Across the Generations: The Old and the Young in Past Societies, 2018
The growth of gender archaeology has improved the inclusion of female and juvenile narratives in ... more The growth of gender archaeology has improved the inclusion of female and juvenile narratives in archaeological discourse, enabling us to better understand interactions between groups defined by both social and physiological differences. There has been a notable absence of elderly in research, however, that is not simply a question of attitudes but of methodological limitations. The emergence of biostatistics has offered novel ways to combat common issues such as age mimicry and avoid the problematic nature of culturally loaded descriptive terminology. A test performed on Transition Analysis by Boldsen et al. (2002), generates individual age estimates, which allow for better differentiation between individuals and age groups, such as the ‘45+ older adults’. Further research into biostatistical methods will not only improve objectivity but bring much-needed attention to the elderly, including their narrative into the investigation of family dynamics and adult-juvenile interactions.
The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the id... more The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the identification by Iain Crawford of a kerb cairn complex, with a cist and human remains. Six years later he went back, and over the next three years excavated another cist with human remains in its kerbed cairn, many bowl pits dug into the blown sand, and down to two late Neolithic structures and a ritual complex. He intensively studied the environmental conditions affecting the site and was among the first archaeologists in Scotland to understand the climate changes taking place at the transition between late Neolithic and the early Bronze Age. The deposition of blown sand and the start of the machair in the Western Isles, including the rise in sea-level and inundations into inhabited and farmed landscapes, are all part of the complex story of natural events and human activities. Radiocarbon dating and modern scientific analyses provide the detail of the story of periods of starvation suffered by the people that were buried on the site, of the movement away of the community, of their attempts of bringing the 'new' land back into cultivation, of a temporary tent-like structure, and of marking their territory by the construction of enduring monuments to the dead. Beverley Ballin Smith took up the mantle left by Iain Crawford and has brought this first monograph on his Udal project area to publication. She has extensive experience of working on, and publishing, other large multi-period sites. She is an archaeologist who lived and worked on Orkney for many years and has first-hand experience of the archaeology of Shetland, the UK, Faroes, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and is now based in Scotland. Beverley is the Publications Manager at GUARD Archaeology Ltd and editor of ARO (Archaeology Reports Online), with the aim of disseminating information to relevant audiences. She undertakes specialist analysis of prehistoric pottery and coarse stone tools.
The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the id... more The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the identification by Iain Crawford of a kerb cairn complex, with a cist and human remains. Six years later he went back, and over the next three years excavated another cist with human remains in its kerbed cairn, many bowl pits dug into the blown sand, and down to two late Neolithic structures and a ritual complex. He intensively studied the environmental conditions affecting the site and was among the first archaeologists in Scotland to understand the climate changes taking place at the transition between late Neolithic and the early Bronze Age. The deposition of blown sand and the start of the machair in the Western Isles, including the rise in sea-level and inundations into inhabited and farmed landscapes, are all part of the complex story of natural events and human activities. Radiocarbon dating and modern scientific analyses provide the detail of the story of periods of starvation suffered by the people that were buried on the site, of the movement away of the community, of their attempts of bringing the 'new' land back into cultivation, of a temporary tent-like structure, and of marking their territory by the construction of enduring monuments to the dead. Beverley Ballin Smith took up the mantle left by Iain Crawford and has brought this first monograph on his Udal project area to publication. She has extensive experience of working on, and publishing, other large multi-period sites. She is an archaeologist who lived and worked on Orkney for many years and has first-hand experience of the archaeology of Shetland, the UK, Faroes, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and is now based in Scotland. Beverley is the Publications Manager at GUARD Archaeology Ltd and editor of ARO (Archaeology Reports Online), with the aim of disseminating information to relevant audiences. She undertakes specialist analysis of prehistoric pottery and coarse stone tools.
