Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains
... The analysis of human remains was carried out according to the standards laid out in the guidelines recommended by the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (Brickley and McKinley 2004). The human remains were recorded using recognised descriptions from Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains and all information was compiled into a database for Manx National Heritage's site archive. Digital photography was used to record the collection extensively, and a photographic database has been compiled to reference the collection and to minimise the need to access the more delicate material. ...
... The statistical method developed by Klales et al. (2012), which focuses on the standardisation of dimorphic traits expressed on the anterior of the pelvis first identified by Phenice (1969), was applied in this case. Where Klale's method could not be applied due to preservation, secondary methods such as Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) cranial morphology and Walker's (2005) greater sciatic notch morphology were used. In the case of the non-adult remains, no attempt was made to assess their sex as the necessary diagnostic morphological changes triggered by puberty were not present and current macroscopic methods have a low level of accuracy (Buckberry and Brickley 2018). ...
... Hypoplasias of the teeth are the result of a disturbance in the mineralisation process of the organic matrix that forms enamel (Hillson 1996, 165). The most common appearance of dental enamel hypoplasia is as a transverse linear groove on the enamel of the tooth crown, although there are a number of other expressions such as vertical grooves, and linear and non-linear pits (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994;Ogden et al. 2007). ...
This technical report contains the analysis of the skeletal human remains that have been episodically excavated from Rushen Abbey over the last one hundred years. Dating evidence suggests these remains span a period of almost 1000 years (AD 400-1400), with evidence of long-cist (lintel) graves, an earlier Christian cemetery, and burials within and around the now ruins of the Abbey. A large proportion of the skeletal material from this site is disarticulated (MNI = 260, Adults = 245, Non-adults = 15), and a small number of articulated skeletons (n = 20). Nevertheless, osteological analysis of the remains from the site has produced intriguing bioarchaeological data, reflecting the past populations that occupied this site, evidence of the diseases they suffered from, and the trauma they suffered. In addition to a detailed osteological report, stable isotope analysis has been used to explore diet at the site and to assess for evidence of migration using one individual. A large quantity of faunal remains has also been excavated from the site and are discussed within the exploration of diet over the 1000 years. Where possible, other published research on contemporary sites from the Isle of Man has been factored in to identify similarities and differences between sites. This report has been designed to summarise the wealth of data that is available from the human skeletal remains excavated from Rushen Abbey, raise awareness of the collection, and make the knowledge accessible to anyone with an interest in Manx history and its people.
... Se describió el estado de conservación y completitud de los restos óseos humanos (Behrensmeyer, 1978;Buikstra y Ubelaker, 1994). El primer estado se evaluó a través de la observación macroscópica de acciones postdepositacionales. Esta aproximación fue apoyada mediante el cálculo de fragmentación, el cual señala la relación entre número de especímenes identificados (NISP) y el número de elementos óseos presentes (MNE), el cual ayudó a catalogar los estadios de conservación en bueno, regular o malo. ...
... Este análisis de características biológicas del individuo se basa en cuatro principales estimaciones: (1) Edad biológica, la cual se estima mediante las indicaciones de Ferembach y otros (1980). (2) Sexo biológico, el cual se evalúa a través de hitos de dimorfismo sexual, principalmente en el cráneo, mandíbula y pelvis, aunque esta última no se encuentra presente en la muestra estudiada (e.g., Buikstra y Ubelaker, 1994;Ferembach et al. 1980). (3) Por su parte, la determinación de estatura no pudo ser realizada, debido a la inexistencia de elementos óseos completos que permitieran la toma de medidas. ...
... Además, se detallaron las características dentales, a través del análisis pieza por pieza, donde se determinó el estado alveolar, la existencia de cálculo dental, abscesos, hipoplasia del esmalte, caries, desgaste dental, entre otras (e.g. Brothwell, 1981;Buikstra, 2019;Buikstra y Ubelaker, 1994) y la presencia de variaciones morfológicas y/o rasgos individualizantes. ...
El presente trabajo expone los resultados del análisis y caracterización
individual de los restos bioantropológicos correspondientes a un rescate
arqueológico realizado en el año 2019 en el sector La Cordonada,
comuna de Coyhaique, región de Aysén, Chile. Este estudio comprende
observaciones macroscópicas y caracterización bioantropológica de un
individuo femenino de entre 30-35 años de edad biológica. Además,
se precisó una cronología radiocarbónica de 390 años cal AP y la
existencia de una dieta diversificada a t ravés del análisis de i sótopos
estables del individuo. Se discuten tanto estos resultados, en función de
otras muestras bioarqueológicas previamente descritas en la región y
de cronología similar, como la posibilidad de estar frente a un tipo de
inhumación diferente al tipo chenque, comúnmente descrita en Patagonia.
... All the skeletons were assessed using standard anthropological methods (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994;İşcan and Steyn 2013) to first establish their sex and age. As the remains were for the most part fragmentary and incomplete, the ages of adults were only estimated to belong to either young, middle-aged or older individuals. ...
... For juveniles, dental development (AlQahtani et al. 2010) and skeletal maturation were employed (Schaefer et al. 2009). Sex was assessed with the use of the morphological features of the pelvis in the case of one individual, whereas in others general robusticity was assessed (Buikstra andUbelaker 1994, İşcan andSteyn 2013). ...
... Cranial dimensions of adults in millimetres(Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). ...
... Amongst the most frequently applied morphoscopic standard are the five cranial traits associated with the Walker [5] standard. Although originally published in Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains [6], its subsequent republication expanded on the scoring-based system by introducing quantifiable measures of accuracy though discriminant functions derived from logistic regression [7][8][9]. ...
... for males by three observers. However, scorings for this study were done using Standards [6] without applying the regression functions in Walker [5]. When tested on a mixed US population group consisting of African, Asian, European, Latin, and Native Americans, Kelley and Tallman [18] reported classification accuracies between 84.2% and 92.1% for females and 77.1% and 93.2% for males, depending on the population-specific or pooled-population function derived from their study. ...
... any of the scores in the 2008 paper, although such associations did appear in Standards [6]: traits scored as 1 or 2 were assigned as female; a score of 3 was ambiguous; and scores 4 or 5 were male. The derivation of composite scores in Standards [6] assumed that all cranial traits were weighted equally. ...
There is renewed interest in Asia for the development of forensic anthropological standards, partly due to the need for population-specific models to maintain high classification accuracies. At present, there are no known studies utilising morphoscopic standards specific to the Indonesian population. Craniometric analyses can often be time-consuming; morphoscopic assessments are quicker and are also known to be reliable and accurate. One of the most utilised morphoscopic standards for the estimation of skeletal sex is that of Walker (2008). Its application across population groups demonstrated reduced accuracies outside of the United States; population-specific predictive models would thus serve to improve the identification process of unknown skeletal remains. Digital imaging also allows for the validation of standards on a contemporary population and is an appropriate proxy to physical skeletal material.
The present study quantifies the applicability of the Walker standard to a contemporary Indonesian population. A total of 200 cranial MSCT scans from a hospital in Makassar were analysed using OsiriX®. Scoring was performed in accordance with the Walker standard. Five univariate and nine multivariate predictive models were derived using single trait and multi-trait combinations. The best performing univariate model included the glabella, with a total classification accuracy of 82.0% and a sex bias of 14.6%. Classification accuracy with all traits considered was at 95.2% for females and 82.8% for males with a sex bias of 12.5%. These results provide forensic practitioners in Indonesia with an appropriate morphoscopic sex estimation standard, strengthening their capabilities in the field and improving judicial outcomes.
