Margaret Judd
University of Pittsburgh, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Anthropology, Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Ancient Nubia, Byzantine Archaeology, Jordan, and 18 moreByzantine monasticism, Paleopathology, Levantine Archaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Skeletal Trauma Analysis, Nubia, Archaeology of Jordan, Injury Biomechanics, Trauma, Pastoralism (Archaeology), Nomadism, Bedouins, Anthropology of the Senses, History of Medicine and the Body, Anthropology of the Body, and Monasticismedit
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Science 06 Sep 2019: Vol. 365, Issue 6457, eaat7487 Below: Abstract/List of Authors Abstract: "By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient... more
Science 06 Sep 2019: Vol. 365, Issue 6457, eaat7487 Below: Abstract/List of Authors Abstract: "By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages." Authors: Vagheesh M. Narasimhan1,*,†, Ni...
Research Interests: Genetics, Geography, Archaeology, Human Evolution, Iranian Archaeology, and 15 moreCentral Asian Studies, Eurasian Nomads, Archaeogenetics, Bronze Age Archaeology, Central Asia, Ancient DNA Research, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, BMAC Archaeology, Indus Valley Civilization, Central Asian Archaeology, aDNA Analysis, Early Neolithic, Archaeology of the Eurasian steppe belt, and Andronovo
Abstract This paper presents new stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope data obtained from human and animal remains from the Kamennyi Ambar 5 cemetery (KA-5) (Southeastern Urals, Russian Federation) and represents one of the... more
Abstract This paper presents new stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope data obtained from human and animal remains from the Kamennyi Ambar 5 cemetery (KA-5) (Southeastern Urals, Russian Federation) and represents one of the largest stable isotope datasets from a single prehistoric site in the steppes of Central Eurasia. These results are compared with other regional faunal, botanical and archaeological datasets to examine late prehistoric trends in pastoralism and human dietary patterns. The findings of this research emphasize a subsistence regime consisting of broad-spectrum resources that include domestic and wild animal species, wild plants and fish. This study contributes to current knowledge regarding the diversity in isotopic values of human and animal remains and indicates that variation in subsistence was related to distinct local resource biomes and economic strategies. These results suggest a more complex model of late prehistoric subsistence trends in the steppes that emphasizes the need for enhanced micro-regional studies combining environmental, biological, and archaeological datasets. The study presented here also provides information on the most detailed bioarchaeological study of human remains and stable isotopes to date related to the Sintashta archaeological pattern.
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Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease that has been present in human populations for over 2000 years, with the earliest cases reported in Western Europe. Now present globally, PDB is one of the most common... more
Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease that has been present in human populations for over 2000 years, with the earliest cases reported in Western Europe. Now present globally, PDB is one of the most common metabolic bone diseases in modern populations. This study details possible PDB of an adult male (MNR-EN Skull 3) with abnormally thickened cranial bones (17 mm). The skull was recovered from commingled skeletal remains excavated from the Robebus crypt at the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo, Jordan (c. late 4-7 C). Micro-CT imaging and histological sections of the bone samples revealed an abnormal pattern of bone remodeling, with atypical osteon formation, convoluted and enlarged trabeculae, and an overall pattern of highly vascularized bone. Polarized microscopy produced a mix of woven bone and lamellar bone, the mosaic pattern of atypical bone remodeling indicative of PDB. Coupled with the dense, thickened nature of the vault bones, these data suggest that the individual had PDB. To our knowledge, this represents the earliest evidence of PDB in the Middle East supported by micro-analysis, and adds to the emerging paleopathological literature involving commingled skeletal remains and the potential for identifying unique disease processes.
