bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurologic complications after surgery for obesity
Authors: Koffman Boyd M. , Greenfield L. John , Ali Imran I. , Pirzada Noor A.
Published: June 2005

Bariatric surgical procedures are increasingly common. In this review, we characterize the neurologic complications of such procedures, including their mechanisms, frequency, and prognosis. Literature review yielded 50 case reports of 96 patients with neurologic symptoms after bariatric procedures. The most common presentations were peripheral neuropathy in 60 (62%) and encephalopathy in 30 (31%). Among the 60 patients with peripheral neuropathy, 40 (67%) had a polyneuropathy and 18 (30%) had mononeuropathies, which included 17 (94%) with meralgia paresthetica and 1 with foot drop. Neurologic emergencies including Wernicke's encephalopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and Guillain–Barré syndrome were also reported. In 18 surgical series reported between 1976 and 2004, 133 of 9996 patients (1.3%) were recognized to have neurologic complications (range: 0.08–16%). The only prospective study reported a neurologic complication rate of 4.6%, and a controlled retrospective study identified 16% of patients with peripheral neuropathy. There is evidence to suggest a role for inflammation or an immunologic mechanism in neuropathy after gastric bypass. Micronutrient deficiencies following gastric bypass were evaluated in 957 patients in 8 reports. A total of 236 (25%) had vitamin B12 deficiency and 11 (1%) had thiamine deficiency. Routine monitoring of micronutrient levels and prompt recognition of neurological complications can reduce morbidity associated with these procedures. Muscle Nerve, 2006
A multigrid for image deblurring with Tikhonov regularization
Authors: Donatelli M.
Published: June 2005

In the resolution of certain image deblurring problems with given boundary conditions we obtain two‐level structured linear systems. In the case of shift‐invariant point spread function with Dirichlet (zero) boundary conditions, the blurring matrices are block Toeplitz matrices with Toeplitz blocks. If the periodic boundary conditions are used, then the involved structures become block circulant with circulant blocks. Furthermore, Gaussian‐like point spread functions usually lead to numerically banded matrices which are ill‐conditioned since they are associated to generating functions that vanish in a neighbourhood of (π,π). We solve such systems by applying a multigrid method. The proposed technique shows an optimality property, i.e. its cost is of O(N) arithmetic operations (like matrix–vector product), where N is the size of the linear system. In the case of images affected by noise we use two Tikhonov regularization techniques to reduce the noise effects. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inter‐observer variation in coding osteoarthritis in human skeletal remains
Authors: Waldron Tony , Rogers Juliet
Published: June 2005

Thirty‐eight participants at the VIIIth European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association took part in a study of inter‐observer variation in scoring osteoarthritis in human skeletal remains. Ten specimens representing different joints were used and five criteria of osteoarthritis were scored. Eleven of the 38 participants ranked themselves as beginners, 13 as experienced and six as very experienced; the data were subsequently examined using the results from these 30, comparing beginners with experts. Agreement as to whether or not changes were present on the specimens and on the degree of change was seldom complete but was greater when scoring eburnation and the presence of new bone on the joint surface than for the three other criteria. There was little difference between beginners and experts.

Although all the specimens were chosen to meet our published criteria for osteoarthritis, the experts were unanimous is agreeing the diagnosis in only three cases and the beginners in only one.

These results suggest that more work needs to be done to develop operational definitions for the classification of disease in palaeopathology and that great care must be taken when comparing disease frequencies between studies.
‘Rid grasse of bones’: A taphonomic study of the bones from midden deposits at the Neolithic and Bronze age site of Runnymede, Surrey, England
Authors: Serjeantson Dale
Published: June 2005

Runnymede has large samples of Neolithic and Late Bronze Age animal bones, with contrasting preservation conditions in both periods. The bone evidence has been used to interpret the formation of the site deposits.

There are few articulated bones, and no joins were found in butchered bone, indicating that the area studied did not contain primary refuse. Various aspects of bone alteration have been analysed: (i) the proportion of bones with very good surface preservation was high in the in situ Neolithic excavation units and the basal Bronze Age midden, but bones in the upper units were mostly eroded. These units are reworked flood deposits. The greater degree of fragmentation of the bone in the reworked units has been quantified, using a system of recording the ‘zones’ present on each bone, which allows calculation of the fraction present. It is also demonstrated that the reworked units contain a lower proportion of identified bones and a higher proportion of teeth and iaws than the units with well‐preserved bone, (ii) Quantification of canid gnawing shows, unexpectedly, that more was recorded on well‐preserved bone. Thus recognition of gnawing depends on bone condition. This also confirms that most of the erosion of the bone surface is a post‐depositional phenomenon.