... Cada una de las fichas fue completada por dos miembros del equipo trabajando en conjunto. La estimación de sexo se realizó siguiendo los lineamientos propuestos por Buikstra y Ubelaker (1994) y Feuerbach et al. (1980. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de los distintos métodos luego se compararon entre sí. ...
... Según las referencias desarrolladas por Buikstra y Ubelaker (1994) se realizó una evaluación del estado de los restos, determinando la completitud de cada cráneo o fragmento recuperado (tabla 1). ...
... PUNTO 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 5 3 0 3 3 2 1 2 0 3 (Krenzer, 2006;Byers, 2002;Buikstra y Ubelaker, 1994). ...
El osario del “Monumento a Perpetuidad”, ubicado en la ciudad de Paysandú, Uruguay, recibió durante su historia fallecidos tanto de población general, como de combatientes del evento bélico conocido como la “Defensa de Paysandú” (1864). Este lugar funcionó como cementerio público entre 1851 y 1881, habiéndose construido el osario en 1854. Con el objetivo de aportar al conocimiento histórico, cultural y patrimonial, se busca caracterizar los restos del osario y establecer una posible relación entre el imaginario colectivo, que plantea que los restos de los combatientes fueron depositados allí, y los resultados obtenidos. Se recuperaron 13 cráneos y restos asociados, que se estudiaron a través de métodos bioantropológicos, estableciéndose sexo, edad y ancestralidad, y observándose posibles indicadores de violencia. Adicionalmente, para ampliar la información sobre ancestralidad, se extrajo y analizó ADN mitocondrial de seis cráneos. La muestra final se compuso de 13 individuos adultos, 9 masculinos, 3 femeninos y uno de sexo indeterminado, y características típicas de una población mestizada. En relación con posibles indicadores de violencia, se observa que están presentes en cinco individuos de la muestra. Los resultados son coincidentes con lo esperado: alto porcentaje de individuos masculinos con signos de violencia, probablemente asociados a la defensa de Paysandú.
... The observations and measurements were made by one of the authors (TGB) in a set of 234 individuals, that were aged using dental development, attrition patterns (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994;Lovejoy, 1985) and cranial suture obliteration (Masset 1989;Meindl & Lovejoy, 1985) and were sexed utilizing gross morphological and diagnostic cranial features (Acsadi & Nemeskeri, 1970;Bass, 1987;Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994). Judgment of whether or not a cranium was artificially modified was based on previous work (Dingwall, 1931;Dembo & Imbelloni, 1938). ...
... The observations and measurements were made by one of the authors (TGB) in a set of 234 individuals, that were aged using dental development, attrition patterns (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994;Lovejoy, 1985) and cranial suture obliteration (Masset 1989;Meindl & Lovejoy, 1985) and were sexed utilizing gross morphological and diagnostic cranial features (Acsadi & Nemeskeri, 1970;Bass, 1987;Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994). Judgment of whether or not a cranium was artificially modified was based on previous work (Dingwall, 1931;Dembo & Imbelloni, 1938). ...
The expression of sexual dimorphism may vary across time and space, as well as within and between populations depending on genetic and environmental factors that influence growth and development. The objective of the present work is to contribute to the knowledge of factors that determine the physical characteristics of ancient human groups in the eastern valleys of Cochabamba-a key region for cultural development, interregional interaction with northern Chile and northwest Argentina, and their noticeable role in the settlement of the south central Andean region. This paper analyzes the differences between males and females crania representing ancient human groups that inhabited the eastern valleys of Co-chabamba, Bolivia. Thirty-one craniometric variables are analyzed from a sample of 234 individuals. Differences are evaluated using univariate analysis by ANOVA and multivariate discriminant analysis. The results indicate the existence of higher mean values in males compared to females in most cranial measurements (mean difference 5.3%). The discriminant analysis also reveals a significant morphological difference exists between sexes. Furthermore, by means of the discriminant function, the reclassification of correct sex was 99% of cases. This information indicates that members of this population could live in optimal conditions, with adequate resources to ensure growth and development and normal expression of the phenotype of each sex.
... en huesos largos; b. El grado de fusión de los cuerpos vertebrales con sus procesos espinosos; c. El grado de brote del segundo y tercer molar (Cardoso, 2007;Saunders, 2008;Ubelaker, 1989). 3. Para los individuos adultos: a. Cambios degenerativos en la superfi cie articular del ilíaco (Buckberry y Chamberlain, 2002), de las grandes articulaciones (Buikstra y Ubelaker. 1994) así como el grado de fusión de las epífi sis con sus diáfi sis . b. Grado de desgaste dental Para identifi car el sexo: ...
... 1. En mayores de cuatro años se aplicó la técnica propuesta por Hernández y Peña (2010), cuando el estado de conservación lo permitió. 2. En mayores de 15 años, se aplicaron las técnicas estandarizadas para identifi cación del dimorfi smo sexual en restos óseos humanos (cráneo, pelvis y huesos largos) (Buikstra y Ubelaker, 1994;Meindl et al. 1985) Caracterización física: ...
Last decade archaeological research supported by Sierra Alta de Sonora
Archaeological Project and Protección Técnica y Legal Program, both from
Centro inah Sonora, have resulted in valuable information on the ancient
o’ob (pimas) and Casas Grandes habitants who lived in the Sierra Madre
Occidental. Mummifi ed, semi-mummifi ed and skeletonized bodies have
been recovered, whose osteological and biochemical analysis have provided
some clues to infer population movements through the mountains. Cueva de
Ochoa, a Casas Grandes site on the Bavispe region, is a cliff dwelling where
several individuals were recovered and dated; one of them, Oqui, was not
born where she died. Same provenience has individual cataloged as bundle
number 3, recovered from Covacha Cueva La Yaqui, a site on the Mulatos
region. Both individuals could come from a region diff erent of the Sierra
Madre Occidental. These are some examples discussed in the text founded
on biological evidence that tracks what archeology proposed decades ago,
concerning population movement through the Sierra Madre Occidental in
northwestern Mexico.
... A total of 86 non-adult individuals were assessed for markers related to the presence of scurvy from the Jaun/Podjuna Valley: Grabelsdorf/ Grabalja vas (n=4), Hemmaberg/Gora svete Heme (n=23), and Jaunstein/Podjuna (n=59), with 26 non-adult individuals showing signs of pathological changes and included in this study (Table 2; Supplement 1). These individuals were placed into age groups, based on the recommendations of Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). In total, there were 13 perinates (36-41 weeks), 36 infants (0-3 years old), 29 children (3-12 years old), 7 adolescents (12− 20) and one individual did not have enough preserved features and was broadly categorized as non-adult in the collection (Table 4). ...
... All individuals were osteologically analyzed in the Anthropology Laboratory at the Austrian Archaeological Institute-Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAI-OeAW) by the authors using standard bioarchaeological protocols outlined by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) as well as Mitchell and Brickley (2017). Age-at-death of non-adult individuals was estimated through dental development and eruption patterns (AlQathani, et al., 2010), epiphyseal-diaphyseal fusion (Fazekas and Kósa, 1978), and metric documentation of diaphyseal lengths (Schaefer, et al., 2009;Cunningham, et al., 2016). ...
