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Transylvanian Case Study in Non-Specific Stress: Máréfalva, Sir-11

Authors:
  • Archaeological Techniques and Research Center

Abstract

Osteological report of one juvenile individual, 16 - 19 years old at death, with specific focus on non-specific indicators of stress such as cribra orbitalia and liner enamel hypoplasia. Presented at the 86th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists COD Undergrad Research Symposium (April 19 - 22, 2017). This work is based on research conducted at the ArchaeoTek Juvenile Osteology Research Workshop during the 2016 season.
Transylvanian Case Study in Non-Specific Stress:
Máréfalva, Sir-11
Maura Griffith1, Jessica Filipeli2, Jonathan Bethard3, Andre Gonciar4, Zsolt Nyárádi 5
1Trinity College, Hartford CT 2Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver CO 3University South Florida, Tampa FL
4ArchaeoTek 5Haáz Rezsö Museum, Székelyudvarhely, Romania
Introduction
Discussion
Materials and Methods
Literature Cited
Results
Acknowledgements
Historical Context (Popa-Gorjanu, 2012)
Throughout the middle ages and
Early Modern era Transylvania
underwent sociopolitical stress
Ownership of the region passed
from Romania, to Hungary, the
Ottoman Empire, to the Habsburgs
Religion and status fluctuated
during this time among Romanians,
Székelys, Hungarians, and Saxons
Site Information
Máréfalva, Harghita County,
Romania
Máréfalva church underwent three
different building phases
Sir-11 belongs to Gothic Period (12th
16th century) of site
Buried in a coffin in an east to west
orientation, which is suggestive of a
Christian burial
Collection Details
Sir-11 (grave 11) excavated 7/10/2009
Sex Estimation
Pubic symphysis and auricular surface were assessed following Todd and
Suchey-Brooks, Meindel and Lovejoy (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994)
Age Estimation
Tooth development (M3 present, though not fully developed) (Ubelaker, 1989;
AlQahanti et al., 2010)
Epiphyseal fusion (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994)
Auricular surface following Meindel and Lovejoy (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994)
Stature Estimation
Stature estimation using femoral and humeral measurements calculated
following Trotter, 1970
Linear Enamel Hypoplasia
Age at time of linear enamel hypoplasia formation calculated following
Goodman and Rose, 1990
3
5
4
Figure 3. Skeletal inventory of remains from Sir-11.Figure 4. Detail showing linear enamel hypoplasia (arrow).
Figure 5. Detail showing cribra orbitalia (arrow).
16 19 year old female presented several different indicators of non-specific
stress
These indicators cannot be attributed to a specific cause, however combined
can be used to make inferences about her environment
Factors such as population growth, unequal access to resources, or
contaminated water can all lead to metabolic stress (Walker et al.,
2009)
Walker et al., 2006 outlines the complicated relationship between
health and stature
Stature of individual within average of region (Sládek et al., 2014)
Cribra orbitalia has multiple causes
restriction of red blood cell production from iron deficient
anemia (Walker et al., 2009)
Chronic megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 (Walker et
al., 2009)
In order to make generalization about socioeconomic and political influences
on the population, a larger sample size is necessary
This is particularly important in the Transylvania region of Romania,
which has suffered from a high degree of political and social upheaval
during its history and has been understudied from a bioarchaeological
perspective
MG was supported by a Trinity College Student Initiated Research Grant, and Dean of
Faculty Student Travel Grant. JF received contributions from the Human Identification Lab
at MSUD. MG and JF thank Dr. Jonathan Bethard and Donovan Adams for their support and
guidance throughout the project.
1
Skeletal Markers
Metabolic stress can impact growth and health
Bioarchaeological evidence can be used to approximate health of an
individual, and population-level social and health trends
Figure 1. Site map of Máréfalva excavation. Sir-11 is
indicated with a purple box.
Figure 2. Map highlighting Romania and study site. Máréfalva marked with star. Inset map scale = 40 km, larger
map scale = 400 km. Maps generated using Google Maps.
Biological Profile:
Female
Between 16-19 years at time of death
Estimated stature: 153.5 162.5 cm
Non-Specific Indicators of Stress:
Linear enamel hypoplasia formed
between 2 6 years old
Cribra orbitalia
2
AlQahtani, S. J., Hector, M. P., & Liversidge, H. M. (2010). Brief communication: The London atlas of human tooth development and eruption. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 142(3), 481
490.
Buikstra, J. E., & Ubelaker, D. H. (1994). Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains: Proceedings of a Seminar at the Field Museum of Natural History. Fayetteville, AL: Arkansas
Archeological Survey.
Goodman, A. H., & Rose, J. C. (1990). Assessment of systemic physiological perturbations from dental enamel hypoplasias and associated histological structures. American Journal of Physical
Anthropology, 33(S11), 59110.
Moggi-Cecchi, J., Pacciani, E., & Pinto-Cisternas, J. (1994). Enamel hypoplasia and age at weaning in 19th-century Florence, Italy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 93(3), 299306.
Popa-Gorjanu, C. (2012). Transylvanian Identities in the Middle Ages. Identitats, 175190.
Sladek, V., Machacek, J., Ruff, C., Schuplerova, E., Prichystalova, R., & Hora, M. (2014). Stature estimation from long bones in the Early Medieval population at Pohansko (Czech Republic): Applicability
of regression equations. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 153, 242254.
Trotter, M. (1970). Estimation of stature from intact long limb bones. Personal Identification in Mass Disasters, 7183.
Ubelaker, D. H. (1989). The estimation of age at death from immature human bone. Age Markers in the Human Skeleton, 5570.
Walker, P. L., Bathurst, R. R., Richman, R., Gjerdrum, T., & Andrushko, V. A. (2009). The causes of porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia: A reappraisal of the iron-deficiency-anemia hypothesis.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 139(2), 109125.
Walker, R., Gurven, M., Hill, K., Migliano, A., Chagnon, N., De Souza, R., … Yamauchi, T. (2006). Growth rates and life histories in twenty-two small-scale societies. American Journal of Human Biology,
18(3), 295311.
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Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains
  • J E Buikstra
  • D H Ubelaker
Buikstra, J. E., & Ubelaker, D. H. (1994). Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains: Proceedings of a Seminar at the Field Museum of Natural History. Fayetteville, AL: Arkansas Archeological Survey.