[Molecular archeology--a short cut to history. A Swedish pioneer in the research of prehistorical DNA (Svante Pääbo)].
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Animals↗
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[Newly discovered archeological monument of Scythian medicine].
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Archaeology↗
Prosthetics, periodontal therapy and conservative dentistry in the eighteenth century: archeological findings from Grand Sacconex, Geneva, Switzerland.
There are only few archaeological findings on therapeutic measures dating to the early times of scientific dentistry. The remains of two burials from the mid-eighteenth century permit the assessment of the spectrum of dental treatments of that time. Bridges, ivory dentures, gold ligatures for splinting as well as various metal fillings demonstrate the state-of-the-art of contemporary practical dentistry. A presentation of the findings should be of interest not only for the history of dentistry but can also supplement the written records of that time.
Dental Restoration, Permanent↗
[Prosthetics in the ancient Egypt: an archeological fact?].
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Animals↗
[Dental archeology: the Junker specimen].
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Egypt, Ancient↗
[A comparison of trace element and isotope analysis in archeological bones (exemplified by a medieval bone series from Weingarten, Germany)].
The well established methods of isotope- and trace element analysis have been used as a reliable approach in archaeometry in order to reconstruct ecological and social parameters. Both methods offer access to palaeoecological information, however, frequently only one of the methods has been applied on the onegiven material. Up to now, isotope data are especially associated to the determination of food webs and palaeocliamtes, i.e. the position of the examined subjects within an ecological context is englightened. On the other hand, trace element analyses reveal knowledge about group specific nutrition and pollution with toxic substances. For the medieval human bone series of Weingarten (Germany), both methods have been applied independently. The results suggest special emphasis of diagenesis for the interpretation of trace element data: diagenesis and its impact on the stability of biological signals as well as consequences for data interpretation, which is dependent on the analysed phase of the material (mineral or gelatine) and its preservation.
Bone Density↗
[Oxyuriasis and prehistoric migrations].
Parasite findings in archeological material have made it possible to trace the dispersion of infectious agents and their human hosts in ancient times. These findings allow us to re-examine theories proposed at the beginning of the century concerning transpacific contacts that Asian populations may have had with South America. This has been the case, for example, with hookworm eggs found in archeological material dating up to 7,000 years before present. Because of the increase in scientific production in this area, it has now become necessary to undertake syntheses that assess the state of the art and propose workable paleoepidemological models of the prehistoric dispersion of human parasitoses. Based on findings of Enterobius vermicularis eggs in archeological material in the Americas, the present study is an effort in this direction. Unlike the hookworm, the pinworm does not require a soil cycle in order to be transmitted from one host to another, thereby meaning that its persistence in a given human population does not depend on climatic conditions. Thus, it could have been brought from the old to the new continent, possibly by human migrations across the Bering Strait. This may explain the greater geographical dispersion and dissemination of these findings in North America from 10,000 yrs B.P. till today. In South America, on the other hand, archeological findings have only confirmed existence of Enterobius vermicularis eggs within the Andean region, with findings located specifically in Chile and northern Argentina. Although a large number of samples have been examined, no such eggs have been found in coprolites in Brazil. The paper discusses models that account for the known distribution of this parasitosis in prehistoric populations.
Americas↗
Makers of the early Aurignacian of Europe.
Despite intensive study and a number of remarkable discoveries in the last two decades of the 20th century, our understanding of the cultural and biological processes that resulted in the emergence of the Upper Paleolithic and the establishment of modern humans in Interpleniglacial Europe remains far from complete. There is active debate concerning the timing and location of the origins of the Aurignacian, the nature of the origins of Initial Upper Paleolithic industries (whether by autochthonous development or through acculturation by Aurignacian peoples), the timing of the appearance of early modern humans and the disappearance of the Neandertals, and the relationship of archeologically defined cultures to these different types of hominids. Frustrating our attempts to address these latter two questions is a general paucity of taxonomically diagnostic human fossil material from early Upper Paleolithic contexts. We undertake here a review of the human fossil record of Interpleniglacial Europe, and its archeological and chronological context, to clarify to the extent possible the nature of the relationship between hominid groups and the earliest Upper Paleolithic artifact industries, particularly the early Aurignacian. Although substantial difficulties involved in interpreting the fossil, archeological, and geochronological records of this time period prohibit making any definitive statements, a number of observations are suggested by the current data: 1) the Middle Paleolithic of Europe appears to have been made exclusively by Neandertals; 2) Initial Upper Paleolithic industries (with the exception of the Bachokirian) appear to have their roots in the late Middle Paleolithic industries of their respective regions; 3) all of the human fossils yet recovered from Initial Upper Paleolithic (except the Bachokirian) contexts for which any diagnostic morphology is present have their greatest morphological affinities with Neandertals and not early modern humans; 4) modern humans were almost certainly established in Europe by ca. 32 ky BP, with a strong possibility that they were there by ca. 36 ky BP. Claims for an appearance before 36 ky BP cannot be substantiated with currently available evidence; 5) the hypothesis that modern humans are uniquely associated with the Aurignacian cannot yet be refuted. Aurignacian-associated human fossils (including those from the Bachokirian) for which any diagnostic morphology is present have their greatest affinities with early modern Europeans and not Neandertals; and 6) Neandertals and modern humans coexisted in Europe for at least 2,000-4,000 years, and perhaps for 8,000-10,000 years or longer. The overall picture is one of an extended period of cultural contact, involving some degree of genetic exchange, between Neandertals and early modern Europeans.