The sequence of activities is therefore interpreted as follows: meat was cooked and consumed, and the bones discarded for the dogs. At a later stage, larger bones were picked up and thrown away in the river or midden. Some ethnographic examples of periodic cleaning of farming settlements are cited.
The prevalence of, and the relationship between some spinal diseases in a human skeletal population from London
Authors: Waldron Tony
Published: June 2005

The prevalence of osteoarthritis, osteophytosis, intervertebral disc disease and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) was determined in a group of skeletons excavated from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields. Age‐specific prevalence rates were calculated from the group of skeletons for which age at death was known from intact coffin plates. Osteoarthritis of the facet joints occurred most frequently in the cervical and upper thoracic regions and was also common in the lower lumbar spine. The disease was more frequently bilateral in the lumbar spine than in upper regions.

Osteophytes were common in the thoracic and lumbar spines, whereas intervertebral disc disease was confined almost completely to the cervical region. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis seemed to be underrepresented in this group, but was more common in males than in females.

Age correlated significantly with all the conditions except DISH. Multiple regression analysis was carried out using each of the conditions as the dependent variable in turn. Age accounted for more of the variance than any of the other conditions added as independent variables.
An otological investigation of Lithuanian skulls
Authors: Sakalinskas Virgilijus , Jankauskas Rimantas
Published: June 2005

Two thousand seven hundred and sixty temporal bones from 1603 skulls ranging from the Neolithic to the eighteenth century AD were investigated visually and under magnification, scoring auditory exostoses, stapes footplate fixation and removing preserved auditory ossicles. Sixteen cases of auditory exostoses were noted. Changes in their occurrence were evident in adult skulls from the first to second millennia AD, (3.31 ± 0.87 per cent and 0.25 ± 0.18 per cent, p < 0.001). Clear sexual differences were also elucidated (males: 1.96 ± 0.56 per cent, females: 0.49 ± 0.28 per cent). Taking into account the geographical latitude of Lithuania, this prevalence should not be considered high. Twelve cases of stapes footplate fixation in the oval window, which could be considered as otosclerosis, were identified; no sexual or temporal differences were noted. The general frequency in adult skulls (0.99 ± 0.28 per cent) is similar to that in contemporary Caucasoid people. Three hundred and four intact auditory ossicles obtained during examination were measured. As these measurements did not differ significantly from data in the literature, morphological stability of the auditory ossicles was confirmed. Certain sexual differences were established for several measurements.
CD ROM imaging in osteoarchaeology
Authors: Roberts Charlotte , Rudgewick‐Brown Nigel
Published: June 2005

This paper describes the potential use of CD ROM in osteoarchaeology. It describes what CD ROM is and how it works, how CD ROM disks are produced and how the technique could be used in osteoarchaeology. The hardware required, both to produce and access compact disks, is outlined together with approximate costs. The possible uses of the technique in osteoarchaeology are suggested. Costs for the hardware are reasonable. However, collaboration between organizations will be essential.
Erosive osteoarthritis in a medieval skeleton
Authors: Rogers Juliet , Waldron Tony , Watt Iain
Published: June 2005

In human skeletons from archaeological sites, osteoarthritis is by far the most common disease found, but no case of erosive osteoarthritis has been described and we present here what we believe to be the first such case.
Comparison of third metatarsal and third cuneiform defects among various populations
Authors: Tenney James M.
Published: June 2005

Defects in the proximal third metatarsal and distal face of the third cuneiform are occasionally seen. Sometimes they have been interpreted as abscess, tumour, or arthritis. The present large series of 193 affected individuals markedly extends the number studied and shows the entity to be ubiquitous, although its frequency varies considerably among different populations. Thus, a modern‐day group of Negroes and Caucasians had prevalance of 6.3 per cent and 7.3 per cent, respectively. Pre‐Aleut and Aleut Eskimos had frequencies of 12.5 per cent and 13.7 per cent, respectively, while a group of predynastic Egyptians had a frequency of 4.1 per cent. A greatly expanded series of precontact Native Califorians showed an overall frequency of 17.5 per cent. When these were separated by location and horizon, however, there was considerable variability, with one large site having 39 per cent of individuals affected. It appears from the wide and rather uneven distribution, as well as the clear‐cut presence or absence of the lesion, that it would serve as a useful post‐cranial non‐metric trait in population studies.
Scanning electron microscopy of rib lesions
Authors: Wakely Jennifer , Manchester Keith , Roberts Charlotte
Published: June 2005

Subperiosteal deposits of new bones on the visceral surfaces of ribs obtained from a variety of British Roman and Medieval cemeteries were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). They showed evidence of active deposition of bone around a network of vascular grooves. A sequence of stages, from a slight deepening of the grooves to complete enclosure of the blood vessel in a bony tunnel could be recognized and, in some specimens, several superimposed layers of new bone indicated that the process could be repeated. Microscopical evidence for osteoblastic and osteoclastic (Howships) lacunae existed in the best preserved specimens, showing the value of SEM, in demonstrating the cellular dynamics of palaeopathological processes.

In the Terry Collection (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC) the appearance of this lesion is significantly associated with tuberculosis or other pulmonary disease. We suggest a similar correlation for British material.

