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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed2007

Osteoarthritis in Siberia's Cis-Baikal: Skeletal indicators of hunter-gatherer adaptation and cultural change.

This examination of osteoarthritis in Siberia's Cis-Baikal region focuses on the reconstruction of mid-Holocene mobility and activity patterns with particular interest in an alleged fifth millennium BC biocultural hiatus. Five cemetery populations--two representing the pre-hiatus Kitoi culture (6800-4900 BC) and three the post-hiatus Serovo-Glaskovo (4200-1000 BC)-are considered. The objective is to investigate osteoarthritic prevalence and distribution (patterning) within and among these populations in order to reconstruct mobility and activity patterns among the Cis-Baikal foragers, and to test for possible disparities that may reflect differing adaptive strategies. The data reveal that levels of activity remained relatively constant throughout the mid-Holocene but that mobility and specific activity patterns did not. Although results are consistent with the current understanding of distinct Kitoi and Serovo-Glaskovo subsistence regimes, specifically the lower residential mobility and narrower resource base of the former, they also draw attention to adaptive characteristics shared by all occupants of the Cis-Baikal.

Adaptation, Biological↗
PubMed2007

Utility of multiple chemical techniques in archaeological residential mobility studies: case studies from Tiwanaku- and Chiribaya-affiliated sites in the Andes.

In the south central Andes, archaeologists have long debated the extent of Tiwanaku colonization during the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000). We tested the hypotheses regarding the nature of Tiwanaku influence using strontium isotope, trace element concentration, and oxygen isotope data from archaeological human tooth enamel and bone from Tiwanaku- and Chiribaya-affiliated sites in the south central Andes. Strontium isotope analysis of 25 individuals buried at the Tiwanaku-affiliated Moquegua Valley site of Chen Chen demonstrates that it was likely a Tiwanaku colony. In contrast, no immigrants from the Lake Titicaca Basin were present in 27 individuals analyzed from the San Pedro de Atacama cemeteries of Coyo Oriental, Coyo-3, and Solcor-3; it is likely that these sites represent economic and religious alliances, but not colonies. However, strontium isotope analysis alone cannot distinguish movement between the Tiwanaku- and Chiribaya-affiliated sites in the Moquegua and Ilo Valleys of southern Peru. Analyzing oxygen isotope and trace element concentration data and comparing it with strontium isotope data from the same individuals provides a more detailed picture of residential mobility in the Tiwanaku and Chiribaya polities. In addition to monitoring diagenetic contamination, trace element concentration data identified movement during adulthood for certain individuals. However, these data could not distinguish movement between the Moquegua and Ilo Valleys. While oxygen isotope data could clearly distinguish the high-altitude sites from others, more data is needed to characterize the local oxygen isotope ratios of these regions. These data demonstrate the potential for archaeological reconstruction of residential mobility through multiple lines of evidence.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Circumferential variation in human second metacarpal cortical thickness: sex, age, and mechanical factors.

Variation in cortical thickness (CT) in four quadrants of the human second metacarpal was investigated in a sample (100 males and 72 females, skeletal age 20 to 50+ years) from a 19th-century cemetery. Both left and right elements were studied (total N = 344). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) (for age, sex, and side, controlling for absolute size) was used to test the hypothesis of equality of thickness in the dorsal, palmar, medial, and lateral quadrants. Differences in regional CT posits localized regulation of resorption and formation adapting bone shape to functional loads, with implications for activity-modulation of skeletal senescence. The palmar cortex was found to be uniformly thicker in both sexes and both sides, and at all ages (young, middle, and old adult); the medial, lateral, and dorsal cortices did not differ significantly. Patterns of age-related loss occurring preferentially at the endocortical surface differed between men and women, with women showing significant declines across all age groups for all quadrants, and males only small decrements after middle age. The greater CT in the palmar quadrant corresponds to the region of maximum compressive strain in the second metacarpal for functions involving full flexion (grasping). Although the palmar cortex is thicker at all ages, women lose mass in that quadrant at the same rate as in other quadrants, suggesting that function does not offer protection against endocrinologically-mediated depletion of bone mass (postmenopausal osteopenia).

