Jane Buikstra
Arizona State University, Shesc, Faculty Member
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Buikstra, J.E., DeWitte, S.N., Agarwal, S.C., Baker, B.J., Bartelink, E.J., Berger, E., Blevins, K.E., Bolhofner, K., Boutin, A.T., Brickley, M.B., Buzon, M.R., de la Cova, C., Goldstein, L., Grauer, A.L., Gregoricka, L.A., Halcrow, S.E.,... more
Buikstra, J.E., DeWitte, S.N., Agarwal, S.C., Baker, B.J., Bartelink, E.J., Berger, E., Blevins, K.E., Bolhofner, K., Boutin, A.T., Brickley, M.B., Buzon, M.R., de la Cova, C., Goldstein, L., Grauer, A.L., Gregoricka, L.A., Halcrow, S.E., Hall, S.A., Hillson, S., Kakaliouris, A.M., Klaus, H.D., Knudson, K.J., Knüsel, C.J., Larsen, C.S., Martin, D.L., Milner, G.R., Novak, M., Nystrom, K.C., Pacheco-Forés, S.I., Prowse, T.L., Robbins Schug, G., Roberts, C.A., Rothwell, J.E., Santos, A. L., Stojanowski, C., Stone, A.C., Stull, K.E., Temple, D.H., Torres, C.M., Toyne, J. M., Tung, T.A., Ullinger, J., Wiltschke-Schrotta, K., and Zakrzewski, S.R. In press. 21st century bioarchaeology: Taking stock and moving forward. Yearbook of Biological Anthropology. This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward,” which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6–8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ulti- mately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that rever- berate through history and beyond as promising trajectories for bioarchaeological research. Among the former were contextual grounding, research question/hypothesis generation, statistical procedures appropriate for small samples and mixed qualitative/ quantitative data, the salience of Bayesian methods, and training program content. Top- ical foci included ethics, social inequality, identity (including intersectionality), climate change, migration, violence, epidemic disease, adaptability/plasticity, the osteological paradox, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Given the profound changes required globally to address decolonization in the 21st century, this concern also entered many formal and informal discussions.
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1. Dulik, M. C., Zhadanov, S. I., Osipova, L. P., Askapuli, A., Gau, L., Gokcumen, O. & Schurr, T. G. (2012). Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome variation provides evidence for a recent common ancestry between Native Americans and... more
1. Dulik, M. C., Zhadanov, S. I., Osipova, L. P., Askapuli, A., Gau, L., Gokcumen, O. & Schurr, T. G. (2012). Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome variation provides evidence for a recent common ancestry between Native Americans and Indigenous Altaians. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 90(2), 229-246. 2. Flotow 3. Karafet et al, Paternal Population History of East Asia: Sources, Patterns, and Microevolutionary Processes. (pdf) American Journal of Human Genetics, 69:615-628, 2001. 4. Kidd KK, Kidd JR, Speed WC, Fang R, Furtado MR, Hyland FC, Pakstis AJ. "Expanding data and resources for forensic use of SNPs in individual identification.". Forensic Sci Int Genet. 6:646-52. (2012) 5. Kidd KK, Speed WC, Pakstis AJ, Furtado MR, Fang R, Madbouly A , Maiers M, Middha M, Friedlaender FR, Kidd JR. "Progress toward an efficient panel of SNPs for ancestry inference". Forensic Sci Int Genet. 23-32. (2014) 6. Kosoy R, Nassir R, Tian C, White PA, Butler LM, Silva G, Kittl...
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Ancient DNA methodology was applied to extract and amplify a segment of kinetoplast DNA of Trypanosoma cruzi in soft tissue specimens from about 300 spontaneously mummified human bodies from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and... more
Ancient DNA methodology was applied to extract and amplify a segment of kinetoplast DNA of Trypanosoma cruzi in soft tissue specimens from about 300 spontaneously mummified human bodies from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and southern Peru. A DNA probe was then employed to hybridize with the amplicon. Results indicate that about 41% of the population in that geographic area were infected with the trypanosome over the past 9000 years. The epidemiological implications of these findings are discussed. It is also emphasized that this and several other paleoepidemiological studies in progress have established that population-study cohorts of mummies now can generate statistically valid paleoepidemiological investigations capable of testing hypotheses. These reflect the maturation of the academic discipline of the scientific study of mummies.