The importance of establishing early diagnostic criteria for respiratory infection in osteoar‐chaeological material is emphasized. The presence of periostitis on rib visceral surfaces is detected easily using only a hand lens and abundant material is available. It is suggested that it might form one such useful diagnostic criterion.
Ultrastructure of normal and pathological fossilized red blood cells compared with pseudopathological biological structures
Authors: Maat George J. R.
Published: June 2005

Scanning electron microscopic examination of the bone marrow cavity of human skeletons dating from the Hellenistic Period in the Persian Gulf (330 to ca. 150 years BC) revealed the presence of fossilized blood cells. Owing to local conditions, the ultrastructure of the cells appeared to have been preserved very well. Consequently, a morphological comparison could be made between red blood cells of normal individuals and those of a man with porotic hyperostosis, which appeared to have been caused by sickle‐cell anaemia. For completeness, pseudopathological changes caused by the decomposition process were also studied.
The possibility of diagnosing meningiomas in palaeopathology
Authors: Campillo Domingo
Published: June 2005

After a study of approximately 3,000 ancient skulls, from the Neolithic period to the Late Middle Ages, the presence of five lesions suspected of having corresponded to a mening oma during life were detected.

The study is comparative with the current clinical picture of these lesions, with regard to their morphological as well as to their radiographic aspect. We consider that the situation of the lesions, the macroscopic appearance of the osteogenic or osteoloytic alterations, associated vascular grooves, age and sex is sufficient to diagnose these tumours with a small margin of error.
Renal and biliary calculi: A palaeopathological analysis
Authors: Sanchez J. A. , Etxeberria F.
Published: June 2005

Renal and biliary calculi were obtained from a mummified young woman of the seventeenth century from the Basque Country, Spain. The calculi were studied by chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy and spectrophotometry. The same techniques were applied to other calculus material obtained from a seventh century necropolis.

This communication presents these results and emphasizes the accuracy of the techniques independently of the age and degree of contamination of the human organic remains.
Continuous eruption and periodontal status in pre‐industrial dentitions
Authors: Glass G. B.
Published: June 2005

Continuous eruption in response to attrition has been reported for different tooth groups in preindustrial remains. However, no full intra‐arch and inter‐arch comparison of eruption has been undertaken. The position of the gingival margin, which is unknown in skeletal dentitions, is important in assessing periodontal disease and also in establishing whether root exposure occurred as continuous eruption progressed. The apical margin of supragingival calculus (SGC) provides a marker of the original gingival crest and could be used to study loss of attachment in dental remains.

Thirty nine Irish pre‐industrial dentitions were examined for continuous eruption, and 17 for the position of the gingival margin. To score attrition an index was devised. The apical border of supragingival calculus represented the gingival margin. Cemento‐enamel junction (CEJ) to alveolar crest (AC) and SGC‐AC measurements were recorded at six sites on teeth.

Intra‐arch analyses indicated no differences for the rate of continuous eruption between tooth groups. Inter‐arch comparison revealed that the degree of eruption was greater in the mandible than in the maxilla (p < 0.001). At 84 per cent of sites SGC‐AC was 3 mm or less. The mean distance of SGC‐AC was 3.1 mm. The estimated mean sulcus depths were 1.27 mm in the mandible and 1.3 mm in the maxilla, the difference was not significant. Evidence of pocketing of > 3 mm occurred at 1.8 per cent of sites. The distance of SGC‐AC followed a distinct pattern with tooth type. Proximal CEJ‐AC values were less than buccal‐lingual levels (p < 0.001), suggesting that periodontal disease was not a major feature of the dentitions examined.

It is concluded that in the dentitions examined: (i) continuous eruption was greater in the mandible; (ii) chronic periodontitis with pocketing and loss of proximal AC was not a significant finding; (iii) the position of the gingival margin was maintained at a relatively stable relationship with the AC, which would have resulted in root exposure as attrition progressed. These observations indicate that caution is required when interpreting evidence of attachment loss as an indicator of periodontal disease in pre‐industrial remains and contemporary populations exhibiting high rates of functional attrition.
Two Late Neolithic human skeletons, a recent discovery in the Netherlands
Authors: Pasveer J. M. , Uytterschaut H. T.
Published: June 2005

Recently, two Late Neolithic skeletons belonging to the Single Grave Culture (ca. 4500 BP) were discovered in the province of North‐Holland. It is the first time that such complete and well‐preserved skeletons of this age have been found in The Netherlands. Both skeletons were subjected to an extensive and close examination in order to gain more information about these two individuals and their way of life. Application of different methods resulted in the determination of the sex (a male and a female), the age at death and the stature of the skeletons. Pathological features could be established in the female skeleton by means of radiography. The male skeleton was incomplete owing to animal scavenging. The tooth marks on the bones were studied in an attempt to discover the circumstances of death. In order to obtain information about the diet of the two individuals, the dental microwear and the remains of plaque and calculus were investigated. This investigation demonstrates the importance of physical anthropological studies with regard to the reconstruction of life in the past.
The palaeopathology of a finger dislocation
Authors: Dreier Frederick G.
Published: June 2005

