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PubMed1986

An elemental analysis of archaeological bone from Sicily as a test of predictability of diagenetic change.

Cortical human bone samples from three tightly dated components of a single Sicilian site were chemically analyzed employing the highly sensitive technique of inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. Although the skeletons appeared to be excellently preserved, significant diagenesis was detected. Moreover, a majority of the elements tested showed no constant or linear variation over time, implying that diagenetic change tends not to be a predictable function of duration of interment. Variation among major long bones of a single skeleton was quite high, as was variation across the cortex. The latter may reflect chemical inhomogeneity in bone tissue or may be an artifact of postmortem change. The results demonstrate the hazards of unsuspected and unpredictable diagenesis, which must be controlled before reliable dietary inferences can be drawn.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in bone collagen as indices of prehistoric dietary dependence on marine and terrestrial resources in southern California.

The ratios of 15N to 14N and 13C to 12C tend to be higher in marine than in terrestrial organisms. The concentrations of these isotopes in human bone collagen consequently can be used to make inferences about the contribution of marine and terrestrial resources to prehistoric diets. The utility of studying 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios in conjunction with each other is illustrated by our analysis of 40 human burials from archaeological sites in the Santa Barbara Channel area of southern California. The mean delta 13C and delta 15N values (in per mil) of collagen from these skeletons decrease progressively from the Channel Islands (delta 13C = -14.0, delta 15N = +16.3) to the mainland coast (delta 13C = -14.5, delta 15N = +14.9) to the interior (delta 13C = -17.2, delta 15N = +10.9). These data suggest that Indians living on the Channel Islands during the late prehistoric period were heavily dependent on marine resources. The inhabitants of the mainland interior, in contrast, had a diet composed largely of terrestrial foods. From their isotope ratios, it appears that the Indians who lived on the mainland coast consumed a mixed diet containing substantial quantities of both marine and terrestrial resources. Differences in 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios of individuals from mainland sites dating from the early and late prehistoric periods show that the marine component of the diet increased substantially through time. These isotopic data are consistent with pathological, faunal, and artifactual evidence of increased marine resource exploitation during the late prehistoric period.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Dental caries, enamel composition, and subsistence among prehistoric Amerindians of Ohio.

Six populations of prehistoric Amerindians from Ohio are sampled to establish the relationship of enamel composition and dental caries experience. The populations used included groups practicing hunting-gathering-fishing and maize horticulture, and they represent at least two major cultural traditions, the Late Archaic/Glacial Kame (1000-500 BC) and the Fort Ancient and Sandusky Bay Traditions (AD) 1200-1600). Characterization of enamel composition is achieved using scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Thirteen elements present are quantified, and they are analyzed with respect to each population's subsistence base using correspondence analysis. Evaluations of cariogenic and cariostatic effects of elements are made on the basis of caries frequency comparisons among the populations. Results indicate that zinc, copper, iron, nickel, and calcium-phosphorus ratio distinguish populations exhibiting high, moderate, and low caries frequency as well as discriminate hunter-gathers from maize horticulturalists.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed1986

An archaic character in the Broken Hill innominate E. 719.

The additional hominid material from Broken Hill, Kabwe, Zambia, is only dubiously associated with the hominid cranium from the site and is often considered to be anatomically modern in morphology. This study identifies an archaic feature, previously recognised in Pliocene and earlier Pleistocene innominates, in the Broken Hill innominate E. 719. An acetabulocristal buttress of cortical bone 10 mm thick is present, and this can be clearly distinguished from the morphology present in a comparative sample of large recent Homo sapiens innominates. This observation increases the likelihood that some of the additional specimens from Broken Hill are indeed of comparable antiquity to the hominid cranium and extends the range of hominids in which the feature has been recognised.

Haplorhini↗
PubMed1986

Enthesopathies (lesions of muscular insertions) as indicators of the activities of neolithic Saharan populations.