... The sexually dimorphic features of the pelvis and skull were used to estimate sex for all individuals in this study, following Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). Only those individuals for which age at death and sex could be estimated were included in this study; that is, non-adults (<18 years of age) and individuals for which sex was indeterminable or inestimable were excluded from the analysis. ...
... Exceptions to this rule included easily replicable measurements (e.g., ectoconchion) or visually apparent points of maximum curvature (e.g., opisthion). All bilateral and midsagittal landmarks were unambiguously defined prior to data collection (Table 2, Figure 2) following the definitions provided by Howells (1973), Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994), and That is, after the distance between corresponding landmarks has been minimized with the Procrustes superimposition, the remaining difference is purely shape difference (Klingenberg, 2015). To assess measurement error in the sample, a subsample of crania (n = 19) were digitized at least 4 times apiece, with each repetition on a separate day. ...
Objectives
Historical evidence from 18th‐ and 19th‐century England suggests that industrialization's impacts on health were largely negative, especially among marginalized groups. However, available documentary evidence is often biased toward adult men and rarely sheds light on the experiences of other members of the population, such as women and children. Craniofacial fluctuating asymmetry (FA) can serve as a proxy measurement of developmental instability and stress during development. This study examines the associations among age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and FA in skeletal samples from industrial‐era England.
Materials and Methods
The sample for this study comes from four industrial‐era cemeteries from England (A.D. 1711–1857). Geometric morphometric analyses of three‐dimensional landmark coordinate data were used to generate a measure of FA for each individual (Mahalanobis distance). A three‐way ANOVA was used to evaluate the impacts of sex, SES, and FA scores on adult age at death ( n = 168).
Results
Significant associations existed between age at death and SES ( p = 0.004) and FA scores ( p = 0.094). Comparisons of the estimated means indicated that age at death was consistently higher among high SES individuals and individuals with FA scores less than one standard deviation from the mean.
Conclusions
This study supports findings from previous studies that have suggested that the differences in resource access and environmental buffering generated by socioeconomic inequality can impact longevity and patterns of mortality among socioeconomic status groups. Likewise, stress in early life—evinced by craniofacial fluctuating asymmetry—can influence observed patterns of longevity in adults decades later.
... Sex was determined by interpretation of skull and pelvis morphology (Acsádi and Nemeskéri 1970;White and Folkens 2005), while the age at death in adults was estimated by morphology of pubic symphyseal surfaces (Brooks and Suchey 1990) and pelvic auricular surfaces (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994), the fusion of cranial sutures (Steckel et al. 2006), dental attrition (Lovejoy 1985), and assessment of the sternal rib end (Krogman and Ýţcan 1986;Bass 1987). The age of subadults was additionally estimated on the basis of ossification of long bones, pelvis and vertebrae (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). ...
... Sex was determined by interpretation of skull and pelvis morphology (Acsádi and Nemeskéri 1970;White and Folkens 2005), while the age at death in adults was estimated by morphology of pubic symphyseal surfaces (Brooks and Suchey 1990) and pelvic auricular surfaces (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994), the fusion of cranial sutures (Steckel et al. 2006), dental attrition (Lovejoy 1985), and assessment of the sternal rib end (Krogman and Ýţcan 1986;Bass 1987). The age of subadults was additionally estimated on the basis of ossification of long bones, pelvis and vertebrae (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). For children, the age at death was estimated on the basis of the dental development stage of deciduous and permanent teeth and tooth buds (Ubelaker 1989), diaphyseal lengths, and the size of a pelvis and a scapula (Florkowski and Kozłowski 1994). ...
This study bridges a gap between palaeopathology and the textual analysis, with the aim of investigating whichdiseases and pathological lesions could have been associated with disability in Early Mediaeval Culmen in Poland.We used palaeopathological methods to examine 661 skeletons, as well as reviewed Early Mediaeval hagiographiesand chronicles. The textual analysis revealed three types of disability: mobility difficulties, an abnormal posture, and blindness, which were also identified in the osteological materials from Culmen. Eight skeletons display lesions corresponding to Pott’s disease, poliomyelitis, leprosy, osteomyelitis, multiple myeloma, and amputation, which were identified as disabilities. The prevalence of disability depended on the age, with adults affected more frequently. This interdisciplinary study is the first to analyse people with disabilities on a population level, using textual sources and osteological materials from mediaeval Central Europe. The protocol forresearch on disability in archaeology presented by us may be applied to other archaeological contexts, also from sites outside Poland, from historical periods of time.
... 6 Those adults whose sex could not be established with any certainty were labelled probably male, probably female, and unsexed adult. The age-at-death of adults was estimated by using the 3. Krogman, Işcan 1986;Buikstra, Ubelaker 1994;Bass 1995. 4. Brůžek 2017, pp. 440-449. 5. Šlaus, Tomičić 2005Šlaus 1997, pp. ...
The research presented in this study was conducted within the program IATEKA-Interdisciplinary Approach to the Territorial Evolution of Kvarner Archipelago (Croatia) (UBFC-ISITE) on a corpus of the 5th-century insular population from
two late antique sites: Mirine-Fulfinum on the island of Krk and Martinšćica on the island of Cres. Both living conditions and status of the inhabitants of those two sites are here studied through an interdisciplinary approach, combining, and confronting archaeological contexts with bioarchaeological, isotopic and aDNA data. The study showed that all members of these communities, of local and foreign origin, lived in harsh conditions and experienced a very low quality of life, regardless of their
social status as given by the archaeological context. This led us to reconsider the definition of “privileged members of society” in the insular, northeastern Adriatic environments in the 5th century.
... In the present study, we sought to identify the sex of 28 juveniles from Mánni Muwékma Kúksú Hóowok Yatiš Túnnešte-tka using sex-based differences in amelogenin protein. The sex of all juveniles was noted as "unknown" in previous studies of the site (Jurmain 1990;Bennyhoff 1993;Leventhal 1993) because macroscopic indicators used to estimate sex are not present on developing skeletons (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). We explore patterns in the profiles of individuals who died prematurely, including their sex, the degree of stress based on skeletal indicators of disease/ malnutrition, and their social status based on associated grave goods. ...
This article presents new information pertaining to the demographic profile of the juvenile burial assemblage ( n = 39) from a Late Holocene site located on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. CA-ALA-329 is commonly referred to as Ryan Mound and now bears the Muwekma Ohlone name Mánni Muwékma Kúksú Hóowok Yatiš Túnnešte-tka , which means “place where the people of the kúksú (bighead) pendants are buried.” This site has been extensively studied and has contributed significantly to our understanding of life on the bay during the Middle and Late Periods. However, most of the previous studies have focused on adults. The goal of the present study was to identify patterns in the profiles of those who died prematurely: their sex, the degree of stress they experienced based on skeletal indicators of disease/malnutrition, and their social status based on associated grave goods. Results show high incidence of skeletal indicators in the sample consistent with nutritional deficiency, disease/infection, and/or metabolic disorders. This suggests that this population was experiencing stress. Individual circumstances, such as age and sex, may also have contributed to poor health because infants have the highest prevalence of cribra orbitalia and periostitis. The distribution of wealth, as evidenced by burial goods associated with the sample, shows some correlation with age at death and types of artifacts. Distribution of wealth also differs temporally. Inequality seems to have been highest in the Middle Period, whereas inequality decreased but overall wealth increased into the Late Period.