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An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one and three of every 1000 pregnancies being complicated by overactive maternal thyroid levels. Excess thyroid hormones are linked to... more
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one and three of every 1000 pregnancies being complicated by overactive maternal thyroid levels. Excess thyroid hormones are linked to neurological impairment and excessive craniofacial variation, affecting both endochondral and intramembranous bone. Using a geometric morphometric approach, this study evaluates the role of in utero thyroxine overexposure on the growth of offspring mandibles in a sample of 241 mice. Canonical variate analysis utilized 16 unilateral mandibular landmarks obtained from 3D micro-computed tomography to assess shape changes between unexposed controls (n = 63) and exposed mice (n = 178). By evaluating shape changes in the mandible among three age groups (15, 20 and 25 days postnatal) and different dosage levels (low, medium and high), this study found that excess maternal thyroxine alters offspring mandibular shape in both age- and dosage-dependent manners. Group di...
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Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual's lived experience plays a negligible role in paleopathological research, although a handful of possible... more
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual's lived experience plays a negligible role in paleopathological research, although a handful of possible Eagle's syndrome cases have been reported. Here, the development of the stylohyoid chain and the medical research of SP variants are reviewed to inform the differential diagnosis of a probable SP fracture in a young adult male associated with the Ottoman Period (13-19thC) in Jordan. The fracture surface of the right SP is smooth rather than irregular, the coloration is uniform with the surrounding cortical bone staining, and no new bone formation is visible. All features are consistent with a perimortem injury. An unossified stylohyal is a differential diagnosis, while the left elongated SP suggests a predisposition to intrinsic injury. The implications of SP fractures are considered.
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High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the central burial – supposedly of a king. Were the ‘corridor people’ prisoners captured during periodic raids on Egypt, or local retainers who... more
High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the central burial – supposedly of a king. Were the ‘corridor people’ prisoners captured during periodic raids on Egypt, or local retainers who followed their king in death? The authors use the skeletal material to argue the second hypothesis – coincidentally that advanced by George Reisner, the original excavator.
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The successive reversal learning methodology was used to compare the learning ability of rats which had received preweaning stimulation with those that had not been handled. The results showed that most of the male handled rats had... more
The successive reversal learning methodology was used to compare the learning ability of rats which had received preweaning stimulation with those that had not been handled. The results showed that most of the male handled rats had completed seven reversals and that none from the other groups made it within 500 trials. Most of the female handled rats reached five reversals and most of the male nonhandled rats attained four reversals. The female nonhandled rats achieved only three reversals. It was suggested that the successive reversal learning methodology is likely to reveal group differences when the data are analyzed in terms of the number of reversals attained by the animals from different treatment groups within a fixed number of test trials. However, this methodology is less likely to reveal treatment effects when the data are analyzed for intratask group differences.
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We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals region during the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) resulted in health instability and social stress as evidenced by skeletal response. The skeletal sample (n = 99)... more
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals region during the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) resulted in health instability and social stress as evidenced by skeletal response. The skeletal sample (n = 99) derived from Kamennyi Ambar 5 (KA-5), a MBA kurgan cemetery (2040-1730 cal. BCE, 2 sigma) associated with the Sintashta culture. Skeletal stress indicators assessed included cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, dental enamel hypoplasia, and tibia periosteal new bone growth. Dental disease (caries, abscess, calculus, and periodontitis) and trauma were scored. Results were compared to regional data from the nearby Samara Valley, spanning the Early to Late Bronze Age (EBA, LBA). Lesions were minimal for the KA-5 and MBA-LBA groups except for periodontitis and dental calculus. No unambiguous weapon injuries or injuries associated with violence were observed for the KA-5 group; few injuries occurred at other sites. Subadults (<18 years) formed the maj...
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Due to its association with the Prophet Moses, the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo (AD 491-640) was (and still is) a popular pilgrimage destination in the southern Levant. Although foreign monastics were probably attracted to the... more
Due to its association with the Prophet Moses, the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo (AD 491-640) was (and still is) a popular pilgrimage destination in the southern Levant. Although foreign monastics were probably attracted to the monastery, communal interment has obscured the diverse origins of the people buried here. The authors use biogeochemical and onomastic inquiry to examine a cosmopolitan monastic 'mosaic' of identity. Isotopic analyses of tooth enamel reveal the presence of a sizeable number (47 per cent) of non-local migrants buried at the site. Mosaic inscriptions provide further evidence for the ethnic diversity of the population.