Animals↗
Peopling of Andean South America.
Archeological, craniometrical, and genetic information is utilized to reconstruct possible migration routes used in the peopling of Andean South America. Special emphasis is given to the elaboration of craniometrical isoline maps and its application in testing models of population displacement based on archeological data. A genetic distance analysis among linguistic groupings complements the conclusions based on archeological and craniometrical information.
Agriculture↗
Mobility in Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic Europe: evidence from the lower limb.
A growing body of archeological evidence suggests that the dramatic climatic events of the Last Glacial Maximum in Europe triggered important changes in foraging behavior, involving a significant decrease in mobility. In general, changes in mobility alter patterns of bending of the midshaft femur and tibia, resulting in changes in diaphyseal robusticity and shape. This relationship between levels of mobility and lower limb diaphyseal structure was used to test the hypothesized decrease in mobility. Cross-sectional geometric data were obtained for 81 Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic European femora and tibiae. The sample was divided into three time periods: Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP), Late Upper Paleolithic (LUP), and Mesolithic (Meso). In addition, because decreased mobility often results in changes in sex roles, males and females were analyzed separately. All indicators of bending strength decrease steadily through time, although few of the changes reach statistical significance. There is, however, a highly significant change in midshaft femur shape, with LUP and Meso groups more circular in cross-section than the EUP sample, supporting archeologically based predictions of decreased mobility. Sexual dimorphism levels in diaphyseal strength remain low throughout the three time periods, suggesting a departure in Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic foragers away from the pattern of division of labor by sex observed in modern hunter-gatherers. Results confirm that the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum represents a crucial stage in Late Pleistocene human evolution, and signals the appearance of some of the behavioral adaptations that are usually associated with the Neolithic, such as sedentism.
Adolescent↗
A multivariate, osteological approach to Towa culture history.
Eleven cranial measurements on 14 archeological populations from the American Southwest support the archeologically derived reconstruction of Towa population movements. The supposed (linguistic) relationship between Pecos and the Towa speaking villages is questioned.
Arizona↗
New European fossil hominid material from an Acheulean site near Rome (Castel di Guido).
New fossil hominid material recovered from an Acheulean Italian archeological site is reported. It consists of two portions of femora, an occipital fragment, a fragmentary right maxilla, and a portion of parietal. Each specimen is described in detail and measurements are given. On the basis of the morphology, which includes primitive traits reminiscent of Homo erectus, and of the archeological, paleontological, and stratigraphical association, these new fossils are referred to the early European group.
Animals↗
Interpretation of scanning electron microscopic images of abraded forming bone surfaces.
The experimental abrasion of forming bone surfaces was conducted so that such surfaces could be characterized. This is particularly important to bone remodeling studies utilizing scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging of archeological material. Forming surfaces derived from subadult macaque cranial bone were treated by particle abrasion, water abrasion, sliding abrasion, brushing, manual rubbing, weight, exfoliation, chipping and replication. Acetic acid treatments were also performed. The effects of abrasive agents are specific but generally fall into rough (particle and water abrasion) and smooth (sliding abrasion, brushing, rubbing and weight) categories. Protohistoric human and Plio-Pleistocene hominid subadult craniofacial remains were observed with the SEM for comparison with experimental data. The more recent material appeared smooth, probably as a result of specimen preparation procedures using brushes. Surfaces were still interpretable as forming, however, using a more abrasion-resistant feature called intervascular ridging (IVR) described in this study. The IVR pattern is also recognized on the hominid sample, confirming the possibility of performing remodeling studies on abraded fossil material. The abrasion characteristics are somewhat more difficult to classify, however. Abrasion is defined and discussed relative to remodeling studies and taphonomy. The usefulness of the experimental data reported here, however, in paleoenvironmental reconstruction, has yet to be fully realized. Acid and mechanical preparation techniques are briefly addressed. It is concluded that it is possible to characterize a forming surface as abraded according to the findings of this study and that acid, if handled with care, will more likely preserve microanatomical surface detail. It would also be in everyone's interest to employ a less abrasive cleaning regime on archeological specimens.
