{"title":"Cattle health in the Iron Age and Roman Netherlands","authors":"Maaike Groot","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.02.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>To investigate diachonic and regional trends in the occurrence of pathologies in cattle in the Iron Age and Roman Netherlands. A key objective is to investigate whether the intensification of cattle husbandry in the Roman period was associated with an increase in pathology.</p></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><p>The data set consists of 167 sites with a combined total of 127,373 individual specimens for cattle, sheep/goat, horse, and pig.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A quantitative approach was used, investigating the frequency of pathologies over time and per region. For cattle, pathology frequencies were also investigated per type. Several multi-period sites were considered in more detail.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Pathology frequencies increased during the Iron Age and Roman period. In cattle, joint pathology was most common, followed by dental pathology.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The overall frequency of pathology aligns with frequencies in other regions. Some pathological conditions in cattle can tentatively be linked to intensification, such as joint pathology at two sites in the Middle and Late Roman periods, an increase in dental pathology and trauma).</p></div><div><h3><strong>Significance</strong></h3><p>This review revealed diachronic trends and linked them to developments in animal husbandry and highlights the importance of recording and publishing pathological lesions.</p></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><p>The multi-causal origin of joint and dental pathology makes it difficult to relate them to the intensification of cattle husbandry.</p></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><p>It is hoped that this review will stimulate further paleopathological research globally, especially systematic studies into foot pathologies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Paleopathology","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187998172300013X","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PALEONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
To investigate diachonic and regional trends in the occurrence of pathologies in cattle in the Iron Age and Roman Netherlands. A key objective is to investigate whether the intensification of cattle husbandry in the Roman period was associated with an increase in pathology.
Materials
The data set consists of 167 sites with a combined total of 127,373 individual specimens for cattle, sheep/goat, horse, and pig.
Methods
A quantitative approach was used, investigating the frequency of pathologies over time and per region. For cattle, pathology frequencies were also investigated per type. Several multi-period sites were considered in more detail.
Results
Pathology frequencies increased during the Iron Age and Roman period. In cattle, joint pathology was most common, followed by dental pathology.
Conclusions
The overall frequency of pathology aligns with frequencies in other regions. Some pathological conditions in cattle can tentatively be linked to intensification, such as joint pathology at two sites in the Middle and Late Roman periods, an increase in dental pathology and trauma).
Significance
This review revealed diachronic trends and linked them to developments in animal husbandry and highlights the importance of recording and publishing pathological lesions.
Limitations
The multi-causal origin of joint and dental pathology makes it difficult to relate them to the intensification of cattle husbandry.
Suggestions for further research
It is hoped that this review will stimulate further paleopathological research globally, especially systematic studies into foot pathologies.
期刊介绍:
Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.