Science 06 Sep 2019: Vol. 365, Issue 6457, eaat7487 Below: Abstract/List of Authors Abstract: &qu... 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...
Abstract This paper presents new stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope data obtain... 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.
International journal of paleopathology, Jan 25, 2018
Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease that has been present in human ... 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.
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one ... 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...
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual's ... 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.
High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the cent... 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.
The successive reversal learning methodology was used to compare the learning ability of rats whi... 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.
American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, Jan 19, 2018
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals region during the... 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...
Due to its association with the Prophet Moses, the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo (AD 491-640)... 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.
Objectives
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals regi... more Objectives
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. Methods
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). Results
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 majority of each sample. At KA‐5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14‐18 years of age. Conclusions
Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA‐5 and regional groups, but a MBA‐LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.
This paper presents new stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data obtained from human... more This paper presents new stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) 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.
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one ... 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.
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual’s lived experience plays a negligi... 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
Science 06 Sep 2019: Vol. 365, Issue 6457, eaat7487 Below: Abstract/List of Authors Abstract: &qu... 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...
Abstract This paper presents new stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope data obtain... 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.
International journal of paleopathology, Jan 25, 2018
Paget&#39;s disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease that has been present in human ... more Paget&#39;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.
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one ... 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...
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s ... more Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s lived experience plays a negligible role in paleopathological research, although a handful of possible Eagle&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;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.
High ranking burial mounds in Bronze Age Sudan featured burials in a corridor leading to the cent... 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.
The successive reversal learning methodology was used to compare the learning ability of rats whi... 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.
American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, Jan 19, 2018
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals region during the... 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...
Due to its association with the Prophet Moses, the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo (AD 491-640)... 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.
Objectives
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals regi... more Objectives
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. Methods
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). Results
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 majority of each sample. At KA‐5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14‐18 years of age. Conclusions
Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA‐5 and regional groups, but a MBA‐LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.
This paper presents new stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data obtained from human... more This paper presents new stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) 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.
An estimated 3% of US pregnancies are affected by maternal thyroid dysfunction, with between one ... 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.
Styloid process (SP) development and its role in an individual’s lived experience plays a negligi... 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
Tell er-Rumeith lies at the eastern edge of the Irbid plain in northern Jordan not far from the S... 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.
This volume presents a functional and typological study of the Iron Age artefacts recovered durin... more This volume presents a functional and typological study of the Iron Age artefacts recovered during six years of excavation at the site of Tall Jawa, in central Jordan. The introduction presents information on the recording and classification system used to identify artefact types. The main chapter presents each category of artefact with examples of the most representative items, and their parallels from sites in Israel and Syria. Examples include jewellery, figurines, weapons, food processing tools, and tools used in a variety of crafts and industries. A CD-ROM is included, containing the database and illustrations of all registered items dating to the Iron Age (100-600 BC)
Clinical and bioarchaeological studies have found that injury recidivists are most likely to be y... 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.
OBJECTIVES:
We tested the hypothesis that the purported unstable climate in the South Urals regio... more OBJECTIVES: 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.
METHODS: 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).
RESULTS: 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 majority of each sample. At KA-5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14-18 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA-5 and regional groups, but a MBA-LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.
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Papers by Margaret Judd
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.
Methods
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).
Results
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 majority of each sample. At KA‐5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14‐18 years of age.
Conclusions
Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA‐5 and regional groups, but a MBA‐LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.
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.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wdee_glkyFf2R
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.
Methods
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).
Results
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 majority of each sample. At KA‐5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14‐18 years of age.
Conclusions
Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA‐5 and regional groups, but a MBA‐LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.
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.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wdee_glkyFf2R
The introduction presents information on the recording and classification system used to identify artefact types. The main chapter presents each category of artefact with examples of the most representative items, and their parallels from sites in Israel and Syria. Examples include jewellery, figurines, weapons, food processing tools, and tools used in a variety of crafts and industries. A CD-ROM is included, containing the database and illustrations of all registered items dating to the Iron Age (100-600 BC)
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.
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.
METHODS:
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).
RESULTS:
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 majority of each sample. At KA-5, subadults accounted for 75% of the sample with 10% (n = 10) estimated to be 14-18 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS:
Skeletal stress markers and injuries were uncommon among the KA-5 and regional groups, but a MBA-LBA high subadult mortality indicates elevated frailty levels and inability to survive acute illnesses. Following an optimal weaning program, subadults were at risk for physiological insult and many succumbed. Only a small number of individuals attained biological maturity during the MBA, suggesting that a fast life history was an adaptive regional response to a less hospitable and perhaps unstable environment.