International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

This article presents an analysis of paleopathologies in dogs from the Iron Age through the Roman period (500 bce–400 ce) in Central–Eastern Gaul. The analysis focuses on the quantification of paleopathological traces in an attempt to identify changes in human–dog relationships between these two periods. The number of paleopathologies remains marginal in dog populations during these periods. However, oral pathologies represent the most prevalent identified lesions. Nevertheless, a discernible increase in joint and traumatic diseases can be observed in urban centers from the beginning of the Roman Empire onwards, which coincided with a rise in morphological diversity and the cessation of cynophagy. The number of “multipathological” cases also increased during the same period. This upsurge of joint and traumatic pathologies raises questions about the living conditions and treatment of dogs according to their potential functions in ancient societies. Nonetheless, the majority of paleopathologies are multifactorial or of unknown etiology and therefore cannot be unequivocally linked or attributed to certain dog's functions.

This study reports the discovery of a fossilized left scapula of the extinct Miocene seal Cryptophoca maeotica within Hellenistic layers of Panticapaeum, an ancient Greek city on the Kerch Peninsula, Crimea. Excavated from a 4th-century ad water cistern repurposed as a refuse deposit, the scapula represents a rare instance of fossil remains in an urban archaeological context. Morphological and biometric analyses, supported by the region's Miocene geological context, confirmed the species identification. The absence of human modification suggests that it was probably not used as a tool or ritual object. The find indicates that Hellenistic communities in Panticapaeum, a key center of the Bosporan Kingdom, may have collected such fossils as curiosities or symbolic items, reflecting engagement with the region's paleontological heritage. This discovery underscores the value of interdisciplinary approaches to studying ancient human–fossil interactions.

The investigation of activity patterns has consistently been a significant objective in bioarchaeological research. As distinct skeletal markers, entheseal changes (ECs) have been extensively used to reconstruct the habitual behaviors of ancient populations. In this study, we conducted an analysis to identify differences in physical activity between sexes and across two distinct socioeconomic groups at the Jiaojia site (ca. 2911–2491 b.c.) during the late Neolithic period in eastern China. This analysis was based on data obtained through the Coimbra method from eight entheses. The findings derived from the ECs support the existence of a sexual division of labor. Comparison between those from different socioeconomic backgrounds did not show a statistically significant difference in ECs data, suggesting that they engaged in physical activities with comparable intensity. These results imply that daily life may be structured around patterns of routine labor. However, the interpretation of EC data must be approached with caution and should be supplemented by further theoretical and methodological research to accurately reconstruct habitual activities.

In this paper, we present 13 pathologically changed animal bones from cattle, caprines, pig, and domestic chicken, which were recognized among 1341 identifiable remains in the recently studied late medieval (first part of the 16th century) and Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Period (from the second part of the 16th to the beginning of the 18th century) assemblages found in the castle of Dombóvár-Gólyavár in Southern Hungary, a site turned from an aristocratic residence into a Turkish fortress by the Ottoman occupation. The pig remains with anomalies represent important findings since the eating of pork was minimal or avoided at the places inhabited by Muslims.

The pathologically changed bones were studied macroscopically and microscopically alike. Healed fractures represented the most frequent type of lesions, suggesting that animals were cared for either to achieve the optimal size for slaughter (e.g., cattle and pigs) or for secondary exploitation such as cockfighting. Other diseases such as uneven tooth wear, arthropathy, nonspecific infection, and bowed bones occurred sporadically in the bone material. A bone from caprines reflected age-related disorder, a result which was consistent with the age structure of sheep and goats suggesting the exploitation of these small ruminants for a longer time than cattle and pig.

Our results were interpreted within the context of other coeval bone materials originating from both Buda, the former capital of Hungary, and fortifications located in the northern and southern periphery of the country alike. They indicated that certain features such as the age and sex of animals, the species composition of the assemblages, as well as the rank and location of sites, might greatly define the frequency and nature of displayed lesions on the animal remains.

Excavations at the Chega Sofla Cemetery in southwestern Iran, fifth millennium BCE, revealed intentionally modified skulls, including BG1.12, a young woman with cranial binding and hinge fractures. Cranial bandaging changes the morphology of the skull, which affects biomechanics. Based on these factors, this study investigated fractures and objects involved in trauma. The impact fractured both the left parietal and frontal bones. CT scan images and various sectional slices of BG1.12 were used for analysis. This method obtained detailed insights into changes in cranial bone thickness, the nature of skull fractures, and deposits within the cranial vault. The fractured bones remained connected, and the lack of evidence for bone remodeling and regular deposits within the cranial vault suggests that the fracture occurred perimortem. The severity of the impact can be seen as a triangular fracture along the sagittal border of the left parietal bone. According to CT scan analysis, the fracture was caused by an object that did not penetrate the cranial vault or have sharp edges. According to observations, an object with broad edges severely fractured the cranium of this young woman during the final moments of her life.