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Abstract Bioarchaeological studies are highly successful in accessing multivalent past social identities. This study applies social identity theory to contexts of violence, developing a theoretical framework to investigate identity-based... more
Abstract Bioarchaeological studies are highly successful in accessing multivalent past social identities. This study applies social identity theory to contexts of violence, developing a theoretical framework to investigate identity-based violence at the Epiclassic (600–900 CE) central Mexican shrine site of Non-Grid 4, where at least 180 individuals were ritually sacrificed and interred. Ethnohistoric and archaeological data indicate that geographic origin was a culturally significant indicator of social difference in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. This study therefore reconstructs the residential histories of sacrificed individuals (n = 73), analyzing radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and stable oxygen (δ18O) isotopes to consider how the perception of social difference, inferred from geographic origins, contributed to the selection of victims of ritual violence. Biogeochemical results demonstrate that 70% of sampled sacrificed individuals were born and lived their early lives outside of the Basin of Mexico, migrating into the region later in life. In contrast, only 22% of individuals were born and lived in the Basin their entire lives. Observed paleomobility patterns among sacrificial victims thus suggest that they were targeted for identity-based violence based on their divergent geographic origins in the volatile socio-political landscape of the Epiclassic Basin of Mexico.
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Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropolis dating to the eighth century A.D., including the skeleton of an adult female showing intentional dental modification (PLA-159). While the... more
Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropolis dating to the eighth century A.D., including the skeleton of an adult female showing intentional dental modification (PLA-159). While the practice of dental decoration was virtually absent in Medieval Spain, it is common in Africa and suggests that this individual was born in Africa and brought to Spain later in life. The historically documented occupation of Pamplona by Muslim groups from northern Africa between ca. 715 and 799 A.D. also supports an African origin. As an additional line of evidence, we investigated the geographic origins of two individuals from the cemetery, including PLA-159, via radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen isotope analyses on enamel hydroxyapatite. The human isotopic signatures were measured following established methodologies and compared to the local geochemical composition and modern precipitation values. The data analysis showed a non-local isotopic s...
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In the field of archaeological parasitology, researchers have long documented the distribution of parasites in archaeological time and space through the analysis of coprolites and human remains. This area of research defined the origin... more
In the field of archaeological parasitology, researchers have long documented the distribution of parasites in archaeological time and space through the analysis of coprolites and human remains. This area of research defined the origin and migration of parasites through presence/absence studies. By the end of the 20th century, the field of pathoecology had emerged as researchers developed an interest in the ancient ecology of parasite transmission. Supporting studies were conducted to establish the relationships between parasites and humans, including cultural, subsistence, and ecological reconstructions. Parasite prevalence data were collected to infer the impact of parasitism on human health. In the last few decades, a paleoepidemiological approach has emerged with a focus on applying statistical techniques for quantification. The application of egg per gram (EPG) quantification methods provide data about parasites' prevalence in ancient populations and also identify the patho...
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Studies of interacting/overlapping genetic skeletal disorders are rare for populations today, but even more so for archaeological contexts. The skeletal remains of an adult female (EZ 3-7-1) were excavated in the 1980s from the Middle... more
Studies of interacting/overlapping genetic skeletal disorders are rare for populations today, but even more so for archaeological contexts. The skeletal remains of an adult female (EZ 3-7-1) were excavated in the 1980s from the Middle Woodland (50BC-AD400) context of the Elizabeth site (11PK512) in the lower Illinois Valley (LIV), USA. Reported here are the standard score (z-score) comparisons of the measured skeletal differences of EZ 3-7-1 with a reference sample and a re-analysis of the individual's pathological changes, with special consideration placed on refining the disease diagnosis. The impressive preservation and meticulous recovery of these skeletal remains have provided the opportunity to identify the first and earliest archaeological example of an individual (EZ 3-7-1) with a combined genetic skeletal dysplasia, Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis and achondroplasia.
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Chapter 19 situates the development of the bioarchaeology of care approach, and the contents of this book in particular, within the wider discipline of bioarchaeology. It reviews the history of the bioarchaeology of care model and its... more
Chapter 19 situates the development of the bioarchaeology of care approach, and the contents of this book in particular, within the wider discipline of bioarchaeology. It reviews the history of the bioarchaeology of care model and its implications for current and future research practice, then discusses the diverse chapters that make up New Developments in the Bioarchaeology of Care. It concludes that the contents of these chapters make a substantial contribution to advancing the bioarchaeology of care methodology.
