International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

{"title":"Assessing the Greater Sciatic Notch With 2-D Shape Analysis for Sex Estimation","authors":"Samuel R. Rennie,&nbsp;Heather M. Tamminen","doi":"10.1002/oa.3389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3389","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A correct biological profile leads to a better understanding of the past and assists in the identification of human remains within bioarchaeology and forensic casework. Sex estimation forms a critical component of a biological profile. With the advancement of technologies such as geometric morphometrics (GMM), new methods and a deeper understanding of morphological features can be investigated digitally. However, how well do these methods compare to standard visual methods and how easy are they to employ? This research investigates the use of 2-D shape analysis and visual morphological methods for sex estimation using the greater sciatic notch (GSN). A total of 202 adult <i>os coxae</i> were photographed and analyzed from the Spitalfields Coffin Plate Collection housed at the Natural History Museum, UK. Each <i>os coxae</i> was analyzed digitally to extract a “line” for elliptical fourier analysis (EFA) and subsequent discriminant function analysis (DFA). <i>Os coxae</i> were also scored using two well established morphological methods for the GSN. This study found an overall accuracy of 82.81% when using the computational method (EFA and DFA). Lower accuracies were found for the visual methods with the Bruzek method correctly classifying 82.17% and the Walker method resulting in a much lower accuracy at 72.77%. The finding of this study showcases the benefits of using more computational methods such as shape analysis/GMM. However, it has a nearly identical overall error rate to the Bruzek method and higher accuracy than the Walker method and therefore is a suitable and accurate method for sex estimation. As these practices are evolving, practitioners will have to balance the cost/benefit (e.g., time, training, and accuracy) of using the different techniques while continuing to refine and combine approaches for optimal results in biological profiling.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3389","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differences in Dental Size Among the Indigenous Population of the Canary Islands","authors":"Rebeca García-González,&nbsp;Aarón Morquecho Izquier,&nbsp;Jonathan Santana","doi":"10.1002/oa.3385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3385","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nonmetric dental traits and odontometrics have demonstrated that pre-European populations of the Canarian archipelago are closely related to Northwest Africans, revealing varying degrees of interisland diversity. However, a comprehensive study of differences across various islands has not yet been conducted. This study aims to analyze the differences in dental size among the island populations of the Canary Islands during the indigenous period. The mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) diameters, along with the geometric mean of the permanent teeth (I1-M2), were measured in 347 adult individuals from each of the Canary Islands, excluding Lanzarote. Statistical analyses were performed to identify interisland differences in tooth size and between island populations. Two distinct patterns emerged: the populations of Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria had the largest BL and MD diameters, respectively, whereas the populations of El Hierro and La Palma had the smallest values for most teeth. These differences are statistically significant, especially between Gran Canaria (largest teeth) and El Hierro (smallest BL and MD diameters). Our results indicate heterogeneity in dental size, suggesting genetic differences between the eastern and western islands and limited gene flow among islands after the initial settlement. Furthermore, subsistence practices seem to influence these differences. Overall, the findings provide insights into the interplay of genetic isolation, subsistence strategies, body size variations, and sexual dimorphism.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Study of the Skeletal Remains of the 16th Century Italian Commander Alessandro Farnese and His Wife, Maria D'Aviz","authors":"Laura Donato,&nbsp;Nicola Cucurachi,&nbsp;Douglas H. Ubelaker,&nbsp;Emanuele Armocida,&nbsp;Jessika Camatti,&nbsp;Michele Treglia,&nbsp;Luigi Tonino Marsella,&nbsp;Rossana Cecchi","doi":"10.1002/oa.3384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3384","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Entheseal changes are indicators of persistent and long-term changes induced by occupational activity and refer to marks on the skeleton where a muscle, tendon, or ligament inserts into the periosteum. Their study makes it possible to deduce further information about the person to whom the human bone remains belong. The authors present here the analysis of these markers on the bone remains of two Italian historical figures who lived in the 16th century. In 2021, the exhumation of the remains of Alessandro Farnese and Maria D'Aviz was authorized for study purposes and the skeletal remains were examined. The data collected from the examination of the mortal remains of Alessandro Farnese are compatible with historical data about his biography. As a skilled leader and assiduous sportsman, he showed signs of entheseal changes in his bone tissue attributable to physical activities. On the other hand, the case of Maria D'Aviz differs significantly from that of Alessandro Farnese in that her bone segments show no signs of entheseal changes. The analysis carried out on the remains results to be very useful in verifying the comparison with the elements present in their biography. The possibility of confirming the connection between entheseal changes and lifestyle habits is fundamental to increasing credibility in the application of these elements in the process of identifying nameless bodies in the forensic context.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Rule Rather Than the Exception! Multi-Predator Actualistic Accumulations From Cau del Duc (Lleida, Spain) and Their Implications for the Interpretation of the Archaeopaleontological Record","authors":"Julián Mignino,&nbsp;Anna Rufà,&nbsp;Goizane Alonso,&nbsp;Maite Arilla,&nbsp;Ruth Blasco","doi":"10.1002/oa.3383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3383","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Numerous zooarchaeological cases have reported the presence of more than one type of predator as causal agents in the formation of the bone record in karstic contexts. However, modern analogs capable of supporting these interpretations from actualistic cases are practically nonexistent. In this paper, we present the analysis of a leporid assemblage accumulated in a cave where the action of different non-human predators converged. The exhaustive taphonomic analyses suggest that these remains were accumulated by more than one type of predator as the majority product of non-ingested remains. In comparison with other studies carried out at the same site, we could affirm that the genesis of this assemblage is due to the predatory action of nocturnal birds of prey and carnivorous mammals that carried their prey to this cave. We discuss these results and provide information to enrich archaeological and paleontological studies in contexts with combined taphonomic problems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cremated Bone in Archaeology: Ethical Considerations in the Excavation, Analysis, Storage, and Display of Cremated