cauvery River Basin in Tamil Nadu. S. aorides with a supraoccipital spine that is equal to or longer than the inter-neural shield with 26 pre-caudal vertebrae and has the first dorsal fin pterygiophores that are externally visible and united anteriorly rather than being distinct. The supra-occipital spine had the same width from base to tip with a broader base. The groves in the skull serve as the primary osteological indicator and serve as the morphological marker. The neuron cranium, upper and lower jaws, pectoral and pelvic girdles, and the vertebral column were among the bones whose structures were described based on the findings.

Osteological, multi-isotope and proteomic analysis of poorly-preserved human remains from a Dutch East India Company burial ground in South Africa

Skeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined osteological and biochemical approach to these poorly-preserved remains. A combined strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18OVPDB) and carbon (δ13CVPDB) isotope analysis informed possible childhood origins and diet, while sex-specific amelogenin enamel peptides revealed biological sex. Osteological analyses presented evidence of residual rickets, a healed trauma, dental pathological conditions, and pipe notches. The combined isotope analyses yielded results for 43 individuals which suggested a diverse range of geological origins, including at least 16% of the population being non-local. The inclusion of δ13CVPDB had intriguing implications for three individuals who likely did not have origins in the Cape Town region nor in Europe. Peptide analysis on the dental enamel of 25 tested individuals confirmed they were all biologically male. We suggest that isolated enamel may provide crucial information about individuals’ pathological conditions, geographical origins, diet, and biological sex. These data further demonstrated that a combined approach using multiple osteological and biochemical methods is advantageous for human remains which are poorly preserved and can contextualise a site with little direct evidence.

The Black Death in Hereford, England: A demographic analysis of the Cathedral 14th-century plague mass graves and associated parish cemetery.

This study explores the paleoepidemiology of the Black Death (1348-52 AD) mass graves from Hereford, England, via osteological analysis. Hereford plague mortality is evaluated in the local context of the medieval city and examined alongside other Black Death burials. The Hereford Cathedral site includes mass graves relating to the Black Death and a 12th-16th century parish cemetery. In total, 177 adult skeletons were analyzed macroscopically: 73 from the mass graves and 104 from the parish cemetery. Skeletal age-at-death was assessed using transition analysis, and sex and stress markers were analyzed. The age-at-death distributions for the mass graves and parish cemetery were significantly different (p = 0.0496). Within the mass graves, young adults (15-24 years) were substantially over-represented, and mortality peaked at 25-34 years. From 35 years of age onwards, there was little variation in the mortality profiles for the mass graves and parish cemetery. Males and females had similar representation across burial types. Linear enamel hypoplasia was more prevalent within the mass graves (p = 0.0340) whereas cribra orbitalia and tibial periostitis were underrepresented. Mortality within the Hereford mass graves peaked at a slightly older age than is seen within plague burials from London, but the overall profiles are similar. This demonstrates that young adults were disproportionately at risk of dying from plague compared with other age groups. Our findings regarding stress markers may indicate that enamel hypoplasia is more strongly associated with vulnerability to plague than cribra orbitalia or tibial periostitis.

A multidisciplinary study on the social customs of the Tang Empire in the Medieval Ages.

Multidisciplinary research on human remains can provide important information about population dynamics, culture diffusion, as well as social organization and customs in history. In this study, multidisciplinary analyses were undertaken on a joint burial (M56) in the Shuangzhao cemetery of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, to shed light on the genetic profile and sociocultural aspects of this dynasty. The archaeological investigation suggested that this burial belonged to the Mid-Tang period and was used by common civilians. The osteological analysis identified the sex, age, and health status of the three individuals excavated from M56, who shared a similar diet inferred from the stable isotopic data. Genomic evidence revealed that these co-buried individuals had no genetic kinship but all belonged to the gene pool of the ancient populations in the Central Plains, represented by Yangshao and Longshan individuals, etc. Multiple lines of evidence, including archaeology, historic records, as well as chemical and genetic analyses, have indicated a very probable familial joint burial of husband and wives. Our study provides insights into the burial customs and social organization of the Tang Dynasty and reconstructs a scenario of civilian life in historic China.