The Ruffner collection, a Late Period (AD 500–1800), northern California skeletal sample, was analyzed for osteopathology. A probable fifth‐finger dislocation of the right first and second phalanx was observed in a female aged 25–35 years at death. Traumatic adduction forced the second and third phalanges to slip laterally, upward and back about 10 mm, upon the dorsal surface of the first phalanx. Apparently, the medial collateral ligament of the interphalangeal joint was torn, making reduction impossible. As a result of the luxation, the flexor digitorum profundus slipped laterally and was fixed along the lateral surface of the distal end of the first phalanx. Over time, fusion of the joint restricted the flexion movement and left an abnormally aligned finger.
Detection of blood proteins in ancient human bone using ELISA: A comparative study of the survival of IgG and albumin
Authors: Cattaneo C. , Gelsthorpe K. , Phillips P. , Sokol R. J.
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACT The immunological identification of species‐specific blood proteins in skeletal remains has an important role in the reconstruction of ancient dietary, ritual and domestic behaviour. However, which protein provides the most suitable target for such work has not been considered previously, and the present investigation was carried out on human bone to assess the relative merits of IgG and albumin.

Extracts of bone from 31 individuals (from the English Civil War, medieval, Early Saxon, Roman, Iron Age and Bronze Age periods) were tested by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies. Albumin was detected in 23 of the 31 skeletons, including those from the Iron and Bronze Ages, whereas IgG was identified in only one; this difference was very highly significant (P < 0.0005, χ2 30.0). The better detection rate for albumin was thought to be due to its higher original blood level, inherent differences in survival pattern being considered unlikely. Testing the same extract for both proteins in the same assay system ensured that any effects due to soil factors, burial conditions, physical integrity of the bone, chronological age, amount of original specimen, method of analysis and type of reagent were the same for each part of the study, thus permitting a valid comparison of antigen survival to be made. Control samples, including fresh and ancient animal bone extracts and human and animal sera, confirmed that the results were consistent and specific, with no cross‐reactivity between human and animal material, and that as little as 10 ng of protein was detectable.

In summary, the investigation compared the suitability of IgG and albumin for osteoarchaeological studies using a highly specific, sensitive and versatile ELISA; the results showed that albumin was a far better target molecule for such work and that it can survive in ancient bone for long periods of time.
Slipped proximal femoral epiphysis in a priest from the medieval period
Authors: Knüsel Christopher J. , Chundun Zoë C. , Cardwell Peter
Published: June 2005

During the course of a routine analysis of a cemetery burial population associated with the medieval hospital of St Giles, Brough, North Yorkshire, the partially excavated burial (No. 1423) of a priest, as identified through the associated chalice and paten dating to the medieval period, was observed to exhibit osseous changes commensurate with those of an untreated slipped proximal femoral epiphysis. Secondary osseous changes were noted that may indicate habitual positional behaviour subsequent to the injury.
An assessment of the value of bone density measurements to archaeoichthyological studies
Authors: Nicholson Rebecca A.
Published: June 2005

This paper reviews the meaning of the term ‘density’ and the problems associated with the methods of density determination for animal bones in archaeology. It has often been assumed that density is the intrinsic property of most influence in controlling the rate of a bone's decay. Values for whole bone density have been published only for large mammal bone, however. Fish bone appears to be particularly vulnerable to decay, and usually a restricted range of skeletal elements are recovered from archaeological sites. The object of this study was to examine the relationship between fish bone density and the ability of the bone to survive on occupation sites and in archaeological deposits. A set of ‘density’ measurements was established for the bones of cod (Gadus morhua). The usefulness of these measurements as a predictive tool in archaeoichthyological studies is assessed. It was found that ‘density’ as measured did not explain adequately the relative survival of skeletal elements after mechanical abrasion and weathering, or within archaeological deposits.
Unilateral spondylolysis
Authors: Waldron Tony
Published: June 2005

Of 54 vertebrae with spondylolysis, five were found with a unilateral lesion. The unilateral lesion was sometimes associated with hypoplasia of the ipsilateral lamina or by differences in the size and position of the facet joints and by posterior wedging on the affected side. Radiologically there may be sclerosis in the pedicle on the normal side. In one case a healed fracture was noted on the apparently normal side indicating that the lesion originally had been bilateral.
Serial craniectomies for intracranial infection 5.5 millennia ago
Authors: Zias Joe , Pomeranz Shlomo
Published: June 2005

A skull found in a burial cave near Jericho with evidence of craniectomies dating approximately 5500 years ago had signs of frontal sinusitis and intracranial infection. The location of the three craniotomies in the frontal bone of this skull and evidence of the infection bursting from the sinus intracranially suggest that this is the oldest known cranial surgery performed due to symptoms of a medical aetiology : epidural infection.
Multi‐element analysis for dietary reconstruction at a balearic Iron Age site
Authors: Subirà M. E. , Malgosa A.
Published: June 2005