Recent studies have reported that quantifying symphyseal and auricular surface curvature changes ... more Recent studies have reported that quantifying symphyseal and auricular surface curvature changes on 3D models acquired by laser scanners has a potential for age estimation. However, no tests have been carried out to evaluate the repeatability of the results between different laser scanners. 3D models of the two pelvic joints were generated using three laser scanners (Custom, Faro, and Minolta). The surface curvature, the surface area, and the distance between co-registered meshes were investigated. Close results were found for surface areas (differences between 0.3% and 2.4%) and for distance deviations (average <20 lm, SD <200 lm). The curvature values were found to be systematically biased between different laser scanners, but still showing similar trends with increasing phases/scores. Applying a smoothing factor to the 3D models, it was possible to separate anatomy from the measurement error of each instrument, so that similar curvature values could be obtained (p < 0.05) independent of the specific laser scanner. Recent studies have shown the benefits of quantitative methods using 3D laser scanner models in addressing fundamental issues in physical and forensic anthropology. Sexual dimorphism and population and ancestry variation have been investigated quantifying surface areas or extracting curves (1–5). The morphological features of the symphyseal and the auricular surfaces used for age estimation have been examined looking at the surface curvature changes (6–8). Laser scanners have also been used to investigate cranial facial variation and for facial identification (9–13). In all these applications, the precision and the repeatability of the measurements among different instruments are essential for the reliability of each method; in fact, there are different models of laser scanners and differences between the software used for postprocessing the scans (i.e., aligning, merging, and fusion of the single scans to create a 3D model). It has been demonstrated that the surface areas were reproduced with high precision and the measurement errors of the extracted information varied from 0.2% to about 1% (5,14); it has been also shown that the location of points on the surface (landmarks) and the measurements of length could be accurately repeated on 3D models (11,12,15). When some of the parameters used for the scans made by the same laser scanner have been changed, measurement error was reported to increase slightly to 2% (14). However, all these studies have tested the repeatability of measurements made by the same instrument. Laser surface scanning (and CT-scanning) of bones is proposed as a method to make osteological data more widely and easily available, for example, the Smithsonian 3D collection (16), " Digitised Diseases " (17) and " From Cemetery to Clinic " (18). It is thus important to investigate whether 3D models acquired by different laser scanners may exhibit larger differences than those acquired by the same scanner. Irrespective of the performance of each laser scanner, the nodes of the resulting 3D model surfaces represent the true anatomical shape, plus some error due to measurement uncertainty. The formal expression of this uncertainty is difficult, as it requires full knowledge not only of the instrument and object properties, but also of operational details which may not always be available, such as calibration steps followed and the exact distance between object and scanner (19,20). A simple but general approach to assess measurement error that does not rely on any external knowledge beyond the scanned 3D mesh would therefore be particularly convenient. We assumed the measurement uncertainty manifests itself exclusively as independent random error in the position of mesh nodes, which can be effectively reduced by a smoothing operation over neighboring nodes. If this assumption is appropriate , the use of an adequate amount of smoothing would filter out the measurement error while preserving the overall anatomical shape of the bone surface and homogenize 3D models from different instruments. The aim of this study was to experimentally verify the validity of our assumption using 3D models of sym-physeal and auricular surfaces generated with three different
Archaeological work in advance of construction at a site on the edge of York, UK, yielded human r... more Archaeological work in advance of construction at a site on the edge of York, UK, yielded human remains of prehistoric to Romano-British date. Amongst these was a mandible and cranium, the intra-cranial space of which contained shrunken but macroscopically recognizable remains of a brain. Although the distinctive surface morphology of the organ is preserved, little recognizable brain histology survives. Though rare, the survival of brain tissue in otherwise skeletalised human remains from wet burial environments is not unique. A survey of the literature shows that similar brain masses have been previously reported in diverse circumstances. We argue for a greater awareness of these brain masses and for more attention to be paid to their detection and identification in order to improve the reporting rate and to allow a more comprehensive study of this rare archaeological survival.
This paper presents a re-evaluation of a cemetery excavated over 30 years ago at Walkington Wold ... more This paper presents a re-evaluation of a cemetery excavated over 30 years ago at Walkington Wold in east Yorkshire. The cemetery is characterized by careless burial on diverse alignments, and by the fact that most of the skeletons did not have associated crania. The cemetery has been variously described as being the result of an early post-Roman massacre, as providing evidence for a 'Celtic' head cult or as an Anglo-Saxon execution cemetery. In order to resolve the matter, radiocarbon dates were acquired and a re-examination of the skeletal remains was undertaken. It was confirmed that the cemetery was an Anglo-Saxon execution cemetery, the only known example from northern England, and the site is set into its wider context in the paper.