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An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one and three of every 1000 pregnancies being complicated by overactive maternal thyroid levels. Excess thyroid hormones are linked to... more
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one and three of every 1000 pregnancies being complicated by overactive maternal thyroid levels. Excess thyroid hormones are linked to neurological impairment and excessive craniofacial variation, affecting both endochondral and intramembranous bone. Using a geometric morphometric approach, this study evaluates the role of in utero thyroxine overexposure on the growth of offspring mandibles in a sample of 241 mice. Canonical variate analysis utilized 16 unilateral mandibular landmarks obtained from 3D micro-computed tomography to assess shape changes between unexposed controls (n = 63) and exposed mice (n = 178). By evaluating shape changes in the mandible among three age groups (15, 20 and 25 days postnatal) and different dosage levels (low, medium and high), this study found that excess maternal thyroxine alters offspring mandibular shape in both age- and dosage-dependent manners. Group differences in overall shape were significant (P < 0.001), and showed major changes in regions of the mandible associated with muscle attachment (coronoid process, gonial angle) and regions of growth largely governed by articulation with the cranial base (condyle) and occlusion (alveolus). These results compliment recent studies demonstrating that maternal thyroxine levels can alter the cranial base and cranial vault of offspring, contributing to a better understanding of both normal and abnormal mandibular development, as well as the medical implications of craniofacial growth and development.
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Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual’s lived experience plays a negligible role in paleopathological research, although a handful of possible Eagle’s syndrome cases have been reported. Here, the development of... more
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual’s lived experience plays a negligible role in paleopathological research, although a handful of possible Eagle’s syndrome cases have been reported. Here, the development of the stylohyoid chain and the medical research of SP variants are reviewed to inform the differential diagnosis of a probable SP fracture in a young adult male associated with the Ottoman Period (13–19th C) in Jordan. The fracture surface of the right SP is smooth rather than irregular, the coloration is uniform with the surrounding cortical bone staining, and no new bone formation is visible. All features are consistent with a perimortem injury. An unossified stylohyal is a differential diagnosis, while the left elongated SP suggests a predisposition to intrinsic injury. The implications of SP fractures are considered.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wdee_glkyFf2R
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wdee_glkyFf2R
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Objectives This paper investigates infant feeding practices through stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen from Kamennyi Ambar 5, a Middle Bronze Age cemetery located in central Eurasia. The... more
Objectives
This paper investigates infant feeding practices through stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen from Kamennyi Ambar 5, a Middle Bronze Age cemetery located in central Eurasia. The results presented are unique for the time period and region, as few cemeteries have been excavated to reveal a demographic cross-section of the population. Studies of weaning among pastoral societies are infrequent and this research adds to our knowledge of the timing, potential supplementary foods, and cessation of breastfeeding practices.
Materials and Methods
Samples were collected from 41 subadults (<15 yrs.) and 27 adults (15+ yrs.). Isotopic reference sets from adult humans as well as faunal remains were utilized, as these form the primary and complementary foods fed to infants.
Results
Slight shifts in δ13C and δ15N values revealed that weaning was a multi-stage process (breastfeeding, weaning, and complete cessation of nursing) that began at six months of age, occurred over several years of early childhood, and was completed by four years of age.
Discussion
Our results indicate that weaning was a multi-stage process that was unique among late prehistoric pastoralist groups in Eurasia that were dependent on milk products as a supplementary food. Our discussion centers on supporting this hypothesis with modern information on central and east Eurasian herding societies including the age at which complementary foods are introduced, the types of complementary foods, and the timing of the cessation of breastfeeding. Integral to this work is the nature of pastoral economies and their dependence on animal products, the impact of complementary foods on nutrition and health, and how milk processing may have affected nutrition content and digestibility of foods. This research on Eurasian pastoralists provides insights into the complexities of weaning among prehistoric pastoral societies as well as the potential for different complementary foods to be incorporated into infant diets in the past.