The number of studies using trace elements as indicators of diet has increased with time, but the majority have used few elements and a small sample. The present study has as a principal objective a multi‐element analysis of diet in a large sample in which diagenetic changes have been shown to be unimportant. The analysis was made using concentrations of seven elements—Sr, Ba, Mg, Cu, Zn, V and Ca—in 197 individuals from the necropolis of ‘S' Illot des Porros’ (Majorca, Spain). The results show that these individuals would have had a mixed diet with a high meat component, principally of marine origin (molluscs and fish), but with an important consumption of seeds and cereals and a low proportion of vegetables.
Diaphyseal remodelling in leprosy: A radiological and palaeopathological study
Authors: Andersen Johs G. , Manchester Keith , Ali Rozina Shahzady
Published: June 2005

Diaphyseal remodelling is a pathological process of the proximal phalanges, metatarsals and metacarpals in all established types of clinical leprosy. It is suggested that the changes are the result of sympathetic neuropathy and alteration of peripheral vascular bed dynamics selectively stimulating extracortical osteoclastic and endosteal osteoblastic activity. There is an overall loss of diaphyseal cortical diameter, either in concentric or knife‐edge pattern. There is extracortical absorption of bone and coincident endosteal bone deposition. Ultimately, there is diaphyseal pathological fracture, and subsequent resorption of the distal and proximal remnants due to combined continued diaphyseal remodelling and achroosteolysis.
Osteoarthritis in a Black Death cemetery in London
Authors: Waldron Tony
Published: June 2005

Age‐specific prevalence rates were determined in a group of skeletons recovered from a Black Death plague pit in London. The disease showed the expected increase in prevalence with age but these rates were lower than those in the contemporary population and the disease was more frequent in men than in women. In the majority of cases the disease affected one joint only and there were no cases of generalized osteoarthritis. The sites most commonly affected were the facet joints of the spine, the acromioclavicular joint and the hands; there were relatively few cases in which the large joints were affected but the knee was slightly more frequently affected than the hip.
Turner Teeth and childhood caries in a protohistoric California Indian population
Authors: Schulz Peter D.
Published: June 2005

Three instances of unusual enamel defects are reported from a late prehistoric and protohistoric non‐agricultural California Indian population. The defects, consisting of irregular absence of enamel over much of the crown of single premolars, with no corresponding hypoplastic defects in the remainder of the dentition, are typical of Turner teeth. Such defects are a consequence of pulp exposure from severe caries infections in the primary dentition. Their presence is suggestive of unusually high levels of childhood caries experience for a non‐agricultural population, a suggestion borne out by examination of the deciduous dentitions.
Chemical changes in buried animal bone: Data from a postmedieval assemblage
Authors: Locock Martin , Currie Christopher K. , Gray Stephen
Published: June 2005

Macroscopic chemical analysis of animal bone recovered from dated excavation contexts of known pH from Castle Bromwich Hall, West Midlands, UK, allows an assessment of the rate and effects of bone decomposition, and the evaluation of current models of chemical decay. The results show great variation, and it is suggested that factors such as mechanical disturbance have a more significant effect on the differential destruction of excavated bone assemblages than chemical decay. The implications of this conclusion for the attempted reconstruction of past faunas, diet and behaviour are summarized, recommending caution in the acceptance of assemblages as unbiased samples.
Fork formation and other signs of osteophagia on a long bone swallowed by a red deer stag (Cervus elaphus)
Authors: Kierdorf Uwe
Published: June 2005

A right anterior cannon bone (os metacarpale 3 + 4) of a red deer that was found in the reticulum of a 7‐year‐old red deer stag is described. The bone, which had accidentally been swallowed by the stag, showed clear signs of bone chewing (osteophagia), the most prominent being the formation of a fork at its distal end. Knowledge of the possible bone changes brought about by ruminant osteophagia may prevent the erroneous interpretation of skeletal remains as being worked by hominids.
An investigation into the practice of cranial deformation among the Pre‐Columbian peoples of northern Chile
Authors: Gerszten Peter C.
Published: June 2005

An investigation was carried out into the practice of artificial cranial deformation (ACD) among the Pre‐Columbian inhabitants of northern Chile. Four hundred and fifteen skulls, representing a period of 7000 years, were examined of which 88.9 per cent were deformed. The practice was carried out equally between men and women. The techniques used in head deforming varied over time among the different cultural groups that inhabited the region. By analysis of the methods used in ACD, it can be demonstrated that head deforming may yield information significant to the study of the political and cultural changes that occurred throughout the prehistory of the region. As a form of stylistic behaviour, which may be viewed as a strategy of information exchange, ACD was found to be a significant cultural artifact that may serve to mark territory or social boundaries, reaffirm ethnicity, and maintain and strengthen exchange networks. Certain pathological consequences were found to be the result of ACD, including an increase in the prevalence of wormian bones, occipital bone necrosis, and an abnormal closing pattern of the cranial sutures. No evidence was found that ACD is associated with a deviated nasal septum or osteomas of the external auditory canal.
A recently excavated odontome from medieval Canterbury, Kent
Authors: Anderson T. , Andrews J.
Published: June 2005