A revised method for estimating adult age at death using the auricular surface of the ilium has b... more A revised method for estimating adult age at death using the auricular surface of the ilium has been developed. It is based on the existing auricular surface aging method of Lovejoy et al. ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:15–28), but the revised technique is easier to apply, and has low levels of inter-and intraobserver error. The new method records age-related stages for different features of the auricular surface, which are then combined to provide a composite score from which an estimate of age at death is obtained. Blind tests of the method were carried out on a known-age skeletal collection from Christ Church, Spitalfields, London. These tests showed that the dispersion of age at death for a given morphological stage was large, particularly after the first decade of adult life. Statistical analysis showed that the age-related changes in auricular surface are not significantly different for males and females. The scores from the revised method have a slightly higher correlation with age than do the Suchey-Brooks pubic symphysis stages. Considering the higher survival rates of the auricular surface compared with the pubic symphysis, this method promises to be useful for biological anthropology and forensic science. Am J Phys Anthropol 119:231–239, 2002.
Historical, artefactual and place-name evidence indicates that Scandinavian migrants moved to eas... 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.
With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, p... more With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, poorly preserved archaeological human remains can often receive limited attention or be completely excluded from the analysis of archaeological sites. Although incomplete skeletons often yield minimal demographic information and can complicate the diagnosis of some pathological conditions, this is not universal. Significant information can be obtained even in partial remains on metabolic bone diseases (where, by definition, the whole skeleton is involved), and for conditions such as osteoarthritis and fractures which can be diagnosed in isolation. We present an example of an incomplete skeleton that provided valuable new information on pathological changes associated with osteomalacia, a condition that has been little studied to date in paleopathology. This skeleton also contributes to our understanding of the factors surrounding the classification of fractures, and provides new insight into the full range of circumstances in which eburnation can develop. This example demonstrates the value of including partial and poorly preserved skeletons in paleopathological analysis and the extent of information that can be obtained.
A B S T R A C T Pseudofractures, lucent bands that occur due to a build-up of osteoid, are a key ... more A B S T R A C T Pseudofractures, lucent bands that occur due to a build-up of osteoid, are a key feature of osteomalacia. In paleopathology, pseudofractures are often marked by small, linear cracks in the cortex of the bone surrounded by irregular, bony spicule formation. Radiography can be used to help diagnose pseudofractures, both clinically and in paleopathology. A detailed understanding of the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures and their development is, therefore, necessary to aid a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency. The present study examined the clinical literature to determine current ideas on the appearance of pseudofractures with the aim of applying this knowledge to paleopathology. A radiographic study of the characteristics of pseudofractures was performed on five individuals with clear skeletal features of osteomalacia from archaeological sites in Canada and the United Kingdom dating to the medieval period (5th to 15th centuries) and the 18th to 19th century. Results show that the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures could potentially reveal information about the cause of the deficiency and the chronicity of pseudofractures. This type of information has the potential to further our understanding of the lived experiences of archaeological individuals with osteomalacia.
Abstract You Are What You Ate was a British public engagement project funded by the Wellcome Trus... more Abstract You Are What You Ate was a British public engagement project funded by the Wellcome Trust between 2010 and 2014. It was a collaboration between the University of Leeds, the University of Bradford and Wakefield Council, especially its museums, schools and libraries, which aimed to use medieval food as a way to encourage reflection about modern food and lifestyle. The innovative project ran three exhibitions in Wakefield and Pontefract, a mobile exhibition, numerous schools and youth workshops, and a series of market stalls and osteology workshops for adults and children in the Yorkshire region. This article provides an overview of the project's aims, activities, outcomes, including an analysis of how to evaluate them, and its legacy.
The results of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from two medieval populations are presented h... more The results of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from two medieval populations are presented here, in a study investigating dietary habits within a medieval hospital population in England. We used δ 13 C and δ 15 N measurements of bone collagen in order to attempt to identify a distinct group diet within the medieval hospital of St. Giles, Brough, Yorkshire, and examine the reasons why the dietary habits within the institution may have been noticeably different from that of a comparative lay population. Following the results and tentative conclusions of a study conducted by Müldner and Richards (2005), it was hypothesised that religious fasting rules would result in there being evidence of greater consumption marine fish at St. Giles than at the rural township of Box Lane, Pontefract, Yorkshire. While more dietary variation was found at the hospital, it can be seen that the differences in δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope values vary in relation to the animal baselines. Thus, differences between the human populations can be attributed to geological and environmental factors as opposed to dietary differences .
Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biol... more Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biological profile both in forensic and archaeological contexts. The traditional adult osteological methods evaluate macroscopically the morphological changes that occur with increasing age of specific skeletal indicators, such as the cranial sutures, the pubic bone, the auricular surface of the ilium and the sternal end of the ribs. Technologies such as computed tomography and laser scanning are becoming more widely used in anthropology, and several new methods have been developed. This review focuses on how the osteological age-related changes have been evaluated in digital data. First, the 3D virtual copies of the bones have been used to mimic the appearance of the dry bones and the application of the traditional methods. Secondly, the information directly extrapolated from CT scans has been used to assess qualitatively or quantitatively the changes of the trabecular bones, the thickness of the cortical bones, and to perform morphometric analyses. Lastly, the most innovative approach has been the mathematical quantification of the changes of the pelvic joints, calculating the complexity of the surface. The importance of new updated reference datasets, created thanks to the use of CT scanning in forensic settings, is also discussed.
Across the Generations: The Old and the Young in Past Societies, 2018
The growth of gender archaeology has improved the inclusion of female and juvenile narratives in ... more The growth of gender archaeology has improved the inclusion of female and juvenile narratives in archaeological discourse, enabling us to better understand interactions between groups defined by both social and physiological differences. There has been a notable absence of elderly in research, however, that is not simply a question of attitudes but of methodological limitations. The emergence of biostatistics has offered novel ways to combat common issues such as age mimicry and avoid the problematic nature of culturally loaded descriptive terminology. A test performed on Transition Analysis by Boldsen et al. (2002), generates individual age estimates, which allow for better differentiation between individuals and age groups, such as the ‘45+ older adults’. Further research into biostatistical methods will not only improve objectivity but bring much-needed attention to the elderly, including their narrative into the investigation of family dynamics and adult-juvenile interactions.
The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the id... more The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the identification by Iain Crawford of a kerb cairn complex, with a cist and human remains. Six years later he went back, and over the next three years excavated another cist with human remains in its kerbed cairn, many bowl pits dug into the blown sand, and down to two late Neolithic structures and a ritual complex. He intensively studied the environmental conditions affecting the site and was among the first archaeologists in Scotland to understand the climate changes taking place at the transition between late Neolithic and the early Bronze Age. The deposition of blown sand and the start of the machair in the Western Isles, including the rise in sea-level and inundations into inhabited and farmed landscapes, are all part of the complex story of natural events and human activities. Radiocarbon dating and modern scientific analyses provide the detail of the story of periods of starvation suffered by the people that were buried on the site, of the movement away of the community, of their attempts of bringing the 'new' land back into cultivation, of a temporary tent-like structure, and of marking their territory by the construction of enduring monuments to the dead. Beverley Ballin Smith took up the mantle left by Iain Crawford and has brought this first monograph on his Udal project area to publication. She has extensive experience of working on, and publishing, other large multi-period sites. She is an archaeologist who lived and worked on Orkney for many years and has first-hand experience of the archaeology of Shetland, the UK, Faroes, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and is now based in Scotland. Beverley is the Publications Manager at GUARD Archaeology Ltd and editor of ARO (Archaeology Reports Online), with the aim of disseminating information to relevant audiences. She undertakes specialist analysis of prehistoric pottery and coarse stone tools.
