International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

Congenital skeletal disorders are a heterogeneous group of anomalies that become evident during gestation. They are expressed in the shape and growth of the bones during development because of a defective genetic background. With the follow-up of pregnant women and the advances in prenatal ultrasonographic examination and molecular genetic tests, nowadays, congenital skeletal disorders are identified at an early gestational age. If they are considered lethal, the termination of pregnancy is advised. This work unveils an exceptional instance of a rare pathological condition identified in a perinate (birth ± 2 weeks) from the 17th to 19th centuries, recovered during an excavation at the cloister of the São Domingos Convent in Lisbon, Portugal. The skeleton presents with exuberant modifications that include, among others, severe shortening (micromelia) and bowing of the long bones of the upper and lower limbs. The main skeletal findings indicated a presumptive general diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia, while the differential diagnosis includes hypophosphatasia, campomelic dysplasia, achondrogenesis, thanatophoric dysplasia, and severe achondroplasia with developmental delay and acanthosis nigricans (SADDAN) as the most plausible causes for the observed skeletal changes. Even though an exact diagnosis is unattainable based only on the macroscopic analysis of the bones, the phenotypic features observed in this perinate are more consistent with thanatophoric dysplasia type 1.

Embedded artifacts in osteoarchaeological remains may be key to approaching hunting strategies and other behavioral-related issues such as technological development. However, that kind of evidence is not common within the archaeological record and often not well-characterized, especially for faunal remains from prehistoric sites. Here, we present and discuss a unique case of a horse (Equus caballus) mandible with an embedded lithic remains from the Upper Paleolithic (ca. 17,300–16,200 cal BP) from La Garma cave in Cantabria, Spain. Our macro- and microscopic faunal and lithic integrated analysis suggests that the case presented here is a potential perimortem hunting lesion, representing an uncommon hunting strategy during the Magdalenian period. Furthermore, this study, representing the first case of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula, emphasizes the importance of the taphonomic analysis of bone surfaces to approach the understanding of past human behaviors.

Skeletal age markers are often used to estimate age-at-death to reconstruct population survivorship in the past, which is essential to draw conclusions about population health, fertility, and mortality. Transition Analysis age estimation was developed to address common issues facing traditional age estimation methods such as age mimicry and broad ranges for middle and older aged adults. However, some studies have shown Transition Analysis' limitations in overcoming these challenges, with regards to the method's accuracy and bias when applied at the individual-level. It was previously found that the method performed poorly in a sample from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection due to a series of factors. This study re-examines the application of Transition Analysis (ADBOU) age estimation in a sample from the Hamann-Todd Collection for reconstructing the survivorship profile of this skeletal sample. Although Transition Analysis is argued to be better suited for reconstructing trends in population mortality compared to traditional age estimation methods, results of Kaplan–Meier and log rank tests show that Transition Analysis produced significantly different survival curves compared to the known survival curves for White males (χ² = 6.828, p = 0.009) and females (χ² = 11.270, p = 0.001), but not for Black males (χ² = 1.363, p = 0.243) and females (χ² = 0.071, p = 0.790). Age-at-death distributions between the estimated maximum likelihoods and known ages also differed significantly (t = 4.249, p < 0.001). Therefore, caution should be employed when drawing conclusions from trends in survivorship based on skeletal age estimates, even when using more recently developed methods such as Transition Analysis, as the informative priors in ADBOU may not be accurate for all populations.