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A hazard model analysis examining inferential evidence of migration from the Port-city of Viana do Castelo, Minho, 1834-1931.

"This paper is an attempt to analyse the determinants of out-migration of the elite from the Portuguese city of Viana do Castelo [from 1834-1931]. The data used are derived from a reconstruction of this electorate using record linkage methods. Indirect evidence of emigration is available from passport books, and evidence of death is available with cemetery lists. The paper discusses methodological issues in the estimation of hazard models of duration spent under observation in the elite. The analysis suggests that, while out-migration was not significantly dependent on age, or marital status, there were large occupational differentials, and significant period effects." (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

Interglobular dentine in first and third molars: relation to hours of sunshine during growth in two archeological populations from England.

Thin ground sections of first molars (M1), third molars (M3), and second premolars (P2) were scanned by light microscopy for relative amounts of interglobular dentine (IGD) in the top half of the crown. Two well-dated cemetery series of English provenance were sampled: the Saint Bride's Church collection (SB) from eighteenth century London, for which the sex, age, and calendar year at death of each individual are known; and the early Anglo-Saxons from Abingdon (A-AS), near Oxford. A lesser number of prehispanic aboriginal Guanche teeth from Tenerife (TG) were also studied. Estimates of insolation in the past were developed indirectly by reference to delta 0(18) mass spectrometer analyses of dated layers of the Greenland ice sheet. In the M1 and M3 of the SB and the A-AS populations, IGD varied as an inverse linear function of average annual hours of bright sunshine below a certain critical level, the insolation deficit threshold being significantly higher and IGD formation faster in the M1 than in the M3. No such dose-response gradient was apparent in the P2 data, presumably because the calcification of this tooth during the fourth year of life coincides with serious pediatric illnesses and weaning of the child onto cereal foods rich in phytate, which together confound and overwhelm the insolation deficit effect. IGD in all three types of teeth of the small TG series was considerably higher than had been predicted on the basis of bright sunshine availability; but the discrepancy is readily explainable in terms of this population's dietary, which relied on barley as the main staple.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Eugen Rehfish--pioneer of modern urodynamics].

Eugen Rehfisch published two important articles on vesical sphincter function and innervation of the bladder in the Archives of Pathologic Anatomy, Physiology and Clinical Medicine edited by R. Virchow in 1897 and 1900. A figure from his first urodynamic article (1897) became well known in the urodynamic literature. It shows the first simultaneous registration of vesical pressure and urinary volume in a human. Eugen Rehfisch's ingenious experimental design for examining the process of micturition has remained to this day. For this reason, the board of the Forum Urodynamicum, a registered society in Germany, named its innovation prize donated by the Pfizer company after Eugen Rehfisch. Eugen Rehfisch was born in Kempen/Posen on March 6 1862. He studied at the Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin and at the Bavarian Julius Maximilian University in Wurzburg. From approximately 1889, he worked as a physician in Berlin and was a co-worker of Leopold Casper (1859-1959) for some time. He performed his important urodynamic studies at the Institute of Physiology of the Friedrich Wilhelms University between 1896 and 1900. After this, he turned to cardiology. Besides articles on urology, he published papers on psychiatry and cardiology. He was an active member of medical societies in Berlin and was awarded the title of a professor. Eugen Rehfisch died on October 7, 1937 in Berlin. His grave is in the cemetery of the Jewish congregation in Berlin Weissensee. The Eugen Rehfisch innovation prize is an expression of our admiration.

Germany↗
PubMed2004

Characterization of soils containing adipocere.

The formation of adipocere (commonly known as grave wax), a spontaneous inhibition of postmortem changes, has been extensively analyzed in forensic science. However, soils in which adipocere formation occurs have never been described in detail. Therefore, this study is intended as a first step in the characterization of soils containing adipocere. Two grave soils (Gleyic Anthrosols) that prevent the timely reuse of graves due to the occurrence of adipocere and a control soil (Gleyic Luvisol) were selected from a cemetery in the Central Black Forest (Southwest Germany). Descriptions of soil morphology and a wide assay of physical, chemical, and microbiologic soil characteristics were accomplished. In contrast to the control soil, the grave soils were characterized by lower bulk density and pH. The degradation of the soil structure caused by digging led to a higher water table and the expansion of the reducing conditions in the graves where the prevalent absence of oxygen in range of the coffins inhibited decomposition processes. Although the formation of adipocere led to the conservation of the buried corpses, phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, and cadavarine leaching from the graves was observed. Microbial biomass and microbial activity were higher in the control soil and hence reflected the inert character of adipocere. The study results clearly show the need for additional approaches in forensic, pedologic, and microbiologic research.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2004

[Paleopathological skeleton findings. Macroscopical and radiographical studies of 364 individuals from a medieval graveyard].

