Археология

The transition from a foraging lifestyle to plant cultivation and animal husbandry represents a milestone in the history of humankind. However, the osteological markers most relevant to the recognition of early ungulate management and domestication remain a matter of debate. This study then reports on a novel pathological marker observed in the articular joints of medium-sized ruminants. In focus here is articular damage of the ankle bone, talus and astragalus, a skeletal element frequently found in archaeological sites worldwide.
In the frame of this study, a total of 1,721 ankle bones from archaeological and modern Ovis and Gazella were investigated. For the populations used as baselines, the living conditions, such as mobility or nutrition, as well as life data are well documented.
The results demonstrate that intra-articular bone damage is significantly more pronounced in animals living confined to enclosures. Similar non-physiologic conditions have been evidenced in juvenile and adult sheep from early Neolithic contexts. Still in the course of the early Neolithic, joint health improved significantly. This implies a better mastering of sheep management over the centuries. In conclusion, pathologic profiling yields the potential for tracing initial management of captive ruminants.
The results were able to demonstrate a causal relationship between the extent of osteopathy in a population and its living conditions. Advanced damage of the articular bone surfaces of limb joints most probably reflect restrictions in movement imposed by humans. Moreover, in the course of the early Neolithic, overall joint health improved slightly visually, although statistically significant. This illustrates that centuries of learning were needed to adjust human management to the needs of animals under their care.

Аудио журнал - Journal of Archaeological Science

The transition from a foraging lifestyle to plant cultivation and animal husbandry represents a milestone in the history of humankind. However, the osteological marker...

Joint health in free-ranging and confined small bovids - Implications for early stage caprine management

In recent years, the study of osteoporosis and bone mineral quality has received increasing interest by biological anthropologists. However, a number of challenges remain in the determination of bone loss in ancient remains. This underlines the need for a new methodology and new standards, specifically created and adapted to human skeletal remains.
The aim of the present study is to develop new quantitative reference standards for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in skeletal human remains. The researchers did this through the application of Quantitative Ultrasound analyses to phalanges of a large sample of individuals. The study included 110 subjects of known sex and age-at-death from the Frassetto collection.
After the assessment of intra- and inter-observer reliability, new ultrasonometric standards were created. The results provide a reference point for the analysis of osteoporosis and bone loss in skeletal remains. The applicability of the method was tested in a medieval sample including both males and females. The low intra- and inter-observer errors suggest that the Phalangeal Ultrasonometry is a reliable and valid technique in this case. Further, it can be applied to modern and ancient human skeletons.
A key strength of the present investigation is that all the modern skeletons examined came from an osteological collection with known age-at-death and sex. The subjects referred to the same modern period and came from the same geographic area. Future studies should address the diagnosis of osteoporosis in skeletal remains by means of Quantitative Ultrasound compared to other diagnostic techniques. With the new reference curves, this technique can also help identify the pathological status related to increased bone mineral density.

In recent years, the study of osteoporosis and bone mineral quality has received increasing interest by biological anthropologists. However, a number of challenges rem...

Podcast Episodesin the category "Археология"

Joint health in free-ranging and confined small bovids - Implications for early stage caprine management

Quantitative ultrasonometry for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in human skeletal remains: New methods and standards