... Los individuos que conforman esta muestra proceden del conjunto arquitectónico funerario La Noria, recuperados en distintas temporadas de campo. La identificación del sexo en individuos adultos se realizó a partir de la evaluación del dimorfismo sexual presente en el cráneo, mandíbula y huesos de la cadera (Buikstra y Ubelaker 1994); en los individuos subadultos o menores de 15 años el sexo se identificó a partir de la metodología propuesta por Hernández y Márquez (2010). En diez de ellos se confirmó el sexo además mediante el análisis de adn. ...
The analysis of interments from the burial area of the ancient pre-His-panic city of Tamtoc, revealed not only the unusual burial pattern of this place but also the differences in the patterns of mortality and their relationship with cultural features present in some of the in-dividuals. Variables such as age at death, sex, presence of corporal modifications, funerary trousseau and disposition of the burials in the sepulchral space were analyzed. The practice of modeling the skull shows non-local variations and there is only one case with dental dec-oration. These findings are discussed from the archaeological evidence and the role of this site as a regional guiding center.
... Sexes and ages of samples are mainly based on published excavation reports. When no information was given, we determined them by examining the pelves and crania (including post-cranial features and sizes of the zygomatic arch and mastoid process) for sexes [39], the facies symphysialis [40], and the cranial suture for ages [41,42] because they are standard ways of estimating the sexes and ages of the Japanese human skeletal remains [27]. ...
The present study collected a larger set of three-dimensional data on human crania from the Kofun period (as well as from previous periods, i.e., the Jomon and Yayoi periods) in the Japanese archipelago (AD 250 to around 700) than previous studies. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics were employed to investigate human migration patterns in finer-grained phases. These results are consistent with those of previous studies, although some new patterns were discovered. These patterns were interpreted in terms of demic diffusion, archaeological findings, and historical evidence. In particular, the present results suggest the presence of a gradual geological cline throughout the Kofun period, although the middle period did not display such a cline. This discrepancy might reflect social changes in the middle Kofun period, such as the construction of keyhole-shaped mounds in the peripheral regions. The present study implies that a broader investigation with a larger sample of human crania is essential to elucidating macro-level cultural evolutionary processes.
... Long bone metrics for the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula were recorded using sliding calipers (to 0.01 mm) following established standards (Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) and Fazekas and K osa (1978)) for the juveniles at PG and at VR/TCN. Measurements of all complete long bones were taken from the left side when possible. ...
Objectives
Combining research from infant and child development, public health, anthropology, and history, this research examines the relationship between growth, growth disruption, and skeletal indicators of chronic and/or episodic physiological stress (stress) among juvenile individuals ( n = 60) interred at the late antique infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano (PG) (ca. 5th century CE), associated with a rural agricultural community.
Materials and methods
Growth disruption—evidenced by decreased long bone length compared to dental age—and stress experience—evidenced by skeletal stress indicators—within these individuals are compared to those within juveniles from a comparative sample ( n = 66) from two urban Roman‐era cemeteries, Villa Rustica (VR) (0–250 CE) and Tragurium City Necropolis (TCN) (0–700 CE).
Results
Results indicate that individuals from PG had significantly smaller femoral lengths‐for‐age than those from VR and TCN; however, the frequency of skeletal stress indicators was higher among juveniles from VR and TCN.
Discussion
These differences in growth and stress experience are likely related to the different biosocial and ecological environments present in these two regions. For the community at PG, internal and external violent conflicts, as well as social, political, and economic turmoil, and subsistence shortages, endemic and epidemic infectious disease, nutritional deficiencies, and inherited or acquired anemia may have synergized to create chronically and/or episodically deleterious conditions for its juveniles.
... Analysis of the human remains assessed age, sex, palaeopathology and taphonomic modifications (following Buikstra & Ubelaker 1994;Mitchell & Brickley 2017). The remains weigh 191.4 g, although their weight has been increased by consolidants previously applied to restore the calotte. ...
The majority of excavated human remains from Neolithic Britain emanate from monumental sites. However, it is increasingly recognized that multiple funerary practices are often attested within these monuments, and that diverse treatment of the dead is evident contemporaneously at non-monumental sites. In this paper, we highlight such variation in non-monumental funerary practices in Neolithic Britain ( c. 4000–2500 bc ) through the biographical study of an assemblage from a large post-hole at Bridlington Boulevard, Yorkshire. Through osteological and taphonomic analysis of the human bones and technological and microwear analysis of the accompanying axehead, we infer complex funerary processes, with the expediently manufactured axehead potentially featuring in the funerary rites and subsequent post-raising before being deposited in the feature. Bridlington Boulevard represents one element of a varied funerary complex—cremations in pits and post-holes—at a time when most individuals were not deposited in monuments, or indeed were not deposited at all. Compiling these non-monumental cremations across Britain causes us to look beyond categorizing these assemblages as funerary contexts, and instead suggests important cosmological associations and forces were brought together in pit and post-and-human cremation deposits.
... Based on the morphological features of the pubic symphysis, according to the Suchey and Brooks methodology (1990), the age-at-death was estimated at 35.2 ± 9.4 years. The analysed individual was female, as determined by the morphological characteristics of the skull and pelvis (Ferembach et all, 1980;Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994). The reconstructed stature of the analysed individual is about 146 cm, based on the maximum length of the right femur and right tibia, according to Trotter & Gleser (1958). ...
In this case report, we will present a case of rare pathological condition, a talocalcaneal coalition, which was recorded in a female adult individual from the archaeological site of Perlek-Dioksid, dated in the period between 10th and 12th centuries AD. During the bioanthropological and paleopathological analyses it was noted the presence of a bilateral bony fusion of the calcaneus and talus of a female adult individual, suggesting an occurrence of talocalcaneal coalition. This was further confirmed by an X-ray examination. Talocalcaneal coalition (TC) occurs when adjacent tarsal bones, the calcaneus and talus, are partially or completely fused. A talocalcaneal coalition becomes symptomatic when, at the age of 12 to 15 years, a pre-existing coalition becomes ossified. In this case, TC was accompanied by degenerative changes of the spine and bilateral femoral neck anteversion. This condition did not require any form of health-related care for this person, although it probably caused occasional pain of varying intensity. This pathological condition is rarely described in bioarchaeological literature and it is, therefore, important to report every recorded case in order to improve our corpus of knowledge regarding such conditions.
There are very few sex estimation methods specifically designed for or tested on Belgian skulls. The currently used methods for European populations have been developed using North American collections where individuals are categorized as White and/or having European ancestry. These frequently show discordance between the pelvic sex and cranial sex estimations highlighting the need for population specific methods. To fill this gap in our knowledge, several sex estimation methods, using 15 qualitative skull features, were tested on two Flemish (northern Belgium) skeletal collections; one archaeological (15th–17th century) and one forensic (20th century). The features were tested by themselves as well as in different combinations using logistic regression. The glabella is considered the best lone feature with a minimal accuracy of 78.4% and a sex bias of −5.2%. Furthermore, four sex estimation equations were developed for the skull, the cranium, the mandible, and the frontal bone separately. The skull has an accuracy of 89.3% and a bias of 0.8%. For the cranium, this is 87.5% and −0.3%, respectively, for the mandible 85.1% and −0.1%, and for the frontal bone it is 80.4% and −4.6%. The various tests confirm that many skull features can be used for sex estimation and can generate high sex estimation accuracy.
