bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pre‐Columbian congenital syphilis from the late antiquity in France
Authors: Pàlfi György , Dutour Olivier , Borreani Marc , Brun Jean‐Pierre , Berato Jacques 
Published: June 2005

AbstractToday, exactly 500 years after the discovery of America, there is still a lot of controversy about the history of syphilis in Europe, especially about the Columbian and pre‐Columbian hypotheses. This paper presents evidence for the presence of venereal treponematosis in the late Antiquity in France.The case that we examined comes from the necropolis of Costebelle (3rd‐5th centuries AD; Hyères, Var, France). Grave no. 1 contained the well‐preserved skeleton of a relatively old woman with the skeletal remains of an approximately 7‐month‐old fetus in her pelvic cavity.The osseous lesions of the fetal remains can be described in four groups: periosteal appositions on the skull vault (frontal and parietal); signs of periostitis on the long bones (bilateral cortical irregularities, predominantly on the left side, which affect first of all tibiae, femora, fibulae, radii and humeri, particularly in the metaphyseal region); some infraperiosteal detachment reminiscent of an infraperiosteal haematoma surrounding the distal extremity of the left forearm and the left hand; and finally, the irregular lesions of the humeral distal and proximal tibial metaphyses reminded us radiologically of Wimberger's signs.The most probable diagnosis of all the lesions mentioned above is that of a precocious congenital syphilis. This case consists of an argument against the epidemiological theories about the migration of Treponema pallidum from the New World back to the Old World starting at the end of the 15th century.
Evaluating human skeletal growth: An Anglo‐Saxon example
Authors: Hoppa Robert D. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractCross‐sectional growth data were obtained from the skeletal remains of non‐adults from the Raunds Anglo‐Saxon site. Standard measurements of the diaphyseal lengths of the long bones of the upper and lower limbs and the maximum breadth of the ilium were recorded in order to construct skeletal growth profiles (SGP). In addition regression equations were used to estimate diaphyseal length from proximal and distal shaft widths, and epiphyseal breadth data for fragmentary remains. The skeletal measurements were then plotted against age estimates determined by the dental formation standards of Moorrees, Fanning and Hunt, and Anderson, Thompson and Popovich. The growth data were compared with sixth to seventh century German, ninth century Slavic and modern Caucasian data. With the exception of the ancient Slavic material, the Anglo‐Saxon remains demonstrated the smallest rates of growth. Diaphyseal ageing curves derived from the Anglo‐Saxon sample were tested for applicability on the non‐adult cohorts of the Berinsfield and Exeter Anglo‐Saxon/Early Medieval samples. Differences were observed between diaphyseal age as determined from the skeletal growth profiles for Raunds and calcification age assessed for individuals within the test samples. It is proposed that variation in long bone growth as well as dental age confounds consistent and reliable ageing of skeletal remains based on diaphyseal length. Assessment of changes in health and evaluation of methodological problems inherent to studies of skeletal growth from archaeological populations are discussed. Population comparisons for changes in general health are recommended over individual assessments.
Archaeozoological research on vertebrates in Central Europe with special reference to the medieval period
Authors: Müller Hanns‐Hermann 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThis paper is the outcome of a lecture held at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. It provides a summary in English of the archaeozoological research work which has been carried out in Central Europe during the last 30 years, with special reference to material from medieval times. It is shown that a thorough zoological analysis of bones from excavations provides much information for historical interpretation. Not only was the ratio of wild and domestic animals or of the different species of interest, but also the age and sex structure of the population by taking the function of the site into consideration. Some observations on animal teeth gave indications of distinctive handicrafts. Cut marks on cervical vertebrae of horse skeletons found as grave goods from early medieval times were considered in connection with beliefs and juridical conceptions of that time.
Considerations for the identification of ritual deposits of animal bones in Iron Age pits
Authors: Wilson Bob 
Published: June 2005

AbstractAlthough ritual practices amongst human groups are well documented, there are often great difficulties in deducing that ritual behaviour was one of the processes leading to the deposition of prehistoric animal bones. This paper examines developments in recent British literature, particularly those related to the interpretation of certain bones found in Iron Age pits and notably at Danebury hillfort. It discusses a set of arguments or criteria on which the growing literature on ritual is based. In most instances the criteria cannot be restricted to a solely ritual interpretation and a wider range of taphonomic explanations are possible. More rigorous excavation records and discussion of evidence are required to identify ritual satisfactorily.
Taphonomic evidence for site formation processes at fort Christanna
Authors: Landon David B. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractFort Christanna was an early eighteenth century Indian trading post on the western frontier of Virginia. This paper describes and interprets the faunal remains recovered during three seasons of excavation at the site. Taxonomic and body part representation are examined to gain insight into diet on the frontier, food provisioning at the fort, and the relationship between the fort's occupants and the neighbouring Indian settlement. These interpretations are limited by the poor preservation apparent in the faunal assemblage. The patterning of a variety of different surface modifications is explored to understand the taphonomic history of the assemblage. These characteristics of the assemblage seem to be related largely to the bone refuse disposal practices of the fort's occupants, and thus give important insight into a crucial aspect of the site formation processes.