This paper investigates infant feeding practices through stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen from Kamennyi Ambar 5, a Middle Bronze Age cemetery located in central Eurasia. The results presented are unique for the time period and region, as few cemeteries have been excavated to reveal a demographic cross-section of the population. Studies of weaning among pastoral societies are infrequent and this research adds to our knowledge of the timing, potential supplementary foods, and cessation of breastfeeding practices.
Materials and Methods
Samples were collected from 41 subadults (<15 yrs.) and 27 adults (15+ yrs.). Isotopic reference sets from adult humans as well as faunal remains were utilized, as these form the primary and complementary foods fed to infants.
Results
Slight shifts in δ13C and δ15N values revealed that weaning was a multi-stage process (breastfeeding, weaning, and complete cessation of nursing) that began at six months of age, occurred over several years of early childhood, and was completed by four years of age.
Discussion
Our results indicate that weaning was a multi-stage process that was unique among late prehistoric pastoralist groups in Eurasia that were dependent on milk products as a supplementary food. Our discussion centers on supporting this hypothesis with modern information on central and east Eurasian herding societies including the age at which complementary foods are introduced, the types of complementary foods, and the timing of the cessation of breastfeeding. Integral to this work is the nature of pastoral economies and their dependence on animal products, the impact of complementary foods on nutrition and health, and how milk processing may have affected nutrition content and digestibility of foods. This research on Eurasian pastoralists provides insights into the complexities of weaning among prehistoric pastoral societies as well as the potential for different complementary foods to be incorporated into infant diets in the past.
Research Interests: Stable Isotope Analysis, Pastoralism (Social Anthropology), Eurasian Nomads, Stable Isotopes, Late Bronze Age archaeology, and 11 moreBronze Age (Archaeology), History of Kazakhstan, Eurasian Prehistory, Pastoralism (Archaeology), Stable Isotopes and Palaeodiet, Infant weaning, Archaeology of the Eurasian steppe belt, Weaning Foods, Dietary Reconstruction, Weaning Behaviour, and Bronze Age Ural-Kazakhstan Steppes
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Strenuous physical activity leaves scars on bone that attest to the demands of occupation, sport, aggression and recreation. During the assessment of 74 C-Group Nubians from Hierakonpolis (Egypt) dated to the Egyptian Middle... more
Strenuous physical activity leaves scars on bone that attest to the demands of occupation, sport, aggression and recreation. During the assessment of 74 C-Group Nubians from Hierakonpolis (Egypt) dated to the Egyptian Middle Kingdom–Second Intermediate Period (2080–1700 BC), robust muscle insertions along the ilia and ischia were observed among some adults. In addition, a disproportionate degeneration of the pubic symphyseal faces when compared to other age-related features was also noted. In the case of one male (Burial 32), the pubic symphyseal faces were completely flattened and polished so that they resembled the eburnation that is pathognomic of osteoarthritis. Differential diagnoses are discussed and osteitis pubis, an increasingly diagnosed injury among modern athletes who participate in intense activity that involves running, kicking, twisting or leaping, is proposed as the most likely etiology. The exaggerated muscle insertions and pubic symphyseal wear, epitomised by the individual interred in Burial 32, are unique features that may be linked to the unexplained presence of this Nubian group deep in Egyptian territory during a period of political instability. Artefactual, artistic and documentary evidence records how the Egyptian pharaohs and elites conscripted Nubian athletes to the royal courts for staged contests and entertainment, part of a propaganda program engineered to reinforce among the general populace the dogma of Egyptian supremacy over the enemy. This Nubian community, serviced by Cemetery HK27C, may have functioned as a source for individuals skilled in athletics or other activities that required exceptional physical dexterity. The extraordinary modification of these pubic symphyseal faces underscores the importance of recognising paleopathological conditions that may further confound current macroscopic methods used to ascertain the chronological age of an individual.
