Osteology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This study uses bioarchaeological methods and interpretive frameworks, in conjunction with archaeological and textual evidence, to document and interpret the record of Greek colonial interactions between Corinth and local populations at... more

This study uses bioarchaeological methods and interpretive frameworks, in conjunction with archaeological and textual evidence, to document and interpret the record of Greek colonial interactions between Corinth and local populations at Apollonia, Albania, in the region known as Illyria (modern Albania). A series of Illyrian human remains (n = 304; Early Iron Age–Hellenistic periods) and Corinthian human remains (n = 72; Neolithic–Hellenistic periods) were examined for evidence of physiological stress in order to characterise the impact of colonisation. Statistical comparisons of pre-colonial and post-colonial skeletal remains indicate that stress increased at Apollonia following colonisation. This change may have resulted from impoverish-ment following Corinth's extraction of local Illyrian resources and changes in sanitation and disease transmission associated with urbanism. Conversely, the record suggests a decrease in stress, although not to a significant extent, in Corinth. We speculate that decline in physiological stress in the Corinthian setting may reflect improved dietary quality and increased food availability.

Objective: Throughout history, gout has been referred to as the " disease of the kings " , and has been clearly associated with the lifestyle of the aristocratic social classes. According to the written sources, several members of the... more

Objective: Throughout history, gout has been referred to as the " disease of the kings " , and has been clearly associated with the lifestyle of the aristocratic social classes. According to the written sources, several members of the famous Medici family of Florence suffered from an arthritic disease that contemporary physicians called " gout ". A paleopathological study carried out on the skeletal remains of some members of the family, exhumed from their tombs in the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence, offered a unique opportunity to directly investigate the evidence of the arthritic diseases affecting this elite group. Methods: The skeletal remains of several members of the family were examined macroscopically and submitted to x-ray investigation. Results: The results of the study allowed us to ascertain that the so-called " gout of the Medici " should be considered the clinical manifestation of three different joint conditions: diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, rheumatoid arthritis and uratic gout. In particular, uric acid gout was diagnosed in the Grand Duke Ferdinand I (1549-1609). Recently, a new case of this disease was diagnosed in Anton Francesco Maria (1618–1659), a probable illegitimate member of the family. Conclusion: With this new case, uratic gout was observed in 2 out of 9 adult males, leading to suppose that the disease should have been a common health problem within the family. The aetiology of the disease has to be searched in environmental factors, since both historical and paleonutritional studies demonstrated that the diet of this aristocratic court was rich in meat and wine.

Historical, artefactual and place-name evidence indicates that Scandinavian migrants moved to eastern England in the ninth century AD, settling in the Danelaw. However, only a handful of characteristically Scandinavian burials have been... more

Historical, artefactual and place-name evidence indicates that Scandinavian migrants moved to eastern England in the ninth century AD, settling in the Danelaw. However, only a handful of characteristically Scandinavian burials have been found in the region. One, widely held, explanation is that most of these Scandinavian settlers quickly adopted local Christian burial customs, thus leaving Scandinavians indistinguishable from the Anglo-Saxon population. We undertook osteological and isotopic analysis to investigate the presence of first-generation Scandinavian migrants. Burials from Masham were typical of the later Anglo-Saxon period and included men, women and children. The location and positioning of the four adult burials from Coppergate, however, are unusual for Anglo-Scandinavian York. None of the skeletons revealed interpersonal violence. Isotopic evidence did not suggest a marine component in the diet of either group, but revealed migration on a regional, and possibly an international, scale. Combined strontium and oxygen isotope analysis should be used to investigate further both regional and Scandinavian migration in the later Anglo-Saxon period.