Process and terminology in mammal carcass reduction
Authors: O'Connor T. P. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractA simple process‐functional model is developed to explore some of the main stages in the utilization of a mammal carcass by people aiming to maximize the use of the carcass. The model predicts the potential deposition of many different and distinctive bone assemblages, some of which would be archaeologically recoverable. Explicit terminology is needed in order to distinguish assemblages of waste material from the intended product of a particular process, and to distinguish between assemblages characterized by depletion of certain elements and those in which parts of the carcass have been supplemented.
Metapodial asymmetry in draft cattle
Authors: Bartosiewicz L. , Van Neer W. , Lentacker A. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractTraction work by oxen has been well documented in various pictorial and written sources throughout human history. Analysis of metapodial dimensions has been carried out with the aim of quantifying asymmetry related to sexual dimorphism, body size and possibly heavy duty traction work. A modern reference sample of 103 animals from Hungary and Rumania has been used for this purpose. Bone measurements were correlated with bone density and morphological characteristics in order to make the results applicable for the identification of remains from draft cattle in archaeozoological assemblages. Asymmetry is more pronounced in the thoracic extremity and metacarpals of older or heavier animals, sometimes showing excessive widening of the third, medial ray within the fused bone. Relative broadening is also intensive in the distal end of medial metatarsals of cows and oxen. The bone mineral content of the medial carpal region attains mature density first. The weight of phalanges increases for a longer time in the laterally located toes.
Bone preservation, decay and its related conditions in ancient human bones from Kuwait
Authors: Maat George J. R. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractBy means of scanning electron microscopy, four out of a series of twelve inhumations from the Hellenistic Period were examined for traces of the decay process. The changes represented the result of erosion and biological decomposition of human bones on a small island in the northern part of the Persian Gulf over a period of ca. 2200 years. Special emphasis was given to bone preservation and blood cell survival, and to bone changes due to physicochemical erosion and fungus, bacterium, insect and plant‐root activity. Related soil and climatic conditions were taken into consideration. The observations should be evaluated to understand the unusual state of preservation of the bones and to avoid possible misinterpretation of pseudo‐pathological bone changes as ante‐mortem pathology.
Asymmetry and activity‐related change in the male humerus
Authors: Stirland A. J. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractSome previous studies of activity‐related change in the human skeleton have been of doubtful validity because specific changes have been related to particular tasks. Claims to establish such relationships have often concentrated on the development of entheses. Such work is marred by the incorrect assumption that muscles work in isolation in the performance of a single activity. In addition, normal skeletal asymmetry is often ignored, as is age and sex.In the present work, paired humeri of males from two medieval British sites, Norwich and Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, were compared using a series of measurements. Comparison of left and right sides demonstrated that humeral asymmetry decreases with age. Comparison of the sites showed that the Norwich males were more asymmetric than those from the Mary Rose. All asymmetries exhibited a right‐sided dominance. The majority of the species is right‐handed: the Norwich males followed this trend. The general lack of asymmetry in the Mary Rose males suggests that they were using their arms more equally. When left and right sides were compared directly, a new measurement of the greater tubercle (where three muscles insert) and measurement of the diameter of the head demonstrated that the Mary Rose males had significantly larger dimensions of the left shoulder than the Norwich males. These results extend earlier work, which had suggested a correlation between the use of heavy medieval longbows and os acromiale. Statistical comparison of the sites demonstrated that such work can indicate patterns of activity but not individual occupations.
The effect of cremation on the study of trace elements
Authors: Subira M. E. , Malgosa A. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractCremation was a frequent practice during the Bronze and Iron Ages in Europe. The destruction caused by this rite has meant that there are few anthropological studies of this period and that the amount of information that has been obtained is limited. Most studies deal with the number of individuals and the temperature of cremation. At present, however, studies are under way to determine the possibility of carrying out analyses of trace elements on cremated individuals in order to determine their diet. The present study, carried out at a necropolis with two kinds of burial (S'Illot des Porros, Mallorca, Iron Age), presents new data regarding the diagenetic effects differentiating cremated from buried bones. The levels of Sr, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cu and Mg in the spongy and cortical tissue of 197 femurs are analysed. The results obtained at this necropolis demonstrate that only the levels of calcium and magnesium in the cortical tissue of cremated bones increase, so diagenesis acts in the same way in cremated and non‐cremated bones in this necropolis.