During archaeological excavation of St George's church, Canterbury, 269 skeletons ranging from early medieval to late nineteenth century were recovered. A medieval female aged ca. 23–28 years displayed an unusual dental anomaly, an odontome. Odontomes are infrequent in clinical dentistry. A search of the literature suggests that very few archaeological examples have been published and our specimen is the first excavated case reported from Britain. Archaeological material, if subject to radiographic examination, provides a unique source of information for the prevalence of odontomes from prehistoric to modern times.
Limits of incremental growth in seasonality studies: The example of the clariid pectoral spines from the Byzantino‐Islamic site of Apamea (Syria; sixth to seventh century AD)
Authors: Van Neer Wim
Published: June 2005

An evaluation is given of the value for seasonality studies of incremental growth in the pectoral spines of the Nile catfish Clarias gariepinus. The subfossil spines used for this study are from a Byzantino‐Islamic site in Syria, and probably all derive from animals captured on the floodplain during the yearly inundation of the nearby Orontes river, although only 45 per cent of the spines could be recognized as deriving from fish captured during that period. It is believed that the inability to date accurately the season of capture of the other specimens is due to disadvantages inherent in the growth cycle of the fish. For the moment it is possible to determine the season of death only of individuals that were taken during a period of rapid growth.
A possible case of metastatic carcinoma in a middle Sican burial from Batán Grande, Perú
Authors: Baraybar José Pablo , Shimada Izumi
Published: June 2005

The skeleton of a young to middle‐aged adult excavated at the base of the Pre‐Incaic pyramid of Huaca Las Ventanas, northern coast of Peru, shows an osteoplastic formation on the fifth lumbar vertebra compatible with a diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma, possibly from the prostate gland.
The use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in ancient skeletons
Authors: Spigelman Mark , Lemma Eshetu
Published: June 2005

The polymerase chain reaction has been used to extract ancient DNA from a wide range of different types of material. We have considered the possibility of finding residual bacterial DNA in bone that may have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis using this technique. We propose a method of collecting samples and testing for the presence of degraded genetic material in ancient bone. The steps of the polymerase chain reaction are detailed and discussed, as are those for the preparation of the bone sample. Results obtained would suggest that this technique could have wide application in osteoarchaeological research by giving us new information on diseases of antiquity. Future avenues for the investigation of bacterial DNA in ancient bone are suggested.
Ohalo II man—unusual findings in the anterior rib cage and shoulder girdle of a 19000‐year‐old specimen
Authors: Hershkovitz I. , Edelson G. , Spiers M. , Arensburg B. , Nadel D. , Levi B.
Published: June 2005

The analysis of the skeletal remains of Ohalo II man, aged 30–40 years at death and dated to 19 000 years BP, shows advanced and highly unusual ossification of the lower costosternal cartilage; the right humerus is morphologically larger and considerably more robust than the left; degenerative changes were noted unilaterally in the right glenohumeral, acromioclavicular and claviculosternal joints. There is a marked asymmetry of the atlas, axis and occipital condyles. The changes in the costochondral area of the lower anterior rib cage are considered to represent an infectious chronic osteomyelitic process. The marked discrepancy in size between the left and right shoulder girdles and humeri, and the evidence of degenerative disease exclusively on one side only may be the result of a traumatic brachial plexus nerve palsy. The asymmetrical atlas and axis are most probably anatomical variants that do not reflect clinical pathology.
The distribution of osteoarthritis of the hands in a skeletal population
Authors: Waldron Tony
Published: June 2005

The distribution of osteoarthritis of the hands was studied in 101 skeletons from archaeological sites in England. The results are similar to those found in epidemiological studies of modern populations. Osteoarthritis of the hands was more common in females than in males, and in females tended to involve a greater number of joints. The distal and proximal interphalangeal joints were commonly affected, the former more frequently than the latter, but otherwise the disease was largely confined to the first ray of the hand, centred on the trapezium. It is concluded that the pattern of osteoarthritis in the hand has probably not changed greatly over several hundred years.
Diaphyseal aclasis in citizens of ancient Jericho
Authors: Lyall H. A. , Mann G. E.
Published: June 2005

Three cases of multiple osteochondromatosis are reported among 843 skeletons excavated from the site of the ancient city of Jericho. Radiocarbon dating and archaeological evidence both suggest that two of the skeletons date from about 1700 BC. These skeletons represent the earliest known cases of diaphyseal aclasis.
A preliminary study of patterns of replication in Scoring linear enamel hypoplasias
Authors: Danforth Marie Elaine , Herndon Kristrina Shuler , Propst Kathryn B.
Published: June 2005