Enthesopathies are bony lesions involving the sites of insertion of muscles or ligaments. Those caused by hyperactivity of the relevant muscles may be distinguished clearly from those of metabolic or inflammatory origin. Observations from sporting and occupational medicine indicate that specific enthesopathies are correlated with different activities. Examination of the enthesopathies present on two groups of well-preserved neolithic skeletons from separate regions of the Sahara with different paleoenvironments show that overall 20% of the skeletons presented lesions. Three different forms of enthesopathy involved the arm, principally the elbow, and may be tentatively correlated with javelin throwing, wood cutting, and archery. Two types of lesion involving the foot were observed in skeletons from a hunter-gatherer population and may be correlated with much walking or running over hard ground. I suggest that the analysis of such lesions on ancient skeletons may, in concert with other archaeological data, throw light on the activities of ancient people.

Bone Diseases↗
PubMed1986

Estimating mortality in skeletal populations: influence of the growth rate on the interpretation of levels and trends during the transition to agriculture.

Traditional paleodemographic methods of estimating mortality have been based on unrealistic assumptions about the prevalence of closed and stationary populations. When a living closed population was growing, the mean age at death of its skeletal survivors will be shifted below its true life expectancy. For declining populations, the mean age at death will be higher than true underlying life expectancy at birth. The faster the rate of growth, the larger and more curvilinear is the displacement. Mortality estimates can only be extracted from skeletal populations via an independent estimate of the growth rate. Fertility levels, however, can be estimated directly. The empirical importance of growth rate-dependent mortality estimates is demonstrated by reinterpreting mean-age-at-death data from several populations before and after the agricultural revolution; with detailed consideration given to the Old World populations of Acsadi and Nemeskeri and a New World population from central Illinois.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1987

Kebara 2 Neanderthal pelvis: first look at a complete inlet.

The renewed excavations at the Kebara Cave revealed a Neanderthal skeleton dated at about 50-55,000 years B.P. The pelvis of this individual is the most intact Neanderthal pelvis yet discovered, presenting for the first time a complete inlet. Although the superior pubic ramus is extremely long, as typically seen in the Neanderthals, the size of the pelvic inlet is comparable to that of modern Homo sapiens. The length of the superior pubic ramus is found to stem from a more externally rotated innominate bone and not, as generally assumed, from the larger pelvic inlet. It is suggested that the uniqueness of the Neanderthal pelvis may be attributable to locomotion and posture-related biomechanics rather than to obstetric requirements.

Female↗
PubMed1987

La Ferrassie 6 and the development of Neandertal pubic morphology.

Functional interpretations of the mediolateral elongation and superoinferior flattening of the superior pubic ramus of Neandertals require knowledge of its ontogeny. Metric comparisons between the La Ferrassie 6 Neandertal infant, aged 3-5 years, and a sample of modern infants reveal that the acetabulosymphyseal length of La Ferrassie 6, relative to femoral length and iliac breadth, falls at the limits of the range of variation of the modern infants, while the relative height of its superior pubic ramus is indistinguishable from that of the modern sample. It appears that acetabulosymphyseal elongation of the Neandertal pubis is a feature which is expressed quite early in ontogeny, well before puberty. Superoinferior flattening and ventral margin thinning of the superior ramus probably appear later in Neandertal ontogeny.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1987

Health and agricultural intensification in the prehistoric Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The effects of agricultural intensification on health are examined in prehistoric populations of the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Agriculture was practiced in the Valley of Oaxaca by the beginning of the Early Formative period (ca. 1400 B.C.), and had intensified by the Late Formative (ca. 500 B.C.). Skeletal remains from 14 archaeological sites in the Valley are pooled by temporal affiliation into a nonintensive agriculture group (1400-500 B.C.) and an intensive agriculture group (500 B.C.-1400 A.D.). The health effects of agricultural intensification are assessed by comparing the frequency of periosteal reactions, cribra orbitalia, and enamel hypoplasia between the intensive and nonintensive agricultural groups. Overall, no significant differences (alpha = 0.05) are found between the nonintensive and intensive groups. Power analyses of the chi-square tests indicate that the tests have a high probability of rejecting a false null hypothesis. The intensification of agriculture does not appear to have had a deleterious effect on the health of the prehistoric population of the Valley. The differences between this study and previous studies of health and agricultural development may be explained by differences between the processes of intensification and development or by differences between primary and secondary centers of agricultural development.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1987

A radiographic study of porotic hyperostosis.