The Tapera Moreira archaeological locality is composed of five sites with different characteristics. It is located on the banks of the Curacó River, in the south-central sector of the province of La Pampa, Argentina. This set of sites represents the occupational redundancy of this landscape, ranging from the Middle Holocene to the final Late Holocene (ca. 4550 to 360 years BP), and constitutes the main chronological-cultural sequence of the Curacó area. This locality was investigated in two stages, the first between 1988 and 1995 and the second from 2015 to the present. Excavations were reopened at site 1 and a new burial was located at site 3. The objectives of this chapter are to present the results of the new excavations and then integrate these results with the previous ones (1988–1995) to assess patterns, trends, and differences. The data generated allow us to evaluate the trajectories and social interactions of hunter-gatherer populations on a macro-regional scale, as well as the mobility circuits and the interaction networks throughout a wide area that covers both oceans and from 36° to 40° LS. This information integrated with the knowledge generated in neighboring regions allows us to outline a panorama of the social and cultural dynamics of the last 5000 years.
Violence seems to have been a constant in Egyptian history, as attested by documentary sources. The material culture also reflects this state of violence; however, anthropological findings, although present, are not as numerous as might be expected. In the present study, we analyze the injuries found in three crania (New Kingdom, 1500–1070 BCE) from the necropolis of Qubbet el‐Hawa, near the island of Elephantine (Aswan, Egypt). All three cases are adult males with several injuries caused by a sharp‐edged weapon, with no signs of survival. The macroscopic analysis of the wounds was combined with archaeological and historical data to provide an explanation of the possible weapon used and the possible scenarios (intergroup or intragroup violence) where these deaths could have occurred. These cranial injuries leave no doubt as to the intentionality and repetition in the act of causing death. These findings offer clear evidence and reliable information that contributes to the understanding of interpersonal violence and its potential causes in ancient Egypt.
Although the practice of human sacrifice in the British Iron Age is mentioned by multiple authors, both ancient and modern, physical proof of such activity in the archaeological record is comparatively rare. At Winterborne Kingston, in Dorset, the skeletal remains of a young adult female found face down near the base of a cylindrical storage pit provides clear evidence of violent death in the later Iron Age. Analysis of the skeleton suggests an individual who led a hard-working life and who, having suffered an act of violence a few weeks before death, was killed, possibly with her hands tied, by a blade incision to the neck. Placement of the body further suggests that killing was enacted within the pit, execution as spectacle forming the final act in a larger ceremony involving the creation of an animal bone stack or platform.
Ritual practices as behavior, and the cognitive acknowledgment of life and death, foster a depth in social identity, collective social memory, and a societal worldview. This paper outlines the evidence of Early Bronze Age burial practices in northwestern Iran to discuss the newly discovered chamber tombs at Kohne Tepesi within the broader context of mortuary practices during the middle and last part of the 3rd millennium B.C. The findings from Kohne Tepesi support the idea that, at least for parts of Kura-Araxes society, burial rites and commemoration of the dead played a crucial role in their worldview. Furthermore, this site demonstrates that the changes in symbolic practices and social behavior during the Early Kurgan period were not spontaneous but rooted in the last phases of the Kura-Araxes period and that the perceptions of earlier traditions had been conserved in long-term social memory. ARTICLE HISTORY
El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar procesos de estrés y enfermedades dento-alveolares en grupos humanos que habitaron ambientes áridos-semiáridos del interior y la costa de la transición pampeano-patagónica oriental. Se proponen discutir diferencias en los patrones dietarios, en la adecuación fisiológica y en los procesos adaptativos al entorno socio-ambiental de grupos cazadores-recolectores, durante el Holoceno medio-tardío (~6000-250 años AP / ~6700-320 años cal AP). Se analizaron macroscópicamente 1513 dientes y 2162 alveolos, correspondientes a 119 individuos adultos de ambos sexos. Se relevaron caries, cálculos dentales, lesiones periapicales, pérdida dental antemortem y desgaste dentario a nivel de individuo y dento-alveolar. Los resultados indican elevados grados de desgaste dentario, aunque se observa una disminución de procesos de estrés masticatorio a través del tiempo. La incorporación de la tecnología cerámica en las prácticas culinarias pudo facilitar el acceso a una dieta más blanda y procesada que desaceleró la tasa de desgaste dentario. La atrición dental constituye el principal factor en la expresión de las patologías orales analizadas. Las frecuencias de lesiones son semejantes entre ambos sexos, aunque varía en función de las categorías de edad. No se observan cambios sustanciales en la manifestación de enfermedades de la cavidad oral en los grupos humanos a través del Holoceno medio-tardío.
This paper investigates trabecular bone ontogenetic changes in two different Polish populations, one prehistoric and the other historical. The studied populations are from the Brześć Kujawski region in Kujawy (north-central Poland), one from the Neolithic Period (4500–4000 BC) and one from the Middle Ages (twelfth-sixteenth centuries AD), in total 62 vertebral specimens (32 males, 30 females). Eight morphometric parameters acquired from microCT scan images were analysed. Two-way ANOVA after Box-Cox transformation and multifactorial regression model were calculated. A significant decrease in percentage bone volume fraction (BV/TV; [%]) with age at death was observed in the studied sample; Tb.N (trabecular number) was also significantly decreased with age; trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) increased with advancing age; connectivity density (Conn.D) was negatively correlated with biological age and higher in the Neolithic population. These data are found to be compatible with data from the current biomedical literature, while no loss of horizontal trabeculae was recorded as would be expected based on modern osteoporosis.
En el Noreste de Patagonia se han hallado múltiples sitios con entierros humanos. En el valle del río Negro los entierros comparten ciertas características, tales como ubicarse en sectores elevados y reutilizarse para realizar entierros y otras actividades. Este patrón también se observa en el valle del río Colorado y en la costa atlántica de Patagonia. Hacia el Sur del río Negro, en los bajos o “travesía”, no hay información sobre sitios mortuorios, pero sí inmediatamente al Sur de la travesía, en el piedemonte y meseta de Somuncurá. En esta región los sitios funerarios se distinguen de los del Norte por ubicarse en oquedades rocosas, ser únicamente de entierro y por lo general contener acompañamiento mortuorio. Este trabajo presenta los resultados del análisis de los restos humanos del sitio Aguada Cecilio (piedemonte de Somuncurá, Río Negro, Argentina) y los discute en relación con la variabilidad del registro bioarqueológico del Noreste de Patagonia durante el Holoceno tardío. El sitio contiene únicamente restos de subadultos con signos de manipulación postmortem y una punta de proyectil asociada. Su incorporación a la información bioarqueológica regional permitió discutir la variación en el patrón funerario entre el Norte y Sur del interior del Noreste de Patagonia.
The people of Iran underwent various cultural adaptations in the early third millennium BCE, including a rise and collapse in cultural complexity. The Caspian Sea region was distinctive in terms of society-environment interactions, and societies had to take measures to be resilient in the face of change. The onset of new forms of social organization from Gīlān to Mazandaran or from the central plateau to the Gorgan plain could look very different during the Bronze and Iron Ages, especially in terms of resource extraction and transformations in prehistoric societies. In Mazandaran, such social transformation began during the late fourth millennium BCE and continued during the Bronze and Iron Ages. In this paper, we evaluate long-term resilience and adaptability from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in Mazandaran and examine how the societies of the south-central Caspian Sea changed through time and space.