Here we report on a multigenerational assemblage of Triceratops from the Upper Maastrichtian Lance Formation near Newcastle, eastern Wyoming, USA. While fieldwork is still ongoing, in excess of eight hundred elements have already been... more

Here we report on a multigenerational assemblage of Triceratops from the Upper Maastrichtian Lance Formation near Newcastle, eastern Wyoming, USA. While fieldwork is still ongoing, in excess of eight hundred elements have already been uncovered, belonging to a minimal number of six individuals. Detailed geological fieldwork at the excavation site shows that the Triceratops skeletons are entombed within an organic-rich clay to siltstone unit characterized by abundant micro-and macro-floral and-vertebrate remains. The Triceratops bones are associated, but also show clear disarticulation. The fifth skeleton is located at the same site, but circa 4 meters above the main bonebed. The site is remarkable since it yields both cranial and post-cranial remains of individuals of different sizes, representing several ontogenetic stages. This assemblage is one of only a handful known sites of the genus Triceratops that contain abundant post-cranial material 4,6. Ontogeny and especially the validity of taxa in Triceratops, and other Chasmosaurinae (e.g. Torosaurus), have been heavily debated subjects 5,9. However, studies have mostly been restricted to descriptions of cranial material due to the scarcity of post-cranial remains 1,2,3,9. Therefore, this assemblage helps to fill in a gap in our knowledge regarding the post-cranial development of these highly derived ceratopsids. This site offers a higher resolution in the ontogenetic development in particularly the late juvenile or early sub-adult to adult stages of Triceratops. By combining histology, allometric measurements, and analysis of morphological characters, the timing of attaining skeletal maturity along with the expression of morphological characters, like suture closure and cranial ornamentation, can be specified. It is evident that individuals in the sub-adult stage reach near-adult size before the closure of most cranial sutures. Additionally, it is recognized that certain post-cranial elements, especially in the pelvic region, experience major remodelling during ontogeny. Future studies with emphasis on intense histological sampling and the use of (µ-)CT scans, will aid in determining the specific timing of these ontogenetic changes.

This study aims to develop age-at-death standards for Valley of Mexico skeletal collections. Using 159 individuals, with a dental age-at-death between 0 to 15 years, we develop linear and quadratic inverse regression models of age-atdeath... more

This study aims to develop age-at-death standards for Valley of Mexico skeletal collections. Using 159 individuals, with a dental age-at-death between 0 to 15 years, we develop linear and quadratic inverse regression models of age-atdeath estimation between dental age and the diaphyseal length of the six long bones. A blind test for both regressions was performed, also a regression developed for a Maya group was carried out. We also compared skeletal growth of our sample by applying regressions developed for Maya and North American populations to assess the magnitude of the differences among ethnically unrelated populations. Our regressions yielded a close correlation between the diaphyseal length and dental age, especially femur and radius. It is noticeable that the disparities between younger and older age categories, the latter presenting larger standard deviations. Quadratic regression fitted better than linear and Maya regressions, and the differences of age-at-death distributions are significant. The skeletal growth curve of the Valley of Mexico is statistically different from other Native American groups. We conclude that for the present standards, despite the high degree of variance, the quadratic regression is a better applicable age estimator, when it is applied to biologically close populations.

Syllabus for Introduction to Forensic Anthropology. Fall/2018 at BECNO

We have carried out a comprehensive ESR and U-series dating study on the Lake Mungo 3 (LM3) human skeleton. The isotopic Th/U and Pa/U ratios indicate that some minor uranium mobilization may have occurred in the past. Taking such effects... more

We have carried out a comprehensive ESR and U-series dating study on the Lake Mungo 3 (LM3) human skeleton. The isotopic Th/U and Pa/U ratios indicate that some minor uranium mobilization may have occurred in the past. Taking such effects into account, the best age estimate for the human skeleton is obtained through the combination of U-series and ESR analyses yielding 62,000±6000 years. This age is in close agreement with OSL age estimates on the sediment into which the skeleton was buried of 61,000±2000 years. Furthermore, we obtained a U-series age of 81,000±21,000 years for the calcitic matrix that was precipitated on the bones after burial. All age results are considerably older than the previously assumed age of LM3 and demonstrate the necessity for directly dating hominid remains. We conclude that the Lake Mungo 3 burial documents the earliest known human presence on the Australian continent. The age implies that people who were skeletally within the range of the present Australian indigenous population colonized the continent during or before oxygen isotope stage 4 (57,000–71,000 years).