This article addresses the use of high-density topographic mapping and geomagnetic fieldwork as part of an ongoing research program focused on evaluating the role of monumental architecture in the construction and maintenance of differing... more
This article addresses the use of high-density topographic mapping and geomagnetic fieldwork as part of an ongoing research program focused on evaluating the role of monumental architecture in the construction and maintenance of differing scales of community during Middle (ca. 50 cal B.C.–cal A.D. 400) and Late (ca. cal A.D. 400–1000) Woodland periods in the Lower Illinois River Valley. At the 2013 Center for American Archeology and Arizona State University field school, a 2.46-ha area at the Kamp Mound Group (11C12) containing Mounds 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9 was surveyed using magnetic fluxgate gradiometry and mapped using a high-density robotic total station. Our survey results demonstrate that highly disturbed mounds have significant interpretable structure that can be used as primary data to better understand spatial attributes related to evaluating site organization, distribution of activity areas in nonmounded space, and internal mound structure and composition.
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ABSTRACT
Research Interests: Bioarchaeology, Paleopathology, Paleoparasitology, Paleopathology in mummified remains, Paleopatologia, and 13 morePaleopatología, Paleopatologia. Mujer. Paleopathology. Woman., Paleopatologia. Mujer. Malformación., Paleopathology of Japan, Paléopathologie, Paleopatologie, Bioarchaeology paleopathology, Osteology and Paleopatology In Prehistorian Populations, Animal Paleopathology, Paleopatologija, Paleopatology, Paleopathology of the Ancient Egyptians, and Paleopathology Syphilis
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To perform a radiographic evaluation of the skeletal remains of 2 elite individuals from the Early Classic Period of Copan, namely, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' (Hunal Burial 95-2), founder of the Early Classic Dynasty, and the... more
To perform a radiographic evaluation of the skeletal remains of 2 elite individuals from the Early Classic Period of Copan, namely, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' (Hunal Burial 95-2), founder of the Early Classic Dynasty, and the primary female interment from the Motmot tomb (Burial 37-8). Our aims were to document pathologies and subsequent changes in long-bone density resulting from physiologic or functional adaptations, such as disuse atrophy. Standardized anteroposterior and mediolateral radiographs were obtained using a portable veterinary x-ray unit and Polaroid film. Orthogonal radiographs were used to estimate the cross-sectional biomechanical properties of the long bones. In the case of Yax K'uk' Mo', it appears that there was trauma-induced disuse atrophy of the right forearm resulting in an accelerated loss of cortical bone in the right humerus relative to the left humerus. The restructuring of this individual's left shoulder girdle probably resulte...
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The present chapter on strontium isotopes from human dental enamel aims at presenting four archaeological case studies to illustrate the anthropological significance and range of applications of this technique: a northern Maya origin for... more
The present chapter on strontium isotopes from human dental enamel aims at presenting four archaeological case studies to illustrate the anthropological significance and range of applications of this technique: a northern Maya origin for the founder of Copan, a local king from Tikal, and the regional origin of two of Palenque’s rulers. The results show that isotopic variation within the various culturally important regions of Mesoamerica is generally much less than variation among the different regions. Thus analysis of strontium isotope ratios in dental enamel, which retains the ratio of the place of childhood residence, can be used not only to indicate mobility but also on occasion to determine the geographic origin of the individual.
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The 1987 excavations in the Shiqmim Chalcolithic settlement and cemetery marked the beginning of the Phase II investigations at that site. This project focuses on elucidating the evolution of early agricultural settlement in the Beersheva... more
The 1987 excavations in the Shiqmim Chalcolithic settlement and cemetery marked the beginning of the Phase II investigations at that site. This project focuses on elucidating the evolution of early agricultural settlement in the Beersheva valley of Israel's Negev desert. The report presents the results of a deep trench excavation and illustrates the complex stratigraphic development of this single-period site. In addition, contextual data is discussed concerning the discovery of a copper foundation deposit consisting of a mace head and scepter. An interim quantitative study of flint tool and animal bone distributions is also discussed.