Giacomo Torno was born in 1539 (or 1541) in Naples. At the age of 18 he joined the Clerics Regular Theatines in San Paolo Maggiore and was welcomed on 30 October 1558. He suffered a stroke on 4 December 1608 and died 45 days later. Contemporary sources report that he appeared to be tormented by the devil during his illness, tormented by constant spasms in his arm, which caused him great discomfort. During the analysis of his mummified body, a discontinuity of the skin surface at the level of the sacrum was discovered. All morphological features indicate a wound that developed during the subject’s life. Based on historical sources, the fracture of the first coccygeal vertebra, the appearance of the lesion near death, and the shape of the lesion, it appears that this is the first recorded instance of the Kennedy terminal ulcer, identified through both direct and indirect sources
Aim: To introduce a simple classification system for the degree of preservation and quality of the dentoalveolar apparatus into scientific circulation to further investigate dental diseases in ancestral populations. Materials and Methods: The sample analyzed consisted of the remains of 499 individuals from the human populations that existed in the territories of Ukraine from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Teeth and jaws were examined macroscopically under bright light; dental changes were evaluated by probing. Dental radiographic examinations were performed using retroalveolar and panoramic X-ray films in adult individuals. Results: The authors divide the dentoalveolar apparatus of fossil and subfossil skeletons into ten levels for further medical investigation of dental diseases. These levels depend on the preservation degree and changes in jaws and teeth. Conclusions: The study of bone and tooth preservation, determination of skeletal sex, and age characteristics is a separate section and stage in reconstructing the physical type of individuals and the health status of a community. Studying the taphonomic features of odontologic anthropological material should be a mandatory prerequisite preceding its analysis in paleopathology. The condition of the dentoalveolar system can be classified into ten levels for paleopathological conclusions. This classification will be helpful to doctors specializing in forensic medicine and anthropologists.
Between the sixth and fifteenth c. CE, a vast expanse of central and southern Sudan belonged to the kingdom of Alwa, ruled from the urban metropolis of Soba. Renewed investigation of the city unearthed a small cemetery in the northern part of the site. The heterogeneity of burial practices raised some questions as to the cultural and religious affinities of the deceased and suggested potential multiculturalism of the local urban population. We applied isotopic analyses to investigate the origins of the people buried at Cemetery OS and their concomitant ways of life. Non-concordance of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ¹⁸O values with local hydro-geological background speaks to the mixing of water sources as a result of residential mobility. The concordance of human and faunal strontium and oxygen results, combined with elevated δ¹³C values corresponding to almost exclusive reliance on C4 produce, points to the possibility of seasonal movement of people with their herds between the Nile valley and the adjacent grasslands. Despite the turn of the medieval Nubian economy towards settled agriculture, by revealing the granular specificities of human adaptation in challenging ecosystems, our results produce the first insight into the enduring diversification of economic production, even in urbanized settings, and persisting participation of local peoples in agro-pastoral symbiosis.
Harris Lines (HLs) are transverse, sclerotic lines that can be visualized by X-ray imaging and that occur in long bones, most commonly in the tibia and femur. HLs are associated with disrupted bone mineralization during endochondral ossification, affecting the normal growth process. The etiology of HLs is debated, with some claims linking their presence to detrimental factors such as inflammation, malnutrition, alcohol abuse, and diseases. The age at which HLs form can be estimated based on their location, which allows for a retrospective assessment of the individual’s health status during childhood or youth. The current study is concerned with providing new equations to estimate the age of Harris Line occurrences using a simple calculating tool. Bone growth curves were derived based on a dataset provided by Byers in 1991 using non-linear estimation. The best model was chosen with the Akaike Information Criterion. New and old methods were compared through Bland–Altman plots. As a result, we managed to produce reliable, well-fitted growth curves, concordant with previous methods.
The South American Archaeological Isotopic Database (SAAID) is a comprehensive open-access resource that aggregates all available bioarchaeological stable and radiogenic isotope measurements, encompassing data from human individuals, animals, and plants across South America. Resulting from a collaborative effort of scholars who work with stable isotopes in this region, SAAID contains 53,781 isotopic measurements across 24,507 entries from individuals/specimens spanning over 12,000 years. SAAID includes valuable contextual information on archaeological samples and respective sites, such as chronology, geographical region, biome, and spatial coordinates, biological details like estimated sex and age for human individuals, and taxonomic description for fauna and flora. SAAID is hosted at the PACHAMAMA community within the Pandora data platform and the CORA repository to facilitate easy access. Because of its rich data structure, SAAID is particularly well-suited for conducting spatiotemporal meta-analyses. It serves as a valuable tool for addressing a variety of research topics, including the spread, adoption, and consumption intensification of food items, paleo-environmental reconstruction, as well as the exploration of mobility patterns across extensive geographic regions.
Anthropologists have led the way in formulating techniques that reveal skeletal differences between males and females. Understanding of physical differences in the pelvis related to childbirth, hormonal impacts on bones, and extensive comparative studies have provided anthropologists with an array of traits and measurements that help them estimate sex using just bones. Forensic anthropologists and bioarcheologists are improving their ability to differentiate males and females by increasing research on a variety of postcranial bones and through the use of molecular data, especially new methods called proteomics, to identify sex in prepubescent juveniles. As remains from more cultures and time periods are studied, sex identification will continue to improve, because skeletal sex differences are in large part biologically determined. Yet, anthropologists have also been at the forefront of arguing that sex lies on a spectrum. Anthropologists who view sex as on a spectrum may deter sex identification progress; from their perspective, an individual of an undetermined sex may just be a nonbinary individual. Anthropologists who consider sex is on a spectrum are coming to this conclusion in part because they are looking for anatomical ideals, mistaking pathology for variation, and confusing independent variables with dependent variables. Nonetheless, anthropologists need to continue to improve sex identification techniques to reconstruct the past accurately, which may reveal less strict sex roles than previously presumed and help with the identification of crime victims. Forensic anthropologists should also increase their efforts to identify whether individuals have undergone medical procedures intended to change one’s gender due to the current rise in transitioning individuals.
The funerary practices of the 4th and 3rd millennia cal bc are marked by the widespread use of megalithic architecture in most of the Iberian Peninsula, alongside major social transformations taking place during the Copper Age. At the same time, we find a proliferation of collective burials in natural caves located in mountainous areas of southern Iberia, some of which also share the typical uses of megalithic chambers. In this paper, we present the unusual case of Peñacalera, in Obejo, Córdoba province, a small burial cave located in a prominent rocky outcrop in the Sierra Morena massif, discovered in 2014. The funerary context includes the skeletal remains of at least five human individuals, associated with grave goods such as ceramic vessels, and organic material in a remarkable state of preservation, especially cork bark and some textile fragments. The analysis of the radiocarbon dates suggests two separate phases of use, one during the third quarter of the 4th and the other in the middle of the 3rd millennia cal bc.