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High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the central burial – supposedly of a king. Were the 'corridor people' prisoners captured during periodic raids on Egypt, or local retainers who... more
High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the central burial – supposedly of a king. Were the 'corridor people' prisoners captured during periodic raids on Egypt, or local retainers who followed their king in death? The authors use the skeletal material to argue the second hypothesis – coincidentally that advanced by George Reisner, the original excavator.
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Injuries classified as parry fractures, normally the result of a direct blow when the forearm is raised to shield the face, are significant in bioarcheological interpretations because the parry fracture is perceived as an indicator of... more
Injuries classified as parry fractures, normally the result of a direct blow when the forearm is raised to shield the face, are significant in bioarcheological interpretations because the parry fracture is perceived as an indicator of interpersonal (or extramural) violence. It is therefore necessary that these injuries be correctly identified in order to properly interpret the trauma pattern and its social implications for abuse, gender and power relations among ancient people. Common acute forearm fractures are reviewed here and quantitative guidelines that define the parry fracture configuration are presented. The parry criteria include: (1) an absence of radial involvement, (2) a transverse fracture line, (3) a location below the midshaft (<0.5 adjusted distance to the lesion's center), and (4) either minor unalignment (<10) in any plane or horizontal apposition from the diaphysis (<50%). A sample of 278 adults from northern Sudan dated to the Nubian Bronze Age (ca. 2500e1500 BC) contained 38 individuals with forearm fractures. Of these fractures, 21 out of the 28 ulna injuries were identified as parry fractures using the parry criteria. Fewer females suffered from parry fractures than when ulna injuries were identified by location on the ulna alone. The use of the parry criteria may not always affect the results significantly, but here interpersonal violence directed against women and amongst ancient Nubians was found to be less prevalent than implied in earlier studies. The absence of perimortem parry fractures suggests that the Kermans interred within mass burials were not physically forced to their graves. Chronic ulna stress fractures associated with sports and habitual activities must also be considered as a differential diagnosis of this injury.
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This analysis examines heterogeneity in risks by assessing the health status of individuals in two distinct burial contexts from the Nubian site of Kerma: sacrificial (n 5 100) and nonsacrificial (n 5 190) burial areas dated to the... more
This analysis examines heterogeneity in risks by assessing the health status of individuals in two distinct burial contexts from the Nubian site of Kerma: sacrificial (n 5 100) and nonsacrificial (n 5 190) burial areas dated to the classic Kerma period (1750–1500 BC). Indicators of physiological stress that were examined include cribra orbitalia, dental enamel hypoplasia, tibial osteoperiostitis, and femur length. The analysis presented here shows that the people interred in the sacrificial and nonsacrificial burial contexts at Kerma in Upper Nubia had similar health profiles that were comparable with other contemporaneous samples from the region. If sacrificial individuals did not experience the same risk of death as nonsacrificial individuals, it was not evident in the frequencies of nonspecific stress indicators. However, this differential risk of death may be blurred by our inability to examine nonadults for childhood disease. This research demonstrates the complexities involved in understanding the multiple factors that result in heterogeneity in skeletal samples. Am J Phys Anthropol 136:93–99, 2008. V
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Modern communities affiliated with the same culture have been shown to experience comparable levels of interpersonal violence, no matter what their size. It was hypothesized that a similar relationship would exist among ancient rural and... more