In order to investigate replicability in scoring linear enamel hypoplasias 59 anterior teeth were evaluated by three observers. Hypoplasias were identified with low‐power microscopy and by the unaided eye. Location on the tooth was determined through caliper and micrometer measurement as well as assignment to tooth ‘thirds’. Hypoplasia size was determined through measurement of episode width and comparison with a cast designed to categorize types of hypoplasia severity. Intra‐observer analysis showed consistent scoring of about 65 per cent of individual hypoplasias between rounds, with high replicability in episode location, size and severity using all methods tested. Inter‐observer error was similarly low for episode size and location, but consistent scoring of individual hypoplasias between observer pairs ranged between 21 and 39 per cent. It is likely that the most important factor in the low level of replicability is the slight size of the majority of hypoplasias involved. Thus, the results suggest that further work should be directed toward developing the minimum threshold for scoring episodes. Other issues include measures to control ‘drift’ in scoring procedures over time, and procedures to score large cervical hypoplasias in canines, which can appear as multiple episodes with magnification. Among the various scoring methods tested, determination of episode location was highly replicable using all three techniques. Episode width was also highly replicable using the micrometer, but the cast association proved less successful.
First discovery of the ancient dingo‐type dog in Polynesia (Pukapuka, Cook Islands)
Authors: Shigehara Nobuo , Matsu'Ura Shuji , Nakamura Toshio , Kondo Megumi
Published: June 2005

A Dingo‐type dog skeleton was excavated in Pukapuka Island of the Cook Islands with an estimated age of about 350 years. Luomala (1960) suggested that an investigation of the breed of Polynesian dogs would provide clues to the history of migration of the Polynesians, who domesticated the dogs. The Pukapuka dog skeleton is morphologically similar to the dingo and suggests some racial or economical interchange among Australia and Polynesian islands before contact with western civilization.
Immunological diagnosis of multiple myeloma in a medieval bone
Authors: Cattaneo C. , Gelsthorpe K. , Phillips P. , Waldron T. , Booth J. R. , Sokol R. J.
Published: June 2005

An inhibition enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies has been used to confirm the diagnosis of IgA type multiple myeloma in a small fragment (< 10 g) of cranium from a medieval female. Further testing by sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting showed that the IgA was mainly polymeric, suggesting that the individual would have suffered from a hyperviscosity syndrome. This is the first time that immunological assays have been used to diagnose multiple myeloma in ancient human tissue and have permitted speculation on associated clinical symptoms.
An analysis of chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia in a pre‐columbian human population using radiographic–pathological correlation
Authors: Sheth Pulin A. , Sartoris David J. , Resnick Donald , Tyson Rose , Haghighi Parviz
Published: June 2005

Radiologic‐pathologic correlation is employed in pre‐Columbian tibia specimens as a means of understanding the characteristic alterations induced by untreated chronic osteomyelitis.
Septic bone changes in leprosy: A clinical, radiological and palaeopathological review
Authors: Andersen Johs G. , Manchester Keith , Roberts Charlotte
Published: June 2005

Infective lesions of bone in leprosy are of two types. In the rhinomaxillary syndrome, superficial infective changes in the bones of the maxilla are due to the presence of Mycobacterium leprae. Lytic foci in the medulla or the outer cortical surface may be due to Mycobacterium leprae at the site as granulomatous lesions. The most frequent infective bone changes in leprosy are, however, sequelae of regional anaesthesia and soft tissue ulceration. The bone lesions are due to pyogenic bacteria and the nature of these infective lesions is similar to that in non‐leprous conditions. The pyogenic lesions in leprosy are restricted to the bones of the hands, feet and lower legs.
The angle of femoral torsion: An impossible measurement?
Authors: Stirland A. J.
Published: June 2005

Torsion of the femur (ante‐ or retroversion) is a normal feature of the bone. It is related to the angular difference in orientation between the proximal and distal articulations. Torsion has been studied, bothin vivoand in dry bone, using a variety of techniques, from a traditional goniometer to radiographs and tomography. Problems with the accurate measurement of the angle of femoral torsion have been encountered by many workers, resulting in a wide range of reported values. A pilot study was undertaken to attempt to demonstrate the difficulties in measuring the angle in dry bone. It was demonstrated that, using standard equipment, measurement of this angle has very poor reproducibility. Is it possible, therefore, to measure the angle of femoral torsion accurately?
Accuracy of age estimation from developing teeth of a population of known age (0–5.4 years)
Authors: Liversidge Helen M.
Published: June 2005

The accuracy of several methods of age estimation based on developing teeth was tested on 63 individuals of known age between 0 and 5.4 years from the Spitalfields Collection. The following methods of age estimation were tested: atlas method of Schour and Massler; diagram of Gustafson and Koch; mineralization age of some deciduous and permanent teeth, Moorrees, Fanning and Hunt, a modified method of Moorrees et al. by Smith, and quantitative methods using deciduous tooth length and weight regression equations, Deutsch, Tam and Stack. Accuracy was measured as the difference between dental age from the developing teeth and actual chronological age available from parish records.

Results show that the atlas and diagram methods are considerably more accurate for this population and age group than methods based on mineralization stages of formation. Accuracy for the atlas method was 0.11 (± 0.30) year and diagram method 0.10 (± 0.37) year. The accuracy for methods based on mineralization stages of formation were considerably less accurate: 0.52 (± 0.62) year for deciduous teeth, 0.57 (± 0.42) year for permanent teeth and 0.29 (± 0.39) year for the same method but modified specifically for prediction. Significant differences (P<0.01) between dental and chronological age were apparent for methods based on mineralization stages.