The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the id... more The discovery of archaeological structures in North Uist in 1974 after storm damage led to the identification by Iain Crawford of a kerb cairn complex, with a cist and human remains. Six years later he went back, and over the next three years excavated another cist with human remains in its kerbed cairn, many bowl pits dug into the blown sand, and down to two late Neolithic structures and a ritual complex. He intensively studied the environmental conditions affecting the site and was among the first archaeologists in Scotland to understand the climate changes taking place at the transition between late Neolithic and the early Bronze Age. The deposition of blown sand and the start of the machair in the Western Isles, including the rise in sea-level and inundations into inhabited and farmed landscapes, are all part of the complex story of natural events and human activities. Radiocarbon dating and modern scientific analyses provide the detail of the story of periods of starvation suffered by the people that were buried on the site, of the movement away of the community, of their attempts of bringing the 'new' land back into cultivation, of a temporary tent-like structure, and of marking their territory by the construction of enduring monuments to the dead. Beverley Ballin Smith took up the mantle left by Iain Crawford and has brought this first monograph on his Udal project area to publication. She has extensive experience of working on, and publishing, other large multi-period sites. She is an archaeologist who lived and worked on Orkney for many years and has first-hand experience of the archaeology of Shetland, the UK, Faroes, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and is now based in Scotland. Beverley is the Publications Manager at GUARD Archaeology Ltd and editor of ARO (Archaeology Reports Online), with the aim of disseminating information to relevant audiences. She undertakes specialist analysis of prehistoric pottery and coarse stone tools.
Recent studies have reported that quantifying symphyseal and auricular surface curvature changes ... more Recent studies have reported that quantifying symphyseal and auricular surface curvature changes on 3D models acquired by laser scanners has a potential for age estimation. However, no tests have been carried out to evaluate the repeatability of the results between different laser scanners. 3D models of the two pelvic joints were generated using three laser scanners (Custom, Faro, and Minolta). The surface curvature, the surface area, and the distance between co-registered meshes were investigated. Close results were found for surface areas (differences between 0.3% and 2.4%) and for distance deviations (average <20 lm, SD <200 lm). The curvature values were found to be systematically biased between different laser scanners, but still showing similar trends with increasing phases/scores. Applying a smoothing factor to the 3D models, it was possible to separate anatomy from the measurement error of each instrument, so that similar curvature values could be obtained (p < 0.05) independent of the specific laser scanner. Recent studies have shown the benefits of quantitative methods using 3D laser scanner models in addressing fundamental issues in physical and forensic anthropology. Sexual dimorphism and population and ancestry variation have been investigated quantifying surface areas or extracting curves (1–5). The morphological features of the symphyseal and the auricular surfaces used for age estimation have been examined looking at the surface curvature changes (6–8). Laser scanners have also been used to investigate cranial facial variation and for facial identification (9–13). In all these applications, the precision and the repeatability of the measurements among different instruments are essential for the reliability of each method; in fact, there are different models of laser scanners and differences between the software used for postprocessing the scans (i.e., aligning, merging, and fusion of the single scans to create a 3D model). It has been demonstrated that the surface areas were reproduced with high precision and the measurement errors of the extracted information varied from 0.2% to about 1% (5,14); it has been also shown that the location of points on the surface (landmarks) and the measurements of length could be accurately repeated on 3D models (11,12,15). When some of the parameters used for the scans made by the same laser scanner have been changed, measurement error was reported to increase slightly to 2% (14). However, all these studies have tested the repeatability of measurements made by the same instrument. Laser surface scanning (and CT-scanning) of bones is proposed as a method to make osteological data more widely and easily available, for example, the Smithsonian 3D collection (16), " Digitised Diseases " (17) and " From Cemetery to Clinic " (18). It is thus important to investigate whether 3D models acquired by different laser scanners may exhibit larger differences than those acquired by the same scanner. Irrespective of the performance of each laser scanner, the nodes of the resulting 3D model surfaces represent the true anatomical shape, plus some error due to measurement uncertainty. The formal expression of this uncertainty is difficult, as it requires full knowledge not only of the instrument and object properties, but also of operational details which may not always be available, such as calibration steps followed and the exact distance between object and scanner (19,20). A simple but general approach to assess measurement error that does not rely on any external knowledge beyond the scanned 3D mesh would therefore be particularly convenient. We assumed the measurement uncertainty manifests itself exclusively as independent random error in the position of mesh nodes, which can be effectively reduced by a smoothing operation over neighboring nodes. If this assumption is appropriate , the use of an adequate amount of smoothing would filter out the measurement error while preserving the overall anatomical shape of the bone surface and homogenize 3D models from different instruments. The aim of this study was to experimentally verify the validity of our assumption using 3D models of sym-physeal and auricular surfaces generated with three different
Archaeological work in advance of construction at a site on the edge of York, UK, yielded human r... more Archaeological work in advance of construction at a site on the edge of York, UK, yielded human remains of prehistoric to Romano-British date. Amongst these was a mandible and cranium, the intra-cranial space of which contained shrunken but macroscopically recognizable remains of a brain. Although the distinctive surface morphology of the organ is preserved, little recognizable brain histology survives. Though rare, the survival of brain tissue in otherwise skeletalised human remains from wet burial environments is not unique. A survey of the literature shows that similar brain masses have been previously reported in diverse circumstances. We argue for a greater awareness of these brain masses and for more attention to be paid to their detection and identification in order to improve the reporting rate and to allow a more comprehensive study of this rare archaeological survival.
