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PubMed1976

[The radiology of Egyptian mummies (author's transl)].

The technique used for the radiological examination of a well preserved mummy is described. Problems of identification and determination of age, size and sex are discussed. Post mortem changes consist of subluxation of the cervical spine and fractures of the ribs and fibulae. Of medical interest, it was possible to diagnose definitely Scheuermann's disease with a scoliosis and marked reactive spondylotic and spondylo-arthritic changes. The radiological findings provided further information regarding the technique of mummification and the method of burial. Some findings of mythological significance could be demonstrated radiologically, such as the fact that the heart and kidneys had been left in the body, the presence of a scarab, various gold plates and amulets and a fayence-decorated shroud.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMed1990

[Ophthalmopathologic findings in bog victims].

More than 1800 corpses found in European bogs have been described. Most were found in northwest Germany and Denmark. The 2700-year-old corpse of a young woman found in the Borremose fen in Denmark is described. The face was crushed, though injury during cutting of the peat was ruled out. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed vessels both in the choroid of one eye and in one ear, with intravascular corpuscles--probably erythrocytes--but no extravascular hemorrhage. This means that the face was almost certainly crushed post mortem and during the winter. The cause of death is unknown. Very few of the other bog finds in Europe are well preserved, and even fewer have been pathologically studied or radiocarbon-dated. Interpretation of their fate is a very difficult, complex problem. One reason for this is that the corpses often remained buried for several thousand years, and they are often poorly preserved. The first descriptions of it were Roman, in particular Tacitus' Germania, which appeared in 98 AD--it is thus much younger than most of the corpses so far found. Tacitus talks of hanging, drowning, and ritual sacrifices. As regards future bog finds, it is suggested that an archaeologist, an anthropologist, a forensic expert and a taxi-dermist should be called in as soon as excavation begins. International cooperation between experts could prove very fruitful.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Skeletal concentrations of lead in ancient Peruvians.

The level of biologic lead (expressed as the ratio of atomic lead to atomic calcium) in bones of Peruvians buried 1600 years ago was found to be 3 x 10(-8), as compared to 2100 to 3500 x 10(-8) in the bones of present-day residents of England and the United States. The ratio of barium to calcium was 2 to 3 x 10(-6) in bones of ancient Peruvians and present-day Americans. Barium and lead have similar morphologic distributions in organisms, so this discrepancy for lead must result from overexposure of present-day people to industrial lead and not from natural variations. The magnitude of this discrepancy has been confirmed by two different lines of investigation not reported in this article. This new evidence suggests that natural interactions of lead in human cells have not yet been determined because reagents, nutrients and controls used in laboratory and field studies have been contaminated with lead far in excess of naturally occurring levels.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Paleobiology and comparative morphology of a late Neandertal sample from El Sidron, Asturias, Spain.

Fossil evidence from the Iberian Peninsula is essential for understanding Neandertal evolution and history. Since 2000, a new sample approximately 43,000 years old has been systematically recovered at the El Sidrón cave site (Asturias, Spain). Human remains almost exclusively compose the bone assemblage. All of the skeletal parts are preserved, and there is a moderate occurrence of Middle Paleolithic stone tools. A minimum number of eight individuals are represented, and ancient mtDNA has been extracted from dental and osteological remains. Paleobiology of the El Sidrón archaic humans fits the pattern found in other Neandertal samples: a high incidence of dental hypoplasia and interproximal grooves, yet no traumatic lesions are present. Moreover, unambiguous evidence of human-induced modifications has been found on the human remains. Morphologically, the El Sidrón humans show a large number of Neandertal lineage-derived features even though certain traits place the sample at the limits of Neandertal variation. Integrating the El Sidrón human mandibles into the larger Neandertal sample reveals a north-south geographic patterning, with southern Neandertals showing broader faces with increased lower facial heights. The large El Sidrón sample therefore augments the European evolutionary lineage fossil record and supports ecogeographical variability across Neandertal populations.

Anatomy, Comparative↗
PubMed2002

Syphilis 2001--a palaeopathological reappraisal.