Paleopathological examinations can give an idea of diseases and living conditions in ancient populations. An archaeological collection of 364 late medieval/early modern skeletons from the thirteenth to eighteenth centuries, excavated from a church cemetery in the Rostock town center, was examined palaeopathologically. The type and frequency of certain diseases within this north German urban population are described. The majority of the skeletons were from adults with a remarkably low percentage of children. Skeletal malformations (e.g. gap formations of the spinal column) were not abnormally represented. With the exception of single individuals, metabolic disorders or unusual infectious diseases could not be diagnosed. Degenerative diseases often found at the joints and the spinal column showed substantially lower prevalences in comparison with reference rural populations. Individual cases of benign and rare malignant neoplasms could be documented. Traumatic injuries as well as dental pathological changes were rare. In summary it can be concluded that the individuals buried here belonged to a better social class within the medieval population of Rostock.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed2004

Entomofauna of buried bodies in northern France.

Autopsies of exhumed cadavers can reveal important evidence for clarification of medical insurance and social issues. This study concerns insects sampled on 22 exhumed cadavers in the Lille area. For each corpse, the species and the stages of development were noted, as well as the time elapsed after burial, the location of the cemetery, the stage of decay and possible preservation treatment. A total of eight Diptera and two Coleoptera species were sampled on the corpses. The relationships between entomofauna and conditions of burial are discussed. Three species were regularly found because of their preference for underground environments or closed environments: Conicera tibialis, typically associated with buried bodies, Leptocera caenosa which is known to be associated with human faeces, water closets, caves and cracked soil pipes, and Ophyra capensis, sometimes found on human bodies kept indoors for several months, where blowflies have not had access. Triphleba hyalinata, which is associated with human bodies in wooden coffins, was found only twice.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Trace and heavy metal analyses of a skeletal population representing the town people in Turku (Abo), Finland in the 16th-17th centuries: with special reference to gender, age and social background.

The Julin site in the city of Turku, Finland, was excavated in 1964, 1983-1985 and 1987. On this site are the remains of the church of the Holy Spirit with its cemetery. The burial period of the excavated skeletons lasted most probably from the 1580s to the 1650s. Sodium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, bromine, strontium and lead concentrations of ribs from skeletal remains of 141 individuals were analyzed. The main finding is that the concentrations of Sr and Zn in younger women tend to be lower than that in men of a corresponding age, and in older people both the strontium and zinc values tend to be higher in women than men. On the basis of this study the Pb exposure in the early modern population in Finland was at a very low level. We conclude that the role of migration and the source of grain supply on the variation of the elemental values are more difficult to evaluate than the role of diagenesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of the cranium of W.A. Mozart.

In 1801 at the cemetery in Vienna, Austria, the skull of W.A. Mozart was exhumed (La Chronique Médicale, 13 (1906) 423), and now it has been examined for identification. The osteometrical and osteological findings correspond with the available data of W.A. Mozart. Superimposition gives evidence that craniofacial distinctiveness of the cranium is consistent with the portrait. Additional individual particularities caused by the premature synostosis of the metopic suture (PSMS) and a bone lesion are described.