The aims of this article are (1) to present the applicability of two methods of sex estimation of the coxal bone—the Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste (second version, DSP2) and the Brůžek's morphoscopic method (statistical version, SBMM)—on a large archeological metasample; (2) to provide the percentage of agreement between the two methods; and (3) to illustrate the interest to use both methods together. The metasample under study is composed of adult skeletons from several European collections spanning from the Final Mesolithic to the Early Modern period. It includes 1270 coxal bones belonging to 765 individuals. Final sex estimation provided by each method is compared for each coxal bone and for each individual. A sex estimate (female or male) has been obtained by at least one method for 1066 coxal bones, and for 685 of the individuals (83.9% and 89.5% of our sample, respectively). Incongruity between methods and/or left and right coxal bones is extremely rare. The combined use of SBMM and DSP2 yields high rates of congruent sex estimations. While DSP2 results in a lower rate of sex estimation compared to SBMM, it likely offers better inter-observer reproducibility, and their joint application significantly increases the total number of classified individuals. It is recommended to record both metric and nonmetric variables from DSP2 and SBMM on both coxal bones to increase the number of sex estimations while maintaining high reliability.

This study aimed to evaluate if ImageJ could be used to quantify the severity of external auditory exostoses (EAEs) in archaeological human skeletal remains. Thirty-seven external auditory canals (EACs) with EAEs present (22 right, 15 left) of 100% completeness derived from individuals from archaeological sites on Cyprus dating from the Neolithic to the Roman period were available for analyses. EAC area and EAE area were measured three times as an intra-observer error test using ImageJ in a two-dimensional plane. The level of agreement between measurements was assessed using a paired T-test, Bland–Altman plot, technical error of measurement, and coefficient of reliability. No statistically significant differences were found between measurements of EAC area and EAE area and a high technical measurement of error and coefficient of reliability resulted. ImageJ can be used with a high level of reliability for quantifying the severity of EAEs. This approach enables detailed quantification of EAEs in two-dimensions, as well as specific measurement of EAE severity to evaluate differences between individuals and assemblages. The percentage of occlusion of the EAC by EAEs may contribute data to interpretations of the potential secondary clinical symptoms encountered by the individual, such as conductive hearing loss. This technique can only be applied to EACs that are of 100% preservation and in EACs where the EAEs are located laterally. Future studies should aim to incorporate the use of ImageJ for quantifying EAE severity in order to develop more detailed comparisons between individuals and assemblages in relation to their duration of exposure to wet and/or wet and windy environments and to evaluate the potential secondary symptoms that individuals with severe EAEs may have encountered.

Entheseal changes are skeletal markers, which are often used in the reconstruction of physical activities. This study investigated patterns of entheseal changes and other activity markers, such as squatting facets and degerative signs at joints in a mortuary population of the Houtaomuga site, Northeast China. Comparisons were conducted between the early period (Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, 8000–2500 BP) and the late period (Late Bronze Age, 2300 BP). Differences between two sexes of the late period were also compared. The results demonstrated that the frequency and severity of entheseal changes and other activity markers differed between early and late populations and between males and females of the late population suggesting subsistence strategies changes and new patterns of sex-based divisions of labor. This is the first attempt to assess activity changes in fisher–hunter–gatherer populations over a long period of time from ancient China. Results reveal that though the Houtaomuga population maintained the primary subsistence modes of fishing, hunting, and gathering, their entheses elucidate gradual shifts along with reduced activity stress due to sedentary life and intensified sex-based divisions of labor and the advent of craft specializations, which was likely influenced by climate changes.

The “Validated Entheses-based Reconstruction of Activity” (V.E.R.A.) method has proven to be a reliable method for the quantification and analysis of entheses. However, this method has only been successfully applied to human hand bones and animal long bones. This study tests the general applicability of the V.E.R.A. method to the human humerus, focusing on evaluating its reliability and repeatability. The sample included 23 humeri of unknown origin and background. The V.E.R.A. method was applied to six entheses of the humerus, comprising the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, common extensor origin, and common flexor origin. Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and percentage of error statistics were used to measure intraobserver error. Interobserver error was assessed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Lin's CCC. Intraobserver rates were between 1.83% and 3.23%. Interobserver error values were excellent, with no significant differences found in the ANOVA tests; Lin's CCC values were all above 0.90, with only the common extensor origin being 0.87; and ICC values were all above 0.97. Our results showed that the V.E.R.A. method is highly reliable and reproducible for the six entheses of the human humerus selected for this study. These results demonstrate the vast potential for the V.E.R.A. method to be applied to other parts of the human skeleton.