The origin and subsequent spread of the treponematoses, especially that of venereal syphilis, has been the subject of considerable scientific attention. Various theories were put forth and palaeopathological specimens were used for their validation in recent times. One influential contribution was the paper by Baker & Armelagos in 1988. Numerous new findings and results on both sides of the Atlantic call for a new evaluation of the available osseous material. A review of the recent literature leads to the suggestion of a worldwide distribution of non-venereal treponemal disease since the emergence of Homo and to a first epidemic outbreak of venereal syphilis in Europe of the late 15th and the early 16th century, which was a time of change and enormous sexual liberty. Old World specimens with pathological alterations attributed to venereal syphilis and dated to precolumbian times seem to invalidate the Columbian theory and call for a more differentiated analysis of the phenomenon of syphilis than a theory based on a single factor can provide. With the help of molecular methods which now allow a positive identification of Treponema pallidum pallidum, causative agent of venereal syphilis, in palaeopathological material, it seems possible to elucidate the matter of origin and spread of syphilis further and to evaluate previous diagnoses of treponemal disease.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed2005

Middle ear pathology in ancient and modern populations: incudal osteoma.

CONCLUSIONS: Osteomas of the incus were found in surprisingly high numbers in ancient and modern populations. The coexistence of osteoma formation and unique vascularization on the medial surface of the incus alludes to a relationship between the two findings. OBJECTIVE: Osteomas involving the middle ear ossicles are rare. The aim of this study was to compare the incudal pathology of ancient and recent periods using the recent literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pathologies encountered in 1170 human incudes belonging to different populations from ancient and recent periods were studied. Most of the ossicles were found in the middle ear of dry skulls or during dissection. The observations were done with a binocular microscope and a Nikon Profile Projector. RESULTS: A total of 47 incudes (4.01%) presented with a variety of pathologies, osteomas being found in 19 cases (1.62%). The osteomas were noted only on the medial surface of the incus. Other findings, including prominent erosions, multiple nutrient foramina and pitting, were also found on the medial side of the incus. The incidence of osteoma was found to be more common in ancient populations (1.88%) and most prevalent among Bedouins (4.55%).

Ear Neoplasms↗
PubMed1992

Biocultural synthesis in medical anthropology.

Medical anthropology has developed distinct and separate biological and cultural approaches to the study of health and disease in human populations. Within cultural anthropology a major focus has been the ethnomedical perspective that analyzes the process of defining disease and describing the social response to disease. In biological anthropology, an ecological perspective considers the interaction of the population, the insult and the environment at the core of the disease process. There has been limited success in integrating the cultural and biological perspective. Some cultural anthropologists claim that the ecological perspective relies on a biomedical model and therefore is not useful in studying non-Western societies. Others are critical of the adaptivist perspective that they believe fails to consider political economic factors that affect the disease process. The lack of a biocultural integration has hindered the systematic analysis of health and disease in contemporary traditional and non-Western groups. An ecological model that addresses these problems will provide a biocultural integration of the disease process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Yellow fever: ecology, epidemiology, and role in the collapse of the Classic lowland Maya civilization.

Mystery has long surrounded the collapse of the Classic lowland Mayan civilization of the Peten region in Guatemala. Recent population reconstructions derived from archaeological evidence from the central lowlands show population declines from urban levels of between 2.5 and 3.5 million to around 536,000 in the two hundred year interval between 800 A.D. and 1000 A.D., the period known as the Classic Maya Collapse. A steady, but lesser rate of population decline continued until the time of European contact. When knowledge of the ecology and epidemiology of yellow fever and its known mosquito vectors are compared with what is known of the ecological conditions of lowland Guatemala as modified by the Classic Maya, provocative similarities are observed. When infection and mortality patterns of more recent urban yellow fever epidemics are used as models for a possible series of Classic Maya epidemics, a correlation is noted between the modeled rate of population decline for a series of epidemics, and population decline figures reconstructed from archaeological evidence.

Ecology↗