We have examined the remains of a Pilgrim burial from St Mary Magdalen, Winchester. The individual was a young adult male, aged around 18-25 years at the time of death. Radiocarbon dating showed the remains dated to the late 11th-early... more

We have examined the remains of a Pilgrim burial from St Mary Magdalen, Winchester. The individual was a young adult male, aged around 18-25 years at the time of death. Radiocarbon dating showed the remains dated to the late 11th-early 12th centuries, a time when pilgrimages were at their height in Europe. Several lines of evidence in connection with the burial suggested this was an individual of some means and prestige. Although buried within the leprosarium cemetery, the skeleton showed only minimal skeletal evidence for leprosy, which was confined to the bones of the feet and legs. Nonetheless, molecular testing of several skeletal elements, including uninvolved bones all showed robust evidence of DNA from Mycobacterium leprae, consistent with the lepromatous or multibacillary form of the disease. We infer that in life, this individual almost certainly suffered with multiple soft tissue lesions. Genotyping of the M.leprae strain showed this belonged to the 2F lineage, today assoc...

syphilis was present in Mexico City among Spaniards, Indians and mestizos, after the Conquest and until the 20 th Century. We systematically analyzed pathological traces of two sets of skeletons corresponding to the 17 th , 18 th and 19 th

This book is designed to appeal to students and practitioners of osteology and palaeopathology, medical historians and forensic archaeologists; it can be used as a reference guide in the field and the laboratory. Human health affects all... more

This book is designed to appeal to students and practitioners of osteology and palaeopathology, medical historians and forensic archaeologists; it can be used as a reference guide in the field and the laboratory. Human health affects all aspects of everyday life and skeletal remains represent direct evidence of the experiences of people in the past. This volume describes human skeletal remains from archaeological excavations in London, ranging from the Roman period to the 19th century. It includes more than 400 photographic and radiographic images of disease and traumatic injury, providing a unique opportunity to explore the lives of past communities.

This paper discusses the Kennewick lawsuit as it relates to the intended purposes of Nagpra. It also reflects upon comments made by Swedlund and Anderson (1999) in a recent American Antiquity Forum, which conceptually linked two ancient... more

This paper discusses the Kennewick lawsuit as it relates to the intended purposes of Nagpra. It also reflects upon comments made by Swedlund and Anderson (1999) in a recent American Antiquity Forum, which conceptually linked two ancient skeletons, Gordon Creek Woman and Kennewick Man. Their assertions indicate the need for clarifying specific issues and events pertaining to the case. We comment on how times have changed with the passage of NAGPRA, how differently these two skeletons have been treated by the media and the scientists interested in them, and show how discussions of biological affiliation have relevance. There is still much to be learned from Kennewick Man and Gordon Creek Woman. But attempts to bring the concept of race or racial typing into the picture show misunderstanding regarding the use of morphological data in tracing population historical relationships, not to mention obfuscating the scientific issues they raise.

Anglo-Saxon law codes dictate in great detail the penalties for particular crimes. Amongst there are the forfeit of hands and feet. A male with a healed amputated hand and foot recovered from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery (6th-8th century AD)... more

Anglo-Saxon law codes dictate in great detail the penalties for particular crimes. Amongst there are the forfeit of hands and feet. A male with a healed amputated hand and foot recovered from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery (6th-8th century AD) at Hinkley Point in Somerset may well have been subjected to this punishment.

"This article identifies and discusses seven new cases of complete maxillary canine-premolar transposition in ancient populations from the Santa Barbara Channel region of California. A high frequency of this tooth transposition has been... more

"This article identifies and discusses seven new cases of complete maxillary canine-premolar transposition in ancient populations from the Santa Barbara
Channel region of California. A high frequency of this tooth transposition has been previously documented within a single prehistoric cemetery on one of the Channel Islands. A total of 966 crania representing 30 local sites and about 7,000 years of human occupation were examined, revealing an abnormally high prevalence of this transposition trait among islanders during the Early period of southern California prehistory (~5500–600 B.C.). One of the affected crania is from a cemetery more than 7,000-years-old and constitutes the earliest case of tooth transposition in humans so far reported. The results are consistent with findings by other studies that have indicated inbreeding among the early Channel Islands groups. Together with the normal transposition rates among mainland populations, the decreasing prevalence of maxillary canine-first premolar transposition among island populations across the Holocene suggests that inbreeding on the northern Channel Islands had all but ceased by the end of the first millennium B.C., most likely as a result of increased cross-channel migration and interaction."