Resumen
La organización social de las colonias españolas en América se caracterizó por la desigualdad, configurando estilos de vida disímiles dependiendo de la casta y estamento de pertenencia. Las investigaciones desarrolladas desde una perspectiva paleopatológica en la ciudad colonial de Mendoza (siglos dieciséis al diecinueve), ubicada en el centro-oeste del actual territorio argentino, permitió identificar estados de salud diferenciados en individuos inhumados en cementerios según su procedencia espacial (interior/exterior de los templos). El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar la distribución de la enfermedad degenerativa articular (EDA) entre grupos de distinta procedencia socioeconómica, inhumados en cinco cementerios católicos coloniales del sitio Área Fundacional de Mendoza. Se relevaron superficies articulares apendiculares de 66 adultos de ambos sexos. No se registraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre individuos de diferentes sectores de inhumación, pero sí niveles de estrés mecánico-funcional diferenciados entre sexos según su procedencia social. Se discute la influencia del sexo, la edad y el tamaño corporal en las tendencias identificadas, siendo este último la variable que mayor influencia presentó. Los patrones de uso del cuerpo son interpretados en función del contexto histórico, el sexo y el estatus social del difunto y su familia.
Human feeding patterns have been reconstructed in Archaeology by analysing either oral pathology or stable isotope ratios in human skeletal remains. However, no clear agreement has been developed between these two methodologies. The main objective of this study is to determine if we can establish a link between them when analysing a population with a hyper-specialized diet, in this case marine resources (and millet/maize). To reach this goal we developed a conjoined multi-isotope analysis using collagen and bioapatite (δ¹³Ccol, δ¹⁵Ncol and δ¹³Ccar) and a detailed study of oral health (caries, antemortem loss, periapical lesions, periodontal disease, calculus, and wear). All available skeletons with at least one preserved tooth from two cemeteries of the medieval town of Pontevedra (n = 34) were studied. The buried individuals belonged to the guild of fishers and artisans, professions which were dominant among the families of medieval Pontevedra. A detailed FTIR-ATR study of extracted bone bioapatite showed a high correlation between bioapatite carbonate content, carbonate typical vibrations, and FTIR-ATR indices related to bone diagenesis, which is in line with previous research. No significant correlations were found with bioapatite yield and isotopic composition (δ¹³Ccar and Δ¹³C), ruling out possible diagenetic effects. The diet was based on marine fish protein with contributions of millets (e.g., δ¹³Ccar -11.9 ± 1.8‰) that seems to be slightly higher in individuals linked to artisanal guilds. The oral pathology study shows severe dental wear from an early age (Grade 2–4 in permanent dentition for 20% of infants and 60% of juveniles in M1), as well as moderate-high presence of caries in permanent dentition (64%, 22/34) and dental calculus (72%, 24/33). Both the oral pathology and the isotopic signal differ from that observed in other areas of the Iberian Peninsula. This study points to the existence of connections between findings of the two methodologies, and specifically an association between intense dental wear and high consumption of marine resources and millet. At the same time, this analysis implies the necessity of caution in estimation of age by dental wear in populations linked to the sea.
In around 716 AD, the city of Santarém, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2–8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santarém (8th– 10th century). In this study, skeletal material from 58 adult individuals was analysed for stable carbon (δ¹³Ccol; δ¹³Cap), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and sulphur (δ³⁴S) isotope ratios in bones, and stable oxygen (δ¹⁸O), carbon (δ¹³Cen) and radiogenic strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotopes in tooth enamel. The results of this study revealed a dietary pattern of predominantly C3-plant and domestic C3-fed herbivore consumption during adulthood (δ¹³Ccol and δ¹⁵N, respectively) but a higher proportion of C4-plant input during childhood (δ¹³Cen) for some individuals—interpreted as possible childhood consumption of millet porridge, a common practice in North Africa—in those with unorthodox burial types (Groups 1 and 2) that was not practiced in the individuals with canonical burials (Group 3). In this first mobility study of a medieval Muslim population in Portugal, δ¹⁸ODW values revealed greater heterogeneity in Groups 1 and 2, consistent with diverse origins, some in more humid regions than Santarém when compared to regional precipitation δ¹⁸O data, contrasting the more homogenous Group 3, consistent with the local precipitation δ¹⁸O range. Ancient DNA analysis conducted on three individuals revealed maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages compatible with a North African origin for (at least) some of the individuals. Additionally, mobility of females in this population was higher than males, potentially resulting from a patrilocal social system, practiced in Berber and Arab communities. These results serve to offer a more detailed insight into the ancestry and cultural practices of early Muslim populations in Iberia.
One of the periods with the greatest social, cultural, and religious changes was, without a doubt, the European medieval period. The concept of “Family” was one of the fields that gradually evolved, from individuals who shared the same biological lineage, to members of the same “House”. One of the ways to study the concept of “Family” in ancient periods is through a bioarchaeological perspective, where both anthropology and genetics have proven to be essential disciplines for studying “Families”. Through burial rituals, observing whether the graves were single or multiple, as is carried out in the study of human remains, we discuss the profound contribution of anthropology to the “Family” investigation, through mobility studies, the investigation of biological sex, observing certain congenital anomalies or, even, the study of certain ancient infectious diseases. Concerning genetics, the study of bones or teeth allows us to determine whether individuals were from the same close family or if they belonged to the same lineage through the maternal and paternal sides, being one of the only scientific ways of proposing social relationships between individuals, such as that created through adoption.
The focus of this article is on the publication of craniological findings from a cemetery located near Zalutske village (tract Staikyn Verkh), Romny district. Materials and methods: Anthropological materials dating from the 18–19th cent. primarily consist of well-preserved human skulls. The collection comprises 8 items, including 5 male and 3 female skulls. Measurements were conducted following a comprehensive craniometric program based on R. Martin’s standard technique, with numbered features indicated accordingly. Software for multidimensional analysis was developed by B. and A. Kozintsev in 1991. The primary objective of this research is to present new craniological data to the scientific community, providing a general description of local inhabitants in comparison to neighboring ethnic groups in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The study aims to determine the distance between individual series from the 14–19th cent. through multidimensional canonical and cluster analysis, seeking to position local peasants within the system of craniological types in Eastern Europe and the pheno-geographic anthropological zones of Ukraine. Novelty in research lies in the submission of craniometric measurements and characteristics from skulls of the 18–19th cent. in a craniological series from Zalutske village, a first-time occurrence. Results show the creation of a male series from Zalutske village of the 18–19th cent., consisting of 5 skulls. The group is characterized as moderately brachycranial based on the average craniometric values. Upon comparing the studied male group from the 18–19th cent. with synchronous series and samples from the 16th to 19th centuries in Eastern, Central, and Western Europe using multidimensional canonical and cluster analysis, partial similarity to the Transcarpathian urban group of Uzhhorod was observed.
Metric analysis of skeletal material is integral to the analysis and identification of human remains, though one commonly used measuring device, the osteometric board, has lagged in recent advancement. Traditional boards are bulky and require manual measurement recording, potentially generating intra- and interobserver error. To address these limitations, we tested the reliability, validity, and error rates of a novel device, the Portable Osteometric Device Version 1 (PODv1), which measures distance using laser sensors with time-of-flight technology. Forty-five volunteers measured four skeletal elements with the PODv1 and a PaleoTech osteometric board in three rounds. Comparison of tibia, humerus, and femur measurements with both devices showed no significant differences, although the maximum length of the ulna did differ, potentially because of observer confusion regarding the PODv1's user instructions for this element. Our results suggest that the PODv1 is a reliable, valid measurement device compared to traditional osteometric boards. Although both device types can produce calibration, transcription, and observer errors, the time-of-flight technology and the absence of manual recording built into the PODv1 may limit those errors. These advancements and their potential positive impacts on the accuracy of osteometric data collection may have far-reaching benefits for osteological, bioarchaeological, paleopathological, and forensic anthropological data collection.