This paper presents a re-evaluation of a cemetery excavated over 30 years ago at Walkington Wold ... more This paper presents a re-evaluation of a cemetery excavated over 30 years ago at Walkington Wold in east Yorkshire. The cemetery is characterized by careless burial on diverse alignments, and by the fact that most of the skeletons did not have associated crania. The cemetery has been variously described as being the result of an early post-Roman massacre, as providing evidence for a 'Celtic' head cult or as an Anglo-Saxon execution cemetery. In order to resolve the matter, radiocarbon dates were acquired and a re-examination of the skeletal remains was undertaken. It was confirmed that the cemetery was an Anglo-Saxon execution cemetery, the only known example from northern England, and the site is set into its wider context in the paper.
A revised method for estimating adult age at death using the auricular surface of the ilium has b... more A revised method for estimating adult age at death using the auricular surface of the ilium has been developed. It is based on the existing auricular surface aging method of Lovejoy et al. ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68:15–28), but the revised technique is easier to apply, and has low levels of inter-and intraobserver error. The new method records age-related stages for different features of the auricular surface, which are then combined to provide a composite score from which an estimate of age at death is obtained. Blind tests of the method were carried out on a known-age skeletal collection from Christ Church, Spitalfields, London. These tests showed that the dispersion of age at death for a given morphological stage was large, particularly after the first decade of adult life. Statistical analysis showed that the age-related changes in auricular surface are not significantly different for males and females. The scores from the revised method have a slightly higher correlation with age than do the Suchey-Brooks pubic symphysis stages. Considering the higher survival rates of the auricular surface compared with the pubic symphysis, this method promises to be useful for biological anthropology and forensic science. Am J Phys Anthropol 119:231–239, 2002.
Historical, artefactual and place-name evidence indicates that Scandinavian migrants moved to eas... 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.
With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, p... more With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, poorly preserved archaeological human remains can often receive limited attention or be completely excluded from the analysis of archaeological sites. Although incomplete skeletons often yield minimal demographic information and can complicate the diagnosis of some pathological conditions, this is not universal. Significant information can be obtained even in partial remains on metabolic bone diseases (where, by definition, the whole skeleton is involved), and for conditions such as osteoarthritis and fractures which can be diagnosed in isolation. We present an example of an incomplete skeleton that provided valuable new information on pathological changes associated with osteomalacia, a condition that has been little studied to date in paleopathology. This skeleton also contributes to our understanding of the factors surrounding the classification of fractures, and provides new insight into the full range of circumstances in which eburnation can develop. This example demonstrates the value of including partial and poorly preserved skeletons in paleopathological analysis and the extent of information that can be obtained.
A B S T R A C T Pseudofractures, lucent bands that occur due to a build-up of osteoid, are a key ... more A B S T R A C T Pseudofractures, lucent bands that occur due to a build-up of osteoid, are a key feature of osteomalacia. In paleopathology, pseudofractures are often marked by small, linear cracks in the cortex of the bone surrounded by irregular, bony spicule formation. Radiography can be used to help diagnose pseudofractures, both clinically and in paleopathology. A detailed understanding of the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures and their development is, therefore, necessary to aid a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency. The present study examined the clinical literature to determine current ideas on the appearance of pseudofractures with the aim of applying this knowledge to paleopathology. A radiographic study of the characteristics of pseudofractures was performed on five individuals with clear skeletal features of osteomalacia from archaeological sites in Canada and the United Kingdom dating to the medieval period (5th to 15th centuries) and the 18th to 19th century. Results show that the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures could potentially reveal information about the cause of the deficiency and the chronicity of pseudofractures. This type of information has the potential to further our understanding of the lived experiences of archaeological individuals with osteomalacia.