Excavation at the Barbican site in York in 2007-8 revealed burials situated within and adjacent to the cobble foundation of the medieval church of All Saints Fishergate. A total of 667 individuals were analysed osteologically. 7 Roman... more

Excavation at the Barbican site in York in 2007-8 revealed burials situated within and adjacent to the cobble foundation of the medieval church of All Saints Fishergate. A total of 667 individuals were analysed osteologically. 7 Roman inhumations and fragments of cremated bone indicate funerary practices taking place on the site since the Roman occupation of York. 547 individuals dated to the medieval period comprise the attritional population associated with the church of All Saint’s, Fishergate. 10 post medieval mass graves contained a total of 113 individuals which were tightly packed and arranged in parallel rows. Demographically these individuals are primarily males aged between 15 and 45 years of age. This mortality profile is characteristic of a military group subjected to a catastrophic event. Given the post medieval date for the graves it is possible that they relate to the English Civil War, more specifically the 1644 Siege of York. The All Saint’s Fishergate site therefore comprises a multi-period site with significant funerary associations.

This paper evaluates and interprets potential mechanisms of injury within gladiatorial contexts. It also discusses the bioarchaeological and historical caveats that require consideration during such investigations. The purpose of this is... more

This paper evaluates and interprets potential mechanisms of injury within gladiatorial contexts. It also discusses the bioarchaeological and historical caveats that require consideration during such investigations. The purpose of this is to highlight the difficulties faced when interpreting signs of combat in the archaeological record and to propose a series of skeletal injury indicators which might enable future archaeologists to distinguish the remains of gladiators. Within this paper I consider historical literature and iconographic evidence in order to construct a profile of the expected variation, characteristics and patterns of injury within gladiatorial remains. In the case of gladiators, acknowledgement of historical and burial contexts, including different weapons, armour, training and fighting styles may also aid in the interpretation of traumatic variation. The results of my evaluation demonstrate that historical and archaeological context is required when interpreting signs of gladiatorial combat and that for most gladiatorial combats all factors point towards the mitigation of trauma and their prevalence within the osteological record and that inhumation was the exception rather than the norm. Due to these reasons, I argue that the finding of gladiatorial remains in the archaeological record is unlikely and that we should be searching for signs of animal interaction in relation to venator combats instead.

These figures were originally published as Supporting Information accompanying an article in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, "Applying Zooarchaeological Methods to Interpret Mortuary Behavior and Taphonomy in Commingled... more

These figures were originally published as Supporting Information accompanying an article in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, "Applying Zooarchaeological Methods to Interpret Mortuary Behavior and Taphonomy in Commingled Burials: The Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Bolores, Portugal," J.E. Mack, A.J. Waterman, A-M. Racila, J.A. Artz, K.T. Lillios, 31 March 2015. DOI: 10.1002/oa.2443

Juan Pablo Vivas HUESO ETMOIDES Hueso impar, ubicado en la línea media, está situado por delante del esfenoides y por detrás de la escotadura etmoidal del frontal. Ayuda a formar las fosas nasales (pared interna) y orbitarias (pared... more

In July 2010 an excavation was undertaken in the car park of the Masonic hall at Bawtry, South Yorkshire as part of a field school run by the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, with support from Wessex Archaeology... more

In July 2010 an excavation was undertaken in the car park of the Masonic hall at Bawtry, South Yorkshire as part of a field school run by the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, with support from Wessex Archaeology (Sheffield). The Masonic hall was the chapel of the medieval hospital of Bawtry, and the principal aim of the field school was to throw new light on the hospital and on the cemetery that was associated with it, which had been identified during excavations in 2006 and 2007. During the 2010 excavation, eighteen graves were identified, and subsequent analysis of both the articulated and disarticulated skeletal remains identified a minimum number of fifty three individuals. It was demonstrated that the cemetery served a broad cross-section of the population, which was relatively healthy. A radiocarbon date is awaited from one of the skeletons, but at this stage all of the evidence indicates that the burials were all of later medieval date. A small number of medieval artefacts were recovered, including a 13th-century coin, a copper-alloy plate (of a type used in medieval medicinal cures for damaged or infected joints) and the copper-alloy ferrule from the end of a walking stick. The remains of a late medieval wall were encountered running eastwards from the east wall of the Masonic hall; this wall was either the remains of a boundary wall or of a building, and it appears to be perpetuated into the 19th century, when a wall in a similar location is depicted on images of the chapel.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Tecolote Pueblo, occupied from A.D. 1050-1300, may be a geographic outlier, located at the far eastern edge of Puebloan occupation but still affiliated with the Pueblo. The biological affinity of its... more