Morphological observations and traditional metric methods carried out by an experienced observer can allow a precise evaluation of parameters of interest in forensic anthropology aimed at identifying remains such as chronological age and sex. However, nowadays digital image processing (3D) techniques are being increasingly used to more accurately identify skeletal remains. The objectives of this work are to carry out a 3D scan of 3 skulls, 4 coxae and 4 femurs and the calculation of the relative error of the measurements obtained by 3D photogrammetry with respect to the measurements with calipers. It is observed that the models obtained by photogrammetric techniques are the same or even better than those obtained by them from traditional anthropometric methods, although this difference is minimal in concordance studies.
Plastered skulls were one of the most prominent phenomena in Southwest Asia during the Neolithic period. These cult objects observed in Anatolia and the Levant are of particular importance since they were produced from the remains of people who lived at that time. Although many studies have so far been conducted in different contexts , multi-model analyses of the samples with the help of advanced technologies are critical for developing new perspectives on the subject. This study combines bioarcheological, paleoradiological, and other archaeometrical methods to analyze seven plastered cranial elements from the archaeological settlement of Tepecik-Çiftlik. This research aims to understand the formation process of these ritualistic objects with a focus on how these cult objects were produced. The plastered skulls and crania examined in this study belong to young male and female adults and a child. Results of analyses clearly indicate the important findings revealed by cut marks related to the preparation phase and the presence of restoration phases of the plastering processes. Also, many pigments (e.g., azurite and goethite) were found to have been used as colorants. In sum, the authors argue that the production and retention of such performative objects were generally influenced by various socio-cultural motivations in addition to specific regional resources, craftsmanship, and processes related to long-term use.
The Megalitho da Capella (Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Portugal) is one of at least 21 dolmens in a megalithic complex explored by António dos Santos Rocha between 1880 and 1909. Among the human remains from Megalitho da Capella is an incomplete and fragmented cranium. Santos Rocha interpreted a groove on the parietal bone as an incision of traumatic origin with signs of remodeling that was suggestive of prolonged survival after an intentional intervention. This study provides a new examination of the groove using microcomputed tomographic (microCT) imaging, microscopy, and macroscopic observations of the groove in addition to the direct dating the skeletal remains. Results indicate that the human remains are dated to the Late Neolithic and that the “incision” is a normal anatomical variant corresponding to impressions from vascular tissue and temporal projections of the squamosal. We conclude that studies of bone surface modifications should consider normal anatomical variants (e.g., sulci, grooves, and furrows) when reporting results. Paleoimaging, microscopy, and comparative observations can assist in the identification bone modifications versus anatomical variants.
Objective: Irregular and abnormal small additional bones called Wormian bones can be encountered between the skull bones. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, topographical distribution, morphology, and interrelationship of the Wormian and Inca bones in Central Anatolia Region dry adult skulls.
Methods: In the study, 119 adult skulls were examined. The location and frequency of additional bones (Wormian) in the sutures in the cranium were determined. Skulls with Inca bones were identified. The Inca bones were typified in accordance with the literature and their dimensions in the transverse and sagittal axis were measured with a digital caliper.
Results: Wormian bone was present in 33 of 119 adult skulls (27.7%). Of the 33 bones, 22 were detected in the male (66.66%) and 11 female (33.34%) skulls. The locations of the Wormian bones in the order of decreasing incidence were the lambdoid suture (16.0%, 19/119), pterion (16.0%, 19/119), lambda (7.6%, 9/119), asterion (2.5%, 3/119), and bregma (1.7%, 2/119). Nine Inca bones were found in the lambdoid region (27.3%, 9/33). Six of these bones (66.7%) were in the male skull. We found that two of these bones were incomplete lateral asymmetric, two were complete symmetric bipartite, two were incomplete asymmetric bipartite and three were incomplete median type. We found that 13 (10.9%) of the skulls in the study had metopic sutures and 0.8% had craniosynostosis. When the craniums with metopic suture were evaluated, it was found that 8 of them (61.5%) had additional bone. 50% of the Wormian bones were found in the lambdoid suture.
Conclusion: It has been found that the incidence of Wormian bone increases with suture variations. It was determined that the frequency of Inca bone variation may vary depending on regional differences.
Dental data can reveal evidence for a past population's oral health, nutrition, and certain cultural activities. This study aims to explore oral health and dental attrition during the late Bronze Age in order to explore health outcomes in different subgroups as well as aspects of foodways and changes in subsistence strategies during the second millennium BCE in northwest China. To do this, the skeletal remains of adult individuals associated with the Siwa material culture (1400–1100 BC) from the Mogou site ( n = 28) were macroscopically assessed and compared with previously published data derived from a subsample of individuals associated with Qijia period material culture complex (1750–1400 BC) from the same site. The results show that the Siwa‐period population experienced a high frequency of carious lesions and antemortem tooth loss associated with advanced attrition (of both molars and nonmolar teeth), which did not vary significantly by sex. Females had a higher prevalence of carious lesions and antemortem tooth loss than did males, while males had a higher prevalence of dental calculus. These male/female health outcomes are also attested during the earlier Qijia period at the Mogou site. The Siwa period differs from the Qijia in that females experienced slightly worse attrition than their predecessors. Overall, oral health does not diverge significantly between the Qijia and Siwa periods, suggesting that the factors that contributed to oral health including dietary practices may have persisted diachronically for individuals buried at this site.
Las treponematosis son un conjunto de enfermedades infecciosas producidas por espiroquetas, unas afectan a poblaciones donde son endémicas como es el caso del Pian o el Bejel, que se asocian con deficiencias sanitarias, mientras que otras son de origen venéreo como la sífilis (OMS, 2023). En América, la existencia de estas dolencias se ha documentado desde tiempos precerámicos y en hallazgos arqueológicos recientes en las llanuras del Caribe colombiano se evidenció un caso probable de enfermedad luética. La presente investigación buscó explorar el comportamiento de las treponematosis en el bajo Magdalena desde tiempos prehispánicos hasta el periodo colonial (Sig VIII d.C. – XVII). En este estudio, se analizaron sistemáticamente 67 individuos provenientes de los sitios arqueológicos Turbana, Samán Norte, Plan Bonito, Simití, El Salado, La Pasión y Carmen de Bolívar, siguiendo los criterios planteados por Steckel et al. (2006), Rothschild y Rothschild (1995) y Rodríguez (2005). Se encontró que el 16,41% de los individuos analizados, presentaron afectación por goma, que es una característica de la presencia de treponema en etapa terciaria y justamente el caso con mayor afectación y con alta probabilidad de haber padecido la enfermedad por largo tiempo. Estos resultados nos invitan a hacer varias consideraciones sobre la aproximación diagnóstica a la treponematosis venérea, a ponderar los determinantes involucrados en la prevalencia de la enfermedad en la región a lo largo del tiempo, a la vez que reflexionar alrededor de las estrategias de cuidado y el comportamiento sexual de estas poblaciones.
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