The first archaeological example of Freiberg's infraction
Authors: Anderson T. , Carter A. R. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractFreiberg described a condition in which collapse of the juvenile second metatarsal head gave rise to localized pain and swelling.1 This eponymous disease is traditionally classed as one of the osteochondroses, a group of disparate lesions that typically manifest as destruction of an immature epiphysis. A medieval second metatarsal is presented, which by osteological and radiological examination is diagnostic of Freiberg's infraction. This is the first reported archaeological example of the condition.
Daily growth increments on fish otoliths as seasonality indicators on archaeological sites: The Tilapia from late palaeolithic Makhadma in Egypt
Authors: Van Neer Wim , Augustynen Silvia , Linkowski Thomasz 
Published: June 2005

AbstractDaily growth increments in fish otoliths have been demonstrated for the first time on Quaternary sagittae from a late palaeolithic site in Egypt and they have allowed us to establish the season of fishing. Transverse sections of tilapia sagittae studied under light‐microscope demonstrate that recrystallization during diagenesis renders the majority of the margins unreadable. The well‐preserved otoliths, however, all have widely spaced outer growth lines, indicating that the fish died during a period of fast growth which coincides with the flood season. Moreover, counting the daily increments showed that late palaeolithic man captured the animals on the floodplain of the Nile after the maximum of the flood, when residual pools were present.
A longitudinal study of tooth growth in a single individual based on long‐ and short‐period incremental markings in dentine and enamel
Authors: Dean M. C. , Beynon A. D. , Reid D. J. , Whittaker D. K. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractGround sections of teeth from a single individual revealed approximately 30 fluorescent lines in the dentine resulting from successive courses of tetracycline antibiotics given over a period of approximately 12 years. In addition, many teeth showed long‐period incremental markings in the dentine. Short‐period daily cross‐striations in the enamel were used to calculate the periodicity of the long‐period incremental lines in both enamel and dentine. The incremental markings in the dentine were then used to calibrate the time of administration of each of the courses of tetracycline antibiotics. Enlarged micrographs of the teeth, constructed using fluorescence microscopy, were used to measure the increase in height of different teeth throughout the growth period on each occasion the tetracycline antibiotics were given. The times of initial mineralization of the teeth and the duration of crown formation were also determined for each tooth section. Line plots of tooth height against age were computed and used to calculate the rate of increase in tooth height during crown and root formation for one example of each tooth type. Initial rates of increase in height during enamel apposition and coronal dentine formation were fast, between 10 μm and 14 μm per day. During the latter phase of crown formation and during early root formation, tooth height increased at a slower rate of between 4 μm and 6 μm per day. Rates of increase in tooth height then rose to between 13 μm and 26 μm per day during the second half of root formation before falling off to a rate of approximately 4 μm per day during root completion (as the root apex formed). The times of initial crown mineralization and the total crown formation times estimated in this individual were all within the range known for modern humans but there was comparatively early mineralization of the third permanent molar. These findings are discussed in the context of other studies on human dental development.
The effect of variation in methodology on the outcome of osteoarthritic studies
Authors: Bridges Patricia S. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThere is a great deal of variability in how osteoarthritis is scored and analysed. This paper compares several commonly used techniques of data presentation and analysis, using a prehistorical skeletal sample from the southeastern USA. It finds that these methodologies result in greatly different outcomes, not only in the overall frequencies of lesions, but also in the statistical findings and in which joints apparently have the most arthritis. It is unlikely that a consensus will quickly develop on how to deal with osteoarthritic lesions, owing to widespread disagreements on even such basics as scoring. In the interim, the best way to ensure comparability of studies is to present the most complete and least manipulated data possible, along with easy‐to‐interpret summary scores.
Variation in cross‐striation number between striae in an archaeological population
Authors: Huda Tushar F. J. , Bowman J. E. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThe observed variation in the number of cross‐striations between Striae of Retzius in a sample of teeth from juveniles buried in the crypts of a London City church is presented. Estimates of intra‐and inter‐observer error in making such cross‐striation counts are discussed, together with implications for the estimation of age from perikymata counts on the tooth surface.
Age at death estimates for the protohistoric Arikara using molar attrition rates: A new quantification method
Authors: Dreier Frederick G. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractDental attrition is positively related to ageing and has often been used to determine age at death of animals and prehistoric/historic humans. A newly designed molar‐attrition‐scoring standard was applied to a protohistoric skeletal sample, the Arikara (N = 143) from the North American Plains. Several criteria are used in producing a molar tooth crown wear (MTCW) score. These include: (i) the size of enamel wear facets, (ii) the amount of dentine and secondary dentine exposure, (iii) the height of the tooth, (iv) the enamel rim thickness, and (v) the amount of pulp‐cavity exposure in the advanced stages. Age‐at‐death estimates were generated from ordinary least‐squares (OLS) analysis, with estimated age regressed independently on the total molar attrition score (TMAS), mean molar‐1 tooth crown wear (ȲM1TCW), mean molar‐2 tooth crown wear (ȲM2TCW), and mean molar‐3 tooth crown wear (ȲM3TCW). In all analyses (with the exception of the third molar), the coefficient of determination (r2) revealed a strong relationship between molar attrition and age. Multiple‐regression analysis revealed a significant sex difference in molar‐attrition rates. Besides intercept and slope differences, the female scatter showed greater molar attrition variation than the male scatter. There was no statistical difference between mean upper molar attrition score (UMAS) and lower molar attrition score (LMAS). There was no significant difference in molar attrition rates by side, and side by molar tooth.