Modern communities affiliated with the same culture have been shown to experience comparable levels of interpersonal violence, no matter what their size. It was hypothesized that a similar relationship would exist among ancient rural and urban people, but that accident-related trauma may be more prominent among rural dwellers due to their activity base. Through an analysis of antemortem trauma, this investigation contrasted the injury profile of Nubian adult villagers (N ¼ 55) from the Kerma period (2500–1750 BC) to that of their urban neighbors (N ¼ 223) at Kerma (2050–1500 BC). The injury pattern associated with interpersonal violence (cranial injury, direct-force ulna fractures, and multiple injuries) was similar between the two samples, as hypothesized. The rural group sustained significantly more nonviolence-related injuries that suggested occupational or environmental influences. The more severe cra-nial injuries observed among urban people are attributed to a preference for more lethal hand-wielded objects that may have accompanied increasing local tensions and incursions into Egypt during the 17th Dynasty. Am J Phys Anthropol 131:324–333,
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Injuries, whether accidental or intentional, have incapacitated humans and their primordial ancestors throughout time, although the injury mechanisms have become increasingly more technologically sophisticated. Interpretation of injury... more
Injuries, whether accidental or intentional, have incapacitated humans and their primordial ancestors throughout time, although the injury mechanisms have become increasingly more technologically sophisticated. Interpretation of injury aetiology among past peoples is challenging, and often impossible, however, clinical research from developing countries provides a useful analogy with which to evaluate trauma or health patterns of an ancient society. This paper presents a systematic analysis of cranial and postcranial skeletal trauma among 223 adults who were excavated by George Reisner in 1923 from the city of Kerma (1750–1550 BC), Egypt's ancient nemesis in the struggle for control of the Nile River trade route. A total of 156 injuries (fractures, dislocations and muscle pulls among the skull, long bones, extremities and torso) were observed among 88 individuals, 48 of whom had one injury only. The skull was the most frequently traumatized element (11.2%) followed by the ulna (8.3%); 2.4% (48/2029) long bones were fractured. The modal distribution of the Kerma fractures was compared to the fracture distributions of two samples from India and Nigeria where falls were the most common cause of injury. Some characteristics of the three injury patterns were shared: males suffered the greatest frequency of injury, the economically active people (25 to 50 years of age) presented the most injuries among adults, and a small proportion of the victims had more than one major injury. However, the Kerma distribution of the fractured bones varied dramatically from the clinical injury distributions: the ulna and skull were among the least frequently injured bones in the modern samples, while the radius, humerus and lower leg were the most commonly traumatized elements among the modern people, but rare among the ancients. The configuration of the ulna and skull injuries at Kerma was characteristic of those associated with blunt force trauma in other clinical assessments and the absence of these specific lesions from the modern samples where accident was the primary injury mechanism presents a persuasive argument for interpersonal violence among the ancient Kerma people.
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This investigation tested five methods of recording long bone trauma to determine whether meaningful differences in fracture frequencies really existed among a skeletal sample of 55 individuals from the Kerma period (2500–1750 ) of... more
This investigation tested five methods of recording long bone trauma to determine whether meaningful differences in fracture frequencies really existed among a skeletal sample of 55 individuals from the Kerma period (2500–1750 ) of ancient Nubia. Long bones were divided into five segments according to the clinical ''squares method'' for determining the location of the epiphyses; recording methods for bone inclusion ranged from including all five segments present and undamaged only (Lovejoy & Heiple, 1981) to scoring all segments represented by 75% of the bone present (''segment count method''). The results of the method proposed by Lovejoy & Heiple (1981) were not significantly different from any of the methods that included partial bones in their inventory, although the fracture pattern may be affected. A consequence of using the segment count method was that the total amount of preserved bone available for analysis can be easily calculated and the comparability of skeletal collections that are similarly recorded can be assessed.