Anthropologists evaluate injuries in skeletal remains by examining their macroscopic and microscopic features, utilizing empirical and theoretical knowledge about trauma formation and healing. Finite element analysis (FEA), which enables computational simulation of the structural stress on bone tissue and skeletal components based on their shape and defined physical properties, could be used to supplement such assessments. This study evaluates FEA's applicability for simulating injuries observed in historical skeletal materials by confronting the method with a lower limb trauma observed in nearly 300-year-old mummified remains. The simulations were computed using algorithms integrated into the Mechanical Finder software. Postmortem computed tomography (CT) data were acquired using a Phillips Brilliance CT 64 scanner with a slice thickness of 0.3 mm and a 1024 × 1024 matrix. The dynamic simulations focused on exploring the relationship between the direction and speed of the projectile and the formation and propagation of skeletal trauma. FEA provided insight into the mechanical limits of the affected bones across varying projectile velocities and impact directions. The observed fractures most closely matched the results of the simulation where the projectile struck from the lateral side. The obtained information supplemented the osteological diagnosis based on the visual assessment of the trauma. However, the informational value of the results was reduced because the software did not show the spread of finer fractures and was unable to simulate covering soft tissues. On a general level, Mechanical Finder facilitates the simulation of bone biomechanics primarily through its ability to create nonhomogeneous FEA models directly from CT scans. Nevertheless, its usage remains challenging for experts without a biomechanical background.

The Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), a large flightless bird native to South America, held historical significance as a vital resource for Patagonian hunter–gatherer societies. Despite the species' cultural and ecological importance, the historical population dynamics of R. pennata remain poorly understood. Although present in the archaeological record, its abundance is not consistently documented and the reasons remain unclear. This study investigates the late Holocene population trends of R. pennata using ancient DNA analysis. By analyzing complete mitochondrial genome sequences from dated archaeological specimens, we reveal a significant population increase from 700 to 500 years Before Present (BP), followed by a period of relative stability from 500 to 300 years BP. Subsequently, a subtle decline in population size is observed, coinciding with the arrival of European settlers; however, due to considerable uncertainty in population estimates, definitive conclusions regarding this decline are challenging to make. Historical records indicate heightened rhea hunting during this period, coterminous with a decrease in the abundance of rhea eggshell fragments. It is suggested that climatic factors may have influenced these population dynamics, particularly favoring rhea population growth from 700 to 500 years BP. This study contributes to our understanding of the historical ecology and human-rhea interactions in Patagonia, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing past population dynamics.

Animal domestication led to changes in the interaction between animals and humans, including new ways of exploitation, which could potentially leave lesions on the animals' bones. This study aims to examine changes in the prevalence of pathological manifestation following changes in human-animal interactions as a result their domestication. For this purpose, we studied 19,565 animal remains recovered from archaeological excavations, dated from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period to historical periods and assigned the pathologies into types. Of these, 60 animal remains presented pathological lesions. The suspected pathological cases were validated using a microscope, X-ray, and/or micro-CT scan. Lesions were divided into four categories: trauma, aging/musculoskeletal stress marks (MSM), periodontal diseases, and inflammatory processes. Then, our database was combined with previously published data to a total of 26,596 animal remains, out of which 128 demonstrated pathological lesions. We found that the prevalence of lesions in animals was higher in the historical periods compared with prehistoric periods. Moreover, based on a comparison between recent gazelles living in captivity and those living in the wild, we found that captivity resulted in the deterioration of the animals' health. We concluded that pathologies were more frequent in livestock in historic periods, in comparison with wild species and livestock from earlier periods. Such lesions were common not only in working livestock (cattle and donkeys) but also in non-working domesticates (caprines and chickens) and companion animals (dogs and cats). Variations in the pathological frequencies between these three categories may be attributed to differences in exploitation, including the intensification of farming and herding. Finally, this study provides a unique reference dataset for zooarchaeologists when studying ancient animal assemblages.