Animals↗
Fluctuating dental asymmetry and measurement error.
Differences between the dimensions of left and right molar teeth are analyzed in the context of measurement error while considering the power of the F-Ratio. Molar teeth from two Nubian cemeteries, 24-S-46 and 21-R-2, excavated at Kulubnarti, Sudan, were initially measured, and then remeasured to obtain data for assessing fluctuating dental asymmetry and measurement error. As has been demonstrated by other investigators, the power of the F-Ratio for detecting small, but real differences, that might exist between antimeric dimensions when sample sizes are small, as they usually are with archeological materials, limits interpretation. In addition, an analysis of measurement error indicates that such error can have a confounding effect upon interpretations of the degree of fluctuating dental asymmetry that exists even in very large samples that exceed the size of typical archeological samples.
Humans↗
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↗
Can paleopathology provide evidence for "compassion"?
Paleopathological analyses of skeletal remains have provided significant information about diet and health in prehistoric populations. A number of individuals have been recovered whose remains show evidence of impairments that would have precluded "normal" functioning, resulting in a disability. The most famous example is Shanidar I; more recent discoveries include the Romito 2 dwarf from Italy and a boy with spina bifida from the Windover site in Florida. These finds have been interpreted by some writers as evidence for compassion and "moral decency" among the other members of the community, who would have had to support these nonproductive individuals. However, these interpretations are based on a number of implicit assumptions: about the number of nonproductive members normally present in any population, about the abilities of disabled individuals to contribute to society, about the treatment of disabled individuals by other members of the group, and about the "moral rightness" of facilitating the survival of a disabled individual under all circumstances. These assumptions are not justified by the evidence from the archeological record or by reference to ethnographic analogy. A tendency to focus on physical traits as the sole measure of productive ability, images of Rousseau's "noble savage" transported to the past, and unexamined beliefs about the disabled in modern societies have influenced these archeological interpretations. We are not justified in drawing conclusions either about the quality of life for disabled individuals in the past or about the motives or attitudes of the rest of the community from skeletal evidence of physical impairment.
Persons with Disabilities↗
Tooth and bone development in a Danish medieval mandible with unilateral absence of the mandibular canal.
A Danish anthropological collection of medieval human skeletons excavated in 1986 involves a mandible (No. 212) from an adult female born without the lower alveolar nerve and mandibular canal. It is believed that the defect has resulted in lack of tooth development on the affected side and that the mylohyoid nerve has partially compensated for this defect by development of teeth in localized areas. The defective mandibular dentition has caused a compensatory development of the alveolar process in the maxilla. The missing occlusal support has altered muscular traction on the mandible. This has caused an alteration in mandibular shape. Whether the asymmetric development of the mandible is caused by muscular dysfunction, by failure in angular growth apposition, or by a combination of these factors is discussed. The case presents valuable data in the ongoing discussion about the interaction between nerve tissue and tooth formation and about the interaction between occlusion, jaw morphology, and muscular traction. The study shows how archeological material in an interdisciplinary cooperation between archeological, embryological and orthodontic research can contribute to the clarification of current biological problems.
Alveolar Process↗
Paleohistology of Paget's disease in two medieval skeletons.
Paget's disease has been ascribed several times to specimens of archeological bone but, in the absence of microscopic examination, the evidence remains insubstantial. Suspected metabolic bone disease is described here in the archeological remains of a skeleton from a 16th century burial ground at Wells Cathedral, England and from a single medieval sacrum recovered from a large deposit of disarticulated bones from a churchyard at Barton-on-Humber, England. Radiographs showed apparent structural abnormality in one femoral shaft and calcaneus and in the isolated sacrum. Histomorphometry on undecalcified bone cores confirmed the regions of abnormality and showed not only increased trabecular width but also areas of "mosaic" woven bone together with extensive resorption cavities; these features contrasted with the normal structure and organized lamellar bone from sites elsewhere. Despite post-interment changes in surrounding tissues, the morphological stability of some of the osteocytes was remarkable. Preservation of the histology was sufficient to permit the assignment of a metabolic bone disorder and the nature of the sclerosis was consistent with Paget's disease.
England↗