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A topical trend in clinical research has been the study of repeat trauma, referred to by clinicians as ''injury recidivism,'' which lends itself to the assessment of accumulated injuries among ancient people. The present investigation... more
A topical trend in clinical research has been the study of repeat trauma, referred to by clinicians as ''injury recidivism,'' which lends itself to the assessment of accumulated injuries among ancient people. The present investigation examined the healed injuries among two archaeological skeletal samples from the Kerma period (ca. 2500–1500 BC) of Sudanese Nubia. Both groups were known to have a high prevalence of multiple trauma—80% of 54 adults from the rural sites (O16 and P37) located near Dongola and 42% of 212 adults from the urban site of Kerma sustained nonfatal injuries. It was observed that a higher frequency of multi-injured adults displayed one or more violence-associated injury (cranial trauma, parry fracture). When all injuries were considered 38% of individuals with violence-related injuries had other traumatic lesions in contrast to 22% of individuals who experienced injuries associated with accidental falls (e.g., Colles', Smiths', Galeazzi, and paired forearm fractures), although this difference was not significant. When only the skulls and long bones were evaluated 81% of adults with multiple injuries to these major bones bore one or more violence-related injuries, while 60% of adults with single injuries sustained violence-related injuries. Most individuals with multiple injuries were male and less than 35 years of age; there was no significant difference in the frequency of violence-or accident-related multiple injury between the rural and urban communities. Although it cannot be established whether or not some of an individual's injuries were experienced during simultaneous or independent incidents, the pattern of multiple injury among these two ancient Nubian skeletal samples reflected the profile of injury recidivism observed by modern clinicians cross-culturally.
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Humans are constantly at risk of bone fractures, not only when threatened by personal violence, but also by the challenge of daily living. Because fractures are a cross-cultural phenomenon and are one of the more commonly observed... more
Humans are constantly at risk of bone fractures, not only when threatened by personal violence, but also by the challenge of daily living. Because fractures are a cross-cultural phenomenon and are one of the more commonly observed skeletal lesions in archaeological collections, their presence provides a unique opportunity to compare living conditions, and thereby assess fracture risk in coexisting cultures. This study analyzed long bone fracture patterns of 212 sexed adults from the medieval leper hospital of St. James and St. Mary Magdalene in Chichester, England. The comparison of this hospital sample to other British medieval skeletal samples examined the level of health manifest in fracture etiology. The fracture frequency for this sample was 15.1%, with males accounting for 85.4% of the fractures. The fracture frequencies from the samples not affiliated with hospitals ranged from 3.3 to 5.6%. Because medieval urban lifestyle was notoriously difficult due to inadequate sanitation and living conditions, the overall health of the population at large was inferior, placing all at similar fracture risk. Therefore, more specific complications associated with the fractures were examined. Osseous modifications of the skeletons due to lepromatous leprosy were associated with 28% of individuals sustaining fractures. However, persons with the milder tuberculoid leprosy do not exhibit skeletal lesions, but are more prone to accident due to the earlier loss of sensory perception and visual impairment. It is argued that the presence of leprosy is underestimated in archaeological populations and may be a major contributing factor to the prevalence of fracture resulting from accidental falls.
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In the agricultural history of Africa, Nubia may have played a pivotal role in providing an easy dispersal mute for crops and agricultural technologies between the sub-Sabaran savannahs and the Mediterranean world. Nevertheless, die... more
In the agricultural history of Africa, Nubia may have played a pivotal role in providing an easy dispersal mute for crops and agricultural technologies between the sub-Sabaran savannahs and the Mediterranean world. Nevertheless, die quantity of arcliaeoboianical evidence with which to understand agricultural change in ancient Nubia and its rclarionship with that further north in Egypt or further south remains limited. The importance of the large botanical assemblage from Qasr Ibrim (Rowley-Conwy J 989; 1991) is widely recognized. ...
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The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases~ possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A.... more
The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases~ possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and
late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A. A significant dist'inct'ion exists between early and late EB I ceramic assemblages. Important differences may also exist 'in the nature of craft production some subsistence practices and possibly in architecture, between early and late EB I at Shuna. Further work on Building 1 has shown that it is a monumental structure of 2phases. The later phase is Hellenistic. The initial phase could be of first millennium date or may represent the Hellenistic reuse of an Early Bronze Age structure. At present we lack conclusive evidence either way. The function of Building 1is not clear at present.
late EB I levels were excavated 'in Area A. A significant dist'inct'ion exists between early and late EB I ceramic assemblages. Important differences may also exist 'in the nature of craft production some subsistence practices and possibly in architecture, between early and late EB I at Shuna. Further work on Building 1 has shown that it is a monumental structure of 2phases. The later phase is Hellenistic. The initial phase could be of first millennium date or may represent the Hellenistic reuse of an Early Bronze Age structure. At present we lack conclusive evidence either way. The function of Building 1is not clear at present.