Archaeological evidence suggests that Tecolote Pueblo, occupied from A.D. 1050-1300, may be a geographic outlier, located at the far eastern edge of Puebloan occupation but still affiliated with the Pueblo. The biological affinity of its residents, however, was not known, as Plains sites have also been recovered very near to Tecolote. Using the dentitions recovered from the site, a dental anthropological approach was used to determine whether the residents’ biological affinity was closer to Puebloan or Plains groups. Dental nonmetric traits were recorded using ASUDAS (Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System) standards and compared statistically using the Mean Measure of Divergence and nonstatistically using Turner’s expression count method. Results from both methods indicate that Tecolote Pueblo is more closely related to Puebloan than Plains groups. This result supports the results of a previous study based on cranial metric traits that Tecolote Pueblo was slightly, but not significantly, more closely related to the Pueblo. However, multidimensional scaling shows that Tecolote does not fall neatly into the Puebloan group and may be biologically different due to genetic drift.

Stonehenge London 0 k m 400 N The assemblage of Neolithic cremated human remains from Stonehenge is the largest in Britain, and demonstrates that the monument was closely associated with the dead. New radiocarbon dates and Bayesian... more

Stonehenge London 0 k m 400 N The assemblage of Neolithic cremated human remains from Stonehenge is the largest in Britain, and demonstrates that the monument was closely associated with the dead. New radiocarbon dates and Bayesian analysis indicate that cremated remains were deposited over a period of around five centuries from c. 3000–2500 BC. Earlier cremations were placed within or beside the Aubrey Holes that had held small bluestone standing stones during the first phase of the monument; later cremations were placed in the peripheral ditch, perhaps signifying the transition from a link between specific dead individuals and particular stones, to a more diffuse collectivity of increasingly long-dead ancestors.

Three human skeletons were excavated in the grounds of the Royal York Hotel, York, in 1999 during a 3 day excavation by Time Team and On Site Archaeology. This paper aims to analyse these remains using standard osteological techniques.... more

Three human skeletons were excavated in the grounds of the Royal York Hotel, York, in 1999 during a 3 day excavation by Time Team and On Site Archaeology. This paper aims to analyse these remains using standard osteological techniques. The three individuals comprised a 30-45 year old female, a 3.5-5 year old sub adult, and a 15-20 year old male. Observed non-dental pathological conditions included os acromiale, Schmorl’s nodes, periostitis, a bone spur and a large unidentified vertebral lesion. Observed dental conditions included dental calculus, enamel hypoplasia, periodontal disease, ante mortem tooth loss, abscess, dental caries and retained deciduous teeth.

Beginning with a detailed presentation of the faunal spectra from Ban Chiang and related sites in Northeast Thailand, this essay reconstructs the palaeoenvironment during the period 3500 BC to the end of the prehistoric period. The... more

Beginning with a detailed presentation of the faunal spectra from Ban Chiang and related sites in Northeast Thailand, this essay reconstructs the palaeoenvironment during the period 3500 BC to the end of the prehistoric period. The evidence from the freshwater molluscs found in prehistoric layers suggests that the first occupants of Ban Chiang encountered a habitat with permanent lakes and clear, slow moving streams. Since the lakes contracted in the dry season, there were ideal conditions for practising wet swidden agriculture. From c. 1600 BC, the presence of water buffalo and associated changes in the faunal spectrum suggests the inception of wet rice cultivation. Such agricultural intensification, it is held, follows population pressure and accounts for subsequent settlement in the more arid plains of Thailand.