Abstract You Are What You Ate was a British public engagement project funded by the Wellcome Trus... more Abstract You Are What You Ate was a British public engagement project funded by the Wellcome Trust between 2010 and 2014. It was a collaboration between the University of Leeds, the University of Bradford and Wakefield Council, especially its museums, schools and libraries, which aimed to use medieval food as a way to encourage reflection about modern food and lifestyle. The innovative project ran three exhibitions in Wakefield and Pontefract, a mobile exhibition, numerous schools and youth workshops, and a series of market stalls and osteology workshops for adults and children in the Yorkshire region. This article provides an overview of the project's aims, activities, outcomes, including an analysis of how to evaluate them, and its legacy.
The results of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from two medieval populations are presented h... more The results of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis from two medieval populations are presented here, in a study investigating dietary habits within a medieval hospital population in England. We used δ 13 C and δ 15 N measurements of bone collagen in order to attempt to identify a distinct group diet within the medieval hospital of St. Giles, Brough, Yorkshire, and examine the reasons why the dietary habits within the institution may have been noticeably different from that of a comparative lay population. Following the results and tentative conclusions of a study conducted by Müldner and Richards (2005), it was hypothesised that religious fasting rules would result in there being evidence of greater consumption marine fish at St. Giles than at the rural township of Box Lane, Pontefract, Yorkshire. While more dietary variation was found at the hospital, it can be seen that the differences in δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope values vary in relation to the animal baselines. Thus, differences between the human populations can be attributed to geological and environmental factors as opposed to dietary differences .
Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biol... more Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biological profile both in forensic and archaeological contexts. The traditional adult osteological methods evaluate macroscopically the morphological changes that occur with increasing age of specific skeletal indicators, such as the cranial sutures, the pubic bone, the auricular surface of the ilium and the sternal end of the ribs. Technologies such as computed tomography and laser scanning are becoming more widely used in anthropology, and several new methods have been developed. This review focuses on how the osteological age-related changes have been evaluated in digital data. First, the 3D virtual copies of the bones have been used to mimic the appearance of the dry bones and the application of the traditional methods. Secondly, the information directly extrapolated from CT scans has been used to assess qualitatively or quantitatively the changes of the trabecular bones, the thickness of the cortical bones, and to perform morphometric analyses. Lastly, the most innovative approach has been the mathematical quantification of the changes of the pelvic joints, calculating the complexity of the surface. The importance of new updated reference datasets, created thanks to the use of CT scanning in forensic settings, is also discussed.
Cultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly ... more Cultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly acute in regions where urbanising Mediterranean civilisations came into contact with ‘barbarian’ worlds. This volume presents preliminary work from the ENTRANS Project, which explores the nature and impact of such encounters in south-east Europe, alongside a series of papers on analogous European regions. A range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches are offered in an effort to promote dialogue around these central issues in European protohistory.
Identifying people of exotic origins with isotopes depends upon finding isotopic attributes that ... more Identifying people of exotic origins with isotopes depends upon finding isotopic attributes that are inconsistent with the indigenous population. This task is seldom straightforward and may vary with physical geography, through time, and with cultural practices. Isotopes and trace elements were measured in four Viking Age (8 th to 10 th centuries A.D.) skeletons from Dublin, Ireland, and three from Westness, Orkney. These were compared with other data from these locations and contemporaneous skeletons from Britain. We conclude that the male skeletons from Dublin have disparate origins, two originating beyond the shores of Ireland, and that the female and two male skeletons from Westness are not indigenous to Orkney. However, the homeland of the female, in contrast to the males, is unlikely to be in Scandinavia.
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Papers by Jo Buckberry
Contributors: Judith Finlay Aird, Torben Bjarke Ballin, Jo Buckberry, Julia Beaumont, Solange Bohling, Ruby Ceron-Carrasco, Cassandra Hall, Derek Hamilton, Anthony Newton, Susan Ramsay, Robert Squair, Catherine Smith, Caroline Wickham-Jones
Contributors: Judith Finlay Aird, Torben Bjarke Ballin, Jo Buckberry, Julia Beaumont, Solange Bohling, Ruby Ceron-Carrasco, Cassandra Hall, Derek Hamilton, Anthony Newton, Susan Ramsay, Robert Squair, Catherine Smith, Caroline Wickham-Jones