22022018 Flashcards
1
Q
Bioarchaeology
A
= Scientific study of human remains frm archaeological sites
- Commonly apply on decedents of indigenous ppl
- Can study a range of issues including:
1. Subsistence
2. Nutrition
3. Occupational stress
4. Biological profile of populations
5. Mobility (migration and interaction)
2
Q
- Subsistence
> Bone isotope studies
A
- C3 pathway plants: sugars low in 13C
> e.g. apple, barley, grape, peas, potato, organic, radish, sugar beet, wheat - C4 pathway plants: sugars high in 13C
> e.g. maize, millet, grasses, sorghum, sugar cane
> Eating animals > consume grasses indirectly
* -> General diet
- In combination with other archaeological records
3
Q
- Subsistence
> Strontium (Sr)
A
- Seafood = rich in Sr
> Therefore higher Sr ratios = higher proportion of marine foods in diet - Ratio of Sr / Ca (Calcium)
- Animals “discriminate” against Sr; plants don’t.
- Animals use more Ca
> Can look at Sr/Ca ratio to determine proportion of meat in the direct
> Can compare human bone isotopes ratios in human bones to those in carnivores to those in vegetarian animals (browsers) to see where humans fall
4
Q
- Subsistence
> Microbotanical residues recovered frm human dental calculus
A
- Examine teeth (Mickleburgh and Pagan-Jimenez, 2012)
> Study target: pre-Columbian Caribbean
> Look at preserved starch grains, phytoliths
> Every time of eating leaves residue
> How these molecules are preserved / damaged
> Processing (e.g. compare natural maize molecules to the maize molecules left @residue > smashed OR natural)
5
Q
- Nutrition
> Porotic hyperostosis AND Cribra orbitalia
A
- Cribra orbitalia = caused by iron deficiency anemia > Social status, equality > How ppl ate VS nutrition equality > Need big samples of skeleton to generate reliable data of a specific population / at specific time > Reinforce other types of data
6
Q
- Nutrition
> Harris lines
A
- Cause = periods of malnutrition
7
Q
2 Nutrition
> Enamel hypoplasia
A
- Cause = periodic nutritional stress
- Symptoms: lines on teeth
8
Q
- Occupational stress
A
- Repetitive motions, or body positions can leave permanent signature on skeleton.
- Most common examples are overdeveloped muscle attachments from manual labor/strenuous exercise
- e.g. See trends in Skeletal robust city during the transition frm hunting and gathering to agriculture, across the world
- Increase in humoral and femoral robusticity, esp in women
- e.g. Ear exostosis (a hard tissue in ear that can be preserved): surfer’s” ear @mid altitude population
> Affect hearing ability
> If: found @archaeological ppl
> Suggest: spend a lot of time on diving / cold water activity
9
Q
- Biological profile of populations
A
- e.g. Village of Burlington, VT, ca. 1812-1815
> Downtown near lake Champlain @Military burials, camp Burlington
1. Written record: identifying the war of 1812 soldiers
2. Adopt osteological analysis
> Construct biological profiling, preservation of age features
3. Found enlistment record
> Provide death record / background info
4. Preservation of hair
10
Q
Osteological Analysis
A
- Sex
- Age
- Stature
- Ancestry
- Pathology
- Trauma
11
Q
Taphonomic influences
A
- Bone preservation
- Grave disturbance
12
Q
Preservation of age features
A
Method:
- Pubic symphysis
- Cranial suture closure, maxillary suture closure
- Auricular surface
- Eternal rib ends
- Dental attrition, 3rd molar eruption
- Vertebral arthritic changes
- Basilar synchondrosis
- Medial clavicle
13
Q
Preservation of hair
A
- Further perform DNA analysis
14
Q
- Old Burial Ground
A
- History: bodies removed and placed in other places (?)
- Site in Burlington
- An estimated 375-400 burials in the Old Burial Ground
- UVM studied 144 grave shafts identified within the area of courthouse explanation (ca. 40% of cemetery)
- 45% of the 144 (n=65) had been completely exhumed
- 35% of the 144 (n=50) were only partially exhumed
- 20% of the 144 (n=29) where completely intact
1. Age (frm remains): sub-adults 53.3%, adults 46.7%
VS Age (frm gravestone data): sub-adults 39.4% (55% of sub-adults under 1.5yrs); adults 60.6%
> Why difference btw % sub-adults excavated and % represented by gravestone data
> Possible reason: bones of sub-adults are smaller > smaller grave
> Original exhumes missed more small graves, hence more were “left behind” to be discovered archaeologically
> 55% sub-adults under 1.5yrs due to early mortality (medication)
2. Average age: - Including all individuals 30.7yrs VS including only adults 49.1yrs; male adults 52.1 yrs VS female adults
> Why such a low average for all individuals? Why differences btw men and women?
15
Q
War of 1812 soldiers and Adult males at St. Johnsbury similar in large stature. Why?
A
- Selectivity for big soldiers
- Larger soldiers = higher survival rate > natural selection?
*- Farmers (occupation of regular army soldiers farmer = 55.3%)
> Heavier, active, food production