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Abstract: The chemical composition of soil surrounding the femurs of five human skeletons buried during the Middle Woodland Period in west-central lllinois has been analyzed in order to document the movement of specific chemical elements... more
Abstract: The chemical composition of soil surrounding the femurs of five human skeletons buried during the Middle Woodland Period in west-central lllinois has been analyzed in order to document the movement of specific chemical elements between soil and bone. ...
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As anthropologists, archaeologists, and biologists, and as members of the National Academy of Sciences, we were startled to read J. C. Chatters' statement that the cranial morphology of early Native Americans “represented a human... more
As anthropologists, archaeologists, and biologists, and as members of the National Academy of Sciences, we were startled to read J. C. Chatters' statement that the cranial morphology of early Native Americans “represented a human ‘wild type,’” whereas more recent Native American cranial morphology reflected a “domesticated” form (“Bones from a watery ‘black hole’ confirm first American origins,” M. Balter, News & Analysis, 16 May, p. [680][1]). We are deeply offended by Chatters' implicit comparison of early Americans to the wild ancestors of today's domesticated animals. We are disheartened to learn that there are those who continue to believe that cranial morphology carries implications of a presumed “wild” state. By so doing, they demean the very people they attempt to understand. [1]: pending:yes
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... coastal locations. None are associated with lowland regions. The power of this method for exploring life histories and ritual events among the ancient Maya is thus illustrated, as is a bright future for the technique. In closing ...
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... Woodland period, culminating in large (15—40 ha) Late Woodland villages (Asch, Famsworth, and Asch 1979; Charles 1984; Farnsworth, Emerson, and Glenn ... They refer to their method as" wombling" in deference... more
... Woodland period, culminating in large (15—40 ha) Late Woodland villages (Asch, Famsworth, and Asch 1979; Charles 1984; Farnsworth, Emerson, and Glenn ... They refer to their method as" wombling" in deference to W H. Womble (1951), who first published the basis for the ...
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The soft tissue preservation system (STPS) is emerging as a method of expressing the degree of soft tissue present on an ancient human body (mummy). In this system the intact body is divided into five anatomic segments (head, thorax,... more
The soft tissue preservation system (STPS) is emerging as a method of expressing the degree of soft tissue present on an ancient human body (mummy). In this system the intact body is divided into five anatomic segments (head, thorax, pelvis, arms and legs). Each of these segments is assigned a maximal potential number of five "points." In use, the examiner views the external surface of the disrobed mummy and estimates the degree to which soft tissue covers the underlying bone in each of the five segments. The values for each segment are added, and the total sum represents the "STP" score for that mummy. When large numbers of mummies are excavated, a subgroup is commonly assigned for complete autopsy dissection including examination of the internal organs. While such autopsies provide the most information if the internal organs are preserved, currently we have no method to predict soft tissue presence prior to dissection. This study was designed to determine whether the STP score correlates with the degree of visceral organ preservation. We reviewed the detailed autopsy records and photos of 282 spontaneously desiccated mummies from northern Chile's Atacama Desert. We found that their STP scores were predictive of internal organ preservation.
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Studies of unusual or anomalous examples frequently encourage new perspectives, placing the “normal” in a broader context. This is our motivation for studying the Ray site, a Middle Woodland burial located on a steep, narrow ridge near... more
Studies of unusual or anomalous examples frequently encourage new perspectives, placing the “normal” in a broader context. This is our motivation for studying the Ray site, a Middle Woodland burial located on a steep, narrow ridge near the confluence of the Illinois and La Moine Rivers. The Ray site is anomalous, when compared to other Middle Woodland sites, in that the cemetery is not mounded. In addition, the skeletons show an unusual, high frequency of pathology, including developmental conditions. Therefore, genetic relationships within the community that buried at the Ray site and between that community and their regional contemporaries are of interest. For this pilot project, we have extracted ancient DNA from a sample of teeth recovered from six individuals buried in different areas of the site. We use a broad selection of informative markers to investigate indications of gene flow and admixture as well as the use of identity markers to identify biological relationship within the site. We assembled a panel of markers, which includes an array of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with maternal and paternal lineages along with autosomal markers. In this preliminary study, we present results of this genetic analysis and discuss future directions for genetic analysis for the remaining 112 individuals of the Ray Site. This study also serves to complement ongoing studies of inherited skeletal and dental features.