Austria↗
PubMed2005

Detailed assessment of microhabitat suitability for Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Little information is available on the ecology of Aedes aegypti Linnaeus at the southern extreme of its distribution (Buenos Aires, Argentina), particularly on microhabitat suitability. The aim of our study was to identify at a detailed scale, microhabitat factors that correlate with the presence of preimaginal stages of the mosquito. In March 2001, we performed a spatial census of all containers located in a 1 ha patch within a cemetery in Buenos Aires City. On a reference map (1:700) we plotted the position of graves and surrounding corridors, the location of containers, the shade projected by each plant between 10:00 and 16:00 h and vegetation cover. We classified vegetation by height, substrate by composition and shadow by level of exposure to sunlight. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with nine constructed independent variables, some of them at scales of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 10 m. Of 850 receptacles examined, 101 contained preimaginal stages of Ae. aegypti. Level of exposure to sunlight, type of substratum, vegetation height and distance of containers to vegetation were significantly associated with the presence of breeding sites at the studied scales. Final multivariate models were significant at scales of 2 m (chi(3)2=25.693, p<0.001) and 3m (chi(3)2=26.440, p<0.001), and 65.9 and 66.8% of our data were correctly classified, respectively, for each scale. Our results suggest that sites less exposed to sunlight, with taller and closer vegetation, and in shaded and vegetated neighbourhoods were the most favourable microhabitats for Ae. aegypti breeding.

Aedes↗
PubMed2005

Victim of a dictatorial regime: identification of Mr. Roberto Gomensoro Josman.

Forensic cases are ideal to test osteological techniques developed by physical anthropologists. Forensic anthropology is a scientific discipline that applies population-based standards to individual skeletal remains. Many complex techniques are used in an attempt to make a positive identification. Several of these techniques, specifically digital video superimposition and DNA, were used to identify the victim in this case. The purpose of this paper is to describe anthropological techniques used to identify the remains of an unknown person who was later identified as Mr. Roberto Gomensoro Josman, the victim of a Uruguayan dictatorial regime. Mr. Gomensoro Josman disappeared after authorities of the Uruguayan dictatorial government (1973-1984) arrested him. Six days later an unknown body was found floating in Lake Rincon del Bonete. The corpse was found tied with wire and weighted with three large stones used to keep the body submerged. An autopsy was performed and the body was buried as an unknown person in the grave identified as number 10936 of Tacuarembo Cemetery. On December 2002 the Peace and Justice Service asked the local judge to authorize the exhumation of the remains. The exhumed body was headless. An investigation revealed that the local medical examiner who had autopsied the remains on March 1973 had retained the victim's skull in his office. Osteological analysis indicated the victim was a white male in his 20s. Four good quality photographs of Mr. Gomensoro who was known to be missing were compared with the skull. To confirm the identification from the video a DNA analysis was carried out comparing the victim with relatives. DNA typing confirmed the results of the earlier identification.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

DNA examination of ancient dental pulp incriminates typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens.

BACKGROUND: Until now, in the absence of direct microbiological evidence, the cause of the Plague of Athens has remained a matter of debate among scientists who have relied exclusively on Thucydides' narrations to introduce several possible diagnoses. A mass burial pit, unearthed in the Kerameikos ancient cemetery of Athens and dated back to the time of the plague outbreak (around 430 BC), has provided the required skeletal material for the investigation of ancient microbial DNA. OBJECTIVE: To determine the probable cause of the Plague of Athens. METHOD: Dental pulp was our material of choice, since it has been proved to be an ideal DNA source of ancient septicemic microorganisms through its good vascularization, durability and natural sterility. RESULTS: Six DNA amplifications targeted at genomic parts of the agents of plague (Yersinia pestis), typhus (Rickettsia prowazekii), anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), cowpox (cowpox virus) and cat-scratch disease (Bartonella henselae) failed to yield any product in 'suicide' reactions of DNA samples isolated from three ancient teeth. On the seventh such attempt, DNA sequences of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi were identified providing clear evidence for the presence of that microorganism in the dental pulp of teeth recovered from the Kerameikos mass grave. CONCLUSION: The results of this study clearly implicate typhoid fever as a probable cause of the Plague of Athens.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed2005

Cranial vault modification as a cultural artifact: a comparison of the Eurasian steppes and the Andes.