Accuracy of the quantitative methods during the first year of postnatal growth was high, the most accurate being deciduous molar length at 0.02 (± 0.15) year.

Factors influencing accuracy and the problems encountered with the methods tested are discussed. The Schour and Massler atlas remains the recommended method of dental age estimation for this age group for reasons of accuracy and ease.
Osteometric scoring of adult residual rickets skeletal plasticity in two archaeological populations from southeastern England: Relationship to sunshine and calcium deficits and demographic stress
Authors: Ivanhoe Francis
Published: June 2005

An osteometric scoring technique is developed for the quantification of rickets deformational effects persisting in the healed adult skeleton. Termed RR‐15 scoring (for residual rickets estimate, based on 15 main diagnostic osteometric traits), the method is first validated for sunshine deficit, and is then tested in a comparison of three climatically distinct archaeological populations from southeastern England. Two well‐dated cemetery series were sampled: the Saint Bride's Church columbarium collection (SBC) from London at the time of the Industrial Revolution, for which the sex, age, and calender year at death of each individual are known; and the early Anglo‐Saxons from Abingdon, near Oxford (AAS). Estimates of insolation in the past were developed indirectly by reference to δ18O mass spectrometer analyses of dated layers of the Greenland ice sheet. In SBC and AAS, the RR‐15 score varies primarily as a direct function of computed sunshine deficit, but is also incremented by deficits of bioavailable calcium in their reconstructed diets, and by demographic stress in AAS, the inferred result of a high birth rate. The amounts of interglobular dentine present in the permanent first and third molar crowns of SBC and AAS have been shown to correlate similarly with sunshine and calcium deficits. The relatively high RR‐15 score obtained in a small sample of northwestern European neanderthals lends quantitative support to the bioenvironmental hypothesis that sunshine‐deficit rickets accounts for much of their paranormal gross morphology.
Non‐union of the epiphysis of the acromion in the skeletal remains of a Scottish population of ca. 1700
Authors: Miles A. E. W.
Published: June 2005

A separation across the acromion is found in 3–8 per cent of adults and can be fibrous union of a fracture, or non‐union of the epiphysis. The only descriptions, based on dissected specimens, derive from the last century and show that the separations are pseudarthroses, or intra‐acromial joints, with synovial cavities. Examples occur of double epiphyses with two joints.

Eleven skeletalized examples, two bilateral and two through the acromio‐clavicular articular facet, are described. The moderately congruent surfaces of separation showed features consistent with pseudarthrosis but gave no indication of any consistent type of movement in the joints. It is concluded that all were probably due to non‐union of the epiphysis although, especially as they occurred in a population in which injuries were commonplace, some could have derived from fractures.

One specimen showed evidence of derangement of the shoulder joint, with impingement of the greater tuberosity of the humerus against the undersurface of the free part of the acromion producing eburnated attrition facets.
The conundrum of castration in the archaeological record: An interpretation of Roman cattle horn‐cores from Chelmsford, Essex
Authors: Luff Rosemary Margaret
Published: June 2005

Current methods of sexing archaeological cattle bones, in particular the metapodials, are based upon past research into contemporary breeds and this work embraces a limited sample size, spread across a vast geographical area. Although the separation of cows and bulls is not in question, there appears a great deal of subjectivity in the literature concerning the identification of castrated beasts.

Living bone is in a dynamic state of equilibrium with the rest of the body and responds to increased loading, that is, an increase in weight of the beast or stress/strain through strenuous movement, by remodelling. If cows and oxen are performing the same work, as for example in ploughing, then loading on the bones will be similar. These bones will thus respond by remodelling in corresponding fashion, and hence any morphological and metrical distinctions will be clouded. Horn‐cores are less subject to these constraints, although in some cultures there may be loading on these bones, for example through attaching the harness to the horns for ploughing.

The Chelmsford cattle horn‐cores constitute waste from some industrial activity and it is argued in the text that horn‐working is the most likely candidate, together with possibly tanning. Sexing of the bones strongly indicated male animals, with few females being present. A procedure for detecting castrated cattle (oxen) is presented, the results of which suggest an equivalent ratio of oxen to bulls.
New evidence of prehistoric arrow wounds in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Armendariz J. , Irigarai S. , Etxeberria F.
Published: June 2005

Recent excavations carried out in the Iberian Peninsula have revealed some skeletons with arrow wounds at sites dating from the neolithic to the Bronze Age. The discovery of burials in which the human remains have not been moved and the methodical nature of the excavation have made an in situ examination possible, and have confirmed this evidence as testimony of violent action, of which there are many other examples all over Europe. Four cases of silex arrowheads found in different human bones from the excavation of the hypogeum of Longar (Navarra, Spain), carried out between 1991 and 1993, are described.