Cranial suture closure and its implications for age estimation
Authors: Key Catherine A. , Aiello Leslie C. , Molleson Theya 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThree age estimation techniques using ectocranial and/or endocranial suture closure are tested on a sample of known age from Spitalfields, London in order to determine the value of cranial suture closure as an indicator of age at death. The three techniques are those proposed by Acsádi and Nemeskéri, Meindl and Lovejoy and Perizonius. Results indicate that the Acsádi and Nemeskéri technique, which is based on endocranial sutures, can be used to distinguish young and middle‐aged individuals in the Spitalfields sample but gives no information for crania over the age of 50 years. Age estimation using the Meindl and Lovejoy and Perizonius (Old system) techniques, which use ectocranial sutures, was found to be subject to a number of complicating factors, of which sexual dimorphism in the rate and pattern of closure is the most significant. A method of estimating age at death based on both endocranial and ectocranial suture closure is developed on the basis of the Spitalfields sample. The technique attempts to overcome some of the problems associated with both intra‐ and interpopulation variation in cranial suture closure. For a truly accurate age‐estimation technique based on cranial suture closure we would need to know more about the causes and functions of suture closure in human populations.
Dental disease evidence for agricultural intensification in the Nubian C‐Group
Authors: Beckett Sean , Lovell Nancy C. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThe results of this study reveal significantly greater frequencies of caries, periapical abscesses and ante‐mortem tooth loss in the Lower Nubian C‐Group (ca. 2000–1500 BC) compared with the preceding Classic/Terminal A‐Group (ca. 3100–2500 BC). More severe tooth wear in the C‐Group, which traditionally would be interpreted as consistent with a hunting‐gathering subsistence base, can instead be attributed to grit in the diet resulting from the processing of agricultural produce with sandstone and quartzite mortars and grinding stones, and perhaps also to the intentional addition of grit to grain in order to facilitate grinding. The results of this study, when evaluated in the context of complementary archaeological and osteological evidence, indicate that both groups practised a mixed economy but that the C‐Group relied more heavily on cereal cultivation.
Lithopedion as an archaic occurrence
Authors: Rothschild Bruce M. , Rothschild Christine , Bement Leland C. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractIdentification of a 3100‐year‐BP lithopedion in the Archaic Southwest antedates its first clinical notation by 2100 years. It was only the ‘autopsy’ of time (excavation of the site) that allowed its presence to be brought to light.
Standardization of long bone growth in children
Authors: Sciulli Paul W. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractDiaphyseal lengths of long bones of juveniles from five prehistoric Native American populations were collected in order to test the hypothesis of equivalence of relative lengths of all long bones.Results indicate that the relative lengths of all long bones are not equivalent and that the long bones of the Native Americans exhibit a consistent, significant sequence from relatively most affected (relatively smallest) to relatively least affected (relatively longest): femur, fibula, tibia, humerus, ulna and radius. This sequence can be explained if it is assumed that the most rapidly growing long bones are the most greatly affected by nutritional and disease stress.
Dental root dentine translucency used in age determination of medieval Norwegians from Trondheim
Authors: Beyer‐Olsen Eva Margrete Stermer , Bang Gisle , Sellevold Berit J. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractA pilot study on eight skulls from the churchyard of St Olav's church in Trondheim, excavated in 1988–1989, was carried out to compare age determined by root dentine translucency with the age assessed by a physical anthropologist. The difference in mean age between the two methods was not significant (p = 0.06).Age determinations based on root dentine translucency were then performed on removable teeth from the adults among the 248 skeletons found in the same churchyard, excavated in 1984–1985. A comparison between the ages determined using root dentine translucency and the ages previously determined by the direct inspection method was performed. A significant systematic difference was seen between the two methods (p = 0.000). The root dentine translucency method gave an age range for the cohort excavated in 1984–1985 between 30 and 72 years, whereas the direct inspection method gave a range between 15 and 63 years. Because evaluation of many criteria are required to achieve reasonably accurate estimates of age in connection with the direct inspection method, expertise in skeletal biology is necessary.The method of measuring root dentine translucency as a tool in archaeological and anthropological work and fieldwork and in forensic science seems to have advantages because the method can be used without previous extensive training.