Abstract: The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases, possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and late EB I levels were excavated in... more
Abstract: The 1993 season at Tell esh-Shuna completed excavation of Chalcolithic levels in Area D. These consisted of at least two major occupation phases, possibly early Chalcolithic in date. Early and late EB I levels were excavated in Area A. A significant distinction exists between early and late EB I ceramic assemblages. Important differences may also exist in the nature of craft production, some subsistence practices and possibly in architecture, between early and late EB I at Shuna. Further work on Building 1 has shown that it is a ...
Research Interests: Archaeology and Levant
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Tell er-Rumeith lies at the eastern edge of the Irbid plain in northern Jordan not far from the Syria border and the present town of Ramtha. The publication presents the most complete corpus of Iron Age pottery for this area and its... more
Tell er-Rumeith lies at the eastern edge of the Irbid plain in northern Jordan not far from the Syria border and the present town of Ramtha. The publication presents the most complete corpus of Iron Age pottery for this area and its occupation reflects the Biblical traditions of the region. Tristan Barako, Nancy Lapp, and the other authors have used the field notes, reports and photographs of Paul Lapp's excavations in the 1960s to bring together this final report. In Part I of the volume, Barako and N. Lapp present the basic stratigraphy of the site and the corpus of Iron Age pottery that represents its main period of occupation. Part II presents studies of artifacts by a variety of authors, including the post-Iron age pottery, noteworthy presentations of the community health (the human skeleton evidence) and textile production at the site, as well as fascinating collections of figurines, groundstone and other small finds.
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Clinical and bioarchaeological studies have found that injury recidivists are most likely to be young adult males. Our study sought to place these findings in a wider context by investigating: the age and sex distribution of those with... more
Clinical and bioarchaeological studies have found that injury recidivists are most likely to be young adult males. Our study sought to place these findings in a wider context by investigating: the age and sex distribution of those with single and multiple fractures, and if people with multiple injuries had poor general health. The sample of 205 males and 197 females (> 18 years old) from six populations in England, Siberia and Sudan ranged in date from the 3rd century BC to the mid-19th century AD. Health variables included cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, periostitis, Schmorl’s nodes, enamel hypoplasias, dental caries and periodontitis. Ante-mortem injuries were: fractures (0/1/>2), myostosis ossificans, dental trauma, dislocation and subluxation, and sharp-force injuries. The data were analysed using chi-square (P=0.05) and hierarchical loglinear analyses.
The results failed to find a signi ficant three-way association between age, sex and injury. There was no difference between the sexes when individuals with single versus multiple injuries were compared. There were significant differences in the age-distribution of people with 0/1/>2 fractures, but no difference between those with 1 or >2 fractures. Males and those 26-35 years old were most likely to have fractures and multiple injuries. Health variables that were significantly associated with a fracture were porotic hyperostosis, periostitis and enamel hypoplasias. However, there was no significant relationship between general poor health and multiple injuries.
The results failed to find a signi ficant three-way association between age, sex and injury. There was no difference between the sexes when individuals with single versus multiple injuries were compared. There were significant differences in the age-distribution of people with 0/1/>2 fractures, but no difference between those with 1 or >2 fractures. Males and those 26-35 years old were most likely to have fractures and multiple injuries. Health variables that were significantly associated with a fracture were porotic hyperostosis, periostitis and enamel hypoplasias. However, there was no significant relationship between general poor health and multiple injuries.