Mesolithic human remains at Cueva de la Cocina: Insights from bioarchaeology and geochemistry

A series of previously unpublished human remains were found at Cueva de la Cocina (Dos Aguas, Valencia, Spain) in excavations from the 1940s and 1970s. Our analyses indicate a minimum of 5 individuals were present in the archaeological deposit, including both adults and children. AMS radiocarbon dating and osteological analysis document ritual defleshing or skinning during the Late Mesolithic, while δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis and comparisons to contemporary Mesolithic human remains from the region suggest that these individuals were part of a broader subsistence and cultural network of Holocene hunter-gatherers. Ancient DNA data indicate these late Mesolithic individuals were descendants of a major spread of a new population after a population turnover at the end of the Late Glacial. This research highlights the importance of long-term curation of archaeological finds and revisiting legacy collections.

Tales from Ginderup Mound in Thisted County, Denmark

The preservation of organic and human remains in Early Nordic Bronze Age mounds (1700 BCE -1100 BCE) permits new provenance work on this important period. Studies have shown that different mobility/non-mobility patterns were exercised by elite women during this time. To extend the database, we conducted strontium isotope analyses of the enamel from the second and third molars from the elite female grave from Ginderup in Thisted County, Denmark. Among other items, this grave included the textile remains of a possible corded skirt or fringed blanket. We complemented analyses of this woman’s enamel with strontium isotope analyses of the first molar from Grave B as well as osteological analysis of the individuals from Early Nordic Bronze Age Graves A, B and C.
 Our results revealed that the strontium isotope ratios obtained from the woman wearing a possible corded skirt yielded one local ratio (M2) and one non-local ratio (M3). The results from Grave B yielded a ratio which falls within the local baseline of present-day Denmark. Our results suggest that the Ginderup Woman was probably of local origin, but that she also was repeatedly mobile during her life. These data are further evidence for the Nordic Bronze Age’s complex socio-dynamics.

FEATURES OF CONSERVATION OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS AMONG THE TRIBES OF THE MAYKOP-NOVOSVOBODNENSKAYA COMMUNITY (ON THE MATERIALS OF NOVOTITAROVSKOYE-14 AND TUZLA-15 SETTLEMENTS)

The article aims to introduce the material on the new Maykop settlement Novotitarovskoye-14 and, to provide the description according to archaeological data of the conservation of the Maykop semi-dugout pits, as well as to discuss the construction of a portable hearth at the settlement Novotitarovskoye-14. The materials are compared with the finds at the Maykop settlement Tuzla-15. The methodology involves the description of the source, the analysis of finds and analogies, the definition of cultural affiliation and chronology. The article also provides the results of radiocarbon dating of materials from the Tuzla-15 settlement and osteological analysis of materials from Kurgan 12 of the Novotitarovskoye-14 group and the Tuzla-15 settlement. The Novotitarovskoye-14 settlement was discovered in 2014 by N.F. Shevchenko, the Tuzla-15 settlement was excavated by S.N. Korenevsky in 2012-2015 and described in a monograph. On both settlements, semi-dugout pits filled with pottery shards, animal bones and small tools in the form of pebbles, fragments of grain grinders were uncovered. At the settlement of Novotitarovskoye-14, the adobe furnace hearth, as well as a large fragment of the brazier were recorded. These findings prove that the Maykop population might have used portable hearths, which were lit outside their buildings. In both settlements, in the filling of abandoned buildings, a layer of ash from a fire that burned outside was recorded. The analysis of osteological findings clearly reflects that the majority of bones belong to large and small cattle. Single horse bones were found at Novotitarovskoye-14 settlement. The settlement of Novotitaroovskoye-14 belongs to the Maykop variant of the Maykop-Novosvobodnenskaya community, and the settlement of Tuzla-15 belongs to the similar Psekup variant of the Maykop-Novosvobodnenskaya community. The date of the first settlement cannot be determined precisely within the framework of the existence of the Maykop sites. The date of settlement of Tuzla-15 belongs to the final stage of the Maykop-Novosvobodnenskaya community.