This paper details the practice of intentional cranial vault modification in the Eurasian steppes as well as in the pre-Columbian Andes focusing on the similarities and differences in how the practice was used to respond to changes in society. The appearance of vault modification in the steppes and the forms seen in the cemeteries of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya River deltas are discussed. Temporal changes in the pattern of modification are also investigated, especially the dramatic homogenization of the custom resulting from the conquests of the Huns. This is contrasted with incidences of cranial modification in the south-central Andes, including the appearance of deliberate head shaping as well as shifts in the practice during the expansion of the Bolivian Altiplano state of Tiwanaku. Similarities in the use of cranial vault modification between these unrelated areas and in the alterations of the practice resulting from foreign contact are considered in light of vault modification's role as a malleable cultural artifact.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Os acromiale: population differences and their etiological significance.

The os acromiale is an accessory bone resulting from failure of the acromial apophysis to fuse to the scapula. It is a relatively frequent defect affecting 4-18% of most large skeletal series. The etiology of os acromiale is poorly understood, and two competing hypotheses have been proposed: (1) that the accessory bone represents a genetic defect, and (2) that it results from mechanical stress on the developing acromion. In order to assess the evidence for these two hypotheses, os acromiale frequencies from a South African cadaver sample (n = 494) were compared to frequencies from a medieval Danish archaeological sample (n = 532). The South African frequency (18.2%) was significantly higher than the medieval Danish frequency (7.7%, p < 0.0001). These results mirror those of another study comparing African- and Euro-Americans, and tend to support the genetic hypothesis. However, a left side bias (72%) was also found among the South Africans (p = 0.013), lending some support to the mechanical stress hypothesis. Sex and age biases were also examined but were not found. In order to further test the mechanical hypothesis, the medieval Danes were divided into groups of higher and lower socioeconomic status based upon cemetery type. Lower status individuals were presumed to have engaged in strenuous labor activities more often and at a younger age than higher status individuals. However, comparison of these two groups failed to demonstrate a significant frequency difference (p = 0.105). Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that a third etiology combining a genetic predisposition for os acromiale with mechanical stress as the proximate cause should also be considered.

Acromion↗
PubMed2006

Human lead exposure in a late 19th century mental asylum population.

Lead isotope ratios and lead (Pb) levels were analyzed in 33 individuals from a forgotten cemetery at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, Colorado dating to 1879-1899. Isotopic ratios from healing bone fractures, cortical bone, and tooth dentine provide information about sources of Pb exposures over a range of time that illuminates individual's life histories and migration patterns. Historical records and Pb production data from the 19th century were used to create a database for interpreting Pb exposures for these African, Hispanic and European Americans. The analysis of these individuals suggests that Pb exposure noticeably impacted the mental health of 5-10% of the asylum patients in this frontier population, a high number by standards today, and that differences exist in the three ancestral groups' exposure histories.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed2026

Two Saccharopolyspora isolates from archaeological excavation sites: polyphasic taxonomy, biosynthetic potential, bioactivity profiling and description of Saccharopolyspora antiqui sp. nov.

Archaeological excavation sites represent underexplored microbial habitats with the potential to recover taxonomically and biotechnologically valuable actinomycetes. In this study, two Saccharopolyspora strains, 5N708T and 5N102, were isolated from soil samples collected from the Gaziantep-Doliche-D&#xfc;l&#xfc;k and Bitlis-Ahlat-Sel&#xe7;uklu Cemetery archaeological excavation sites in T&#xfc;rkiye. A polyphasic taxonomic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses, average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization, phenotypic characterization, and chemotaxonomic analyses, showed that strain 5N708T represents a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora, for which the name Saccharopolyspora antiqui sp. nov. is proposed, whereas strain 5N102 was assigned to Saccharopolyspora elongata. Both isolates were further evaluated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities, and their biosynthetic potential was investigated by genome mining. Both strains showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with strain 5N708T producing the larger inhibition zone. Strain 5N102 exhibited markedly stronger antioxidant activity than strain 5N708T in radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and reducing power assays. In contrast, strain 5N708T showed more promising cytotoxic activity, with relative selectivity toward MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells compared with HEK293 cells after prolonged incubation. Genome mining revealed multiple biosynthetic gene clusters in both isolates, supporting their capacity to produce secondary metabolites. These findings indicate that archaeological soils are promising reservoirs of taxonomically novel and biologically active Saccharopolyspora strains.

Saccharopolyspora↗