Skull lesions known as porotic hyperostosis have been of interest to researchers since the mid-19th century. The etiology of porotic hyperostosis has long been a matter for speculation yet there has never been complete acceptance or substantiation of any one of the many theories proposed. Today the most widely accepted theory suggests that anemias of either acquired or genetic origin are responsible for porotic hyperostosis. The present study tests this hypothesis using criteria which were chosen after the examination of clinical radiographs of patients with various types of anemia. These criteria are: the presence of "hair-on-end" trabeculation, outer table thinning, texture changes, diploic thickening, orbital roof thickening, orbital rim changes, and the underdevelopment of frontal sinuses. A comparison of these criteria from the clinical X-rays with X-rays of skulls with porotic hyperostosis provides a more rigorous, repeatable, and standardized method upon which to base a diagnosis. This approach enables radiography to provide the necessary link between the clinical and anthropological with which to investigate the origin of porotic hyperostosis.

Anemia↗
PubMed1987

Porotic hyperostosis: new evidence to support the anemia theory.

The etiology of skull lesions known as porotic hyperostosis has long been a matter for speculation. The most widely accepted theory at present suggests that an anemia, either acquired or genetic, is responsible for lesion development. However, acceptance of this theory is not universal and the nature of the relationship between orbital and vault lesions remains a controversial issue. This paper provides a much broader field of supportive evidence on which to base the anemia theory. This involves a synthesis of information from the clinical and anthropological literature as well as new data from two skeletal collections: Poundbury Camp, a Romano-British series, and the Hodgson collection, a 19th century East Asian series. A comparison is made between clinical and anthropological data at the macroscopic, microscopic, radiographic, and demographic levels of analysis. This approach reveals the similarities in expression between clinically diagnosed anemias and porotic hyperostosis.

Anemia↗
PubMed1988

Two possible cases of trephination from Australia.

Cranial surgery has been performed for thousands of years among a wide range of cultures. Although the extent of its use has varied, ethnographically the operation has almost always been used as a form of medical treatment following cranial trauma or as a remedy for head pain. This paper describes two cases of cranial trauma on Australian Aboriginal remains from widely separated areas of the continent. The position and morphology of the trauma, as well as other associated features, suggest that these individuals underwent some form of surgical procedure. The features are similar to those found on accepted cases of trephination from elsewhere. If these individuals did undergo some sort of trephination, they are the first to be reported from Australia. Confirmation of the diagnosis would also increase our understanding of the geographical range of the technique in this part of Oceania, which was known previously only from parts of Melanesia.

Australia↗
PubMed1988

A case of chondrodystrophic dwarfism in the Italian late Upper Paleolithic.

During excavations by P. Graziosi at Romito Cave near Papasidero (Cosenza) in Calabria, Italy, two skeletons (Romito 1 and 2) were discovered in a common grave. Although the specimens were briefly described by Messeri (Atti X Riuniuone Scientifica Ist. Ital. Preist. Protost., pp. 301-307, 1966), it is generally unknown in the anthropological literature that one of these individuals is a chondrodystrophic dwarf. As such, the specimen provides the earliest known case of dwarfism in the human skeletal record, extending the time span of this genetically determined growth abnormality to approximately 10,000 years ago. The specimen (Romito 2) exhibits features typical of chondrodysplasia, including a high domed skull, compressed cranial base, and in the postcranial skeleton extremely shortened diaphyseal lengths. The unique combination of these features suggests this pathological condition is acromesomelic dysplasia. Besides providing evidence for a greater antiquity of dwarfism than previously known, the fact that this individual reached late adolescence attests to tolerance of Upper Paleolithic groups for severely abnormal individuals and their ability to support members who were of limited economic value to the social group.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1988

Hyperostosis frontalis interna: a Nubian case.

The aim of this article is to present evidence of hyperostosis frontalis interna in a 40-year-old female recovered from a Meroitic cemetery (ca. 300 A.D.) in Sudanese Nubia. A review of the literature concerning the Morgagni-Stewart-Morel (MSM) syndrome suggests that the changes in the skull fragment are consistent with this diagnosis. This case is the earliest example of the condition so far reported, and therefore, in archaeological time and space, this is a disease not only of modern civilization, but also of antiquity. Current endocrinological reports suggest that the hyperostosis is the hallmark of a generalized disorder of bone metabolism, with increased androgens, prolactin, and somatotropins. Hyperostosis frontalis interna is the central feature of a syndrome first described over 200 years ago by the early pathologist Giovanni Batistta Morgagni, professor of anatomy at Padua (1719). He found thickening of the internal tables of the frontal bones in association with virilism and obesity. Stewart (1928) and Morel (1929) independently added several neuropsychiatric problems to this complex and questioned the possibility of an endocrine basis for the syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Human temporal bone from the lower Paleolithic site of Castel di Guido, near Rome, Italy.

The Castel di Guido site, with an estimated age of approximately 300,000 years, has yielded abundant animal remains, Acheulian stone and bone bifaces, and small tools. On the surface of the original deposit, turned over by agricultural activities, fragments of human remains were discovered between 1980 and 1986, including a temporal bone described here.

Fossils↗
PubMed1988

Bone resorption of the pubis and preauricular area in humans and nonhuman mammals.

Some innominates of adult human females show areas of bone resorption on the dorsal aspect of the pubic corpus and preauricular area of the ilium. For both sites, many studies have shown a positive association between degree of resorption and parity. The present study tested hypotheses concerning resorption of the pubis and preauricular area. Samples of innominates from three prehistoric Amerindian populations were used. Within each population, only a minority of females, in general, showed resorption more severe than that which characterized males. The severity of resorption of the pubis was not significantly associated with that of the preauricular area. Pitting of the pubis, but not of the preauricular area, was significantly correlated with age-at-death in each sample of Amerindian females. Also, sacral angulation was not significantly associated with resorption of the preauricular area. Observations on resorption of the pubis and preauricular area in samples of Pan troglodytes and Gorilla gorilla are reported. In previous studies on resorption of the pubis and preauricular area in the human innominate, the proposed etiologies involve ligamentous hyperplasia and joint trauma. However, a number of studies on resorption of the pubis in the nonhuman mammalian innominate have been overlooked by anthropologists. These latter studies demonstrate that estrogen alone can induce resorption of the mammalian pubis by stimulating the synthesis of osteoclastic enzymes. Partial resorption of the pubis may be obstetrically advantageous in some mammals, as resorption would delay or inhibit synostosis of the interpubic joint. The relationship between estrogen and the preauricular area is an issue that requires further research.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Brachydactyly, a possible inherited anomaly at prehistoric Prince Rupert Harbour.

Disproportionately short metacarpals or metatarsals in eight burial skeletons and three unusually short metapodials recovered as disturbed bones were identified in a 1500 B.C. to A.D. 500 skeletal series from eight archeological sites of the north mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. At least ten people were affected from four sites for a minimum series frequency of 5.2%. Various factors clinically implicated in the occurrence of brachymetapody were investigated to account for the anomaly. Context-sensitive information suggested that trauma, infarction or infection, and individual or family-related malformation syndromes were unlikely possibilities. Some modern population data suggest that the series frequency was unusually high, particularly for fourth metatarsal involvement, the most commonly affected bone. Modern pedigree interpretations, ethnohistoric inferences, and the archeological contexts of the affected burial skeletons and site samples provide a framework for concluding that brachymetapody in the series was more likely due to the inheritance of an essentially isolated anomaly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Activity-induced patterns of dental abrasion in prehistoric Pakistan: evidence from Mehrgarh and Harappa.

A detailed investigation of worn teeth should reveal a record of past activity patterns including information regarding diet, food preparation methods, and craft or occupational activities. Anthropological studies of the extensive dental samples from Neolithic (MR 3) and Chalcolithic (MR 2) levels at Mehrgarh, Baluchistan, and Bronze Age Harappa, Punjab, yielded several interesting examples of unusual dental abrasion. This paper provides macro- and microscopic (scanning electron microscope) descriptions of three types of activity-induced dental abrasion: 1) interproximal tooth grooving and interproximal abrasion patches, 2) facial abrasion of maxillary anterior teeth, and 3) lingual abrasion of maxillary incisors in association with rounded wear of lower incisors. The gross size and shape of abrasion features, the orientation of microscopic wear striae, and ethnographic parallels are employed in inferring causal factors involved in their formation. Behavioral activities and dietary explanations possibly associated with each type of dental wear are considered and their implications for reconstructing prehistoric activity patterns discussed. The need for extensive ethno-anthropology research into variations of tooth use among living people with different diets, subsistence bases, and craft specializations is essential to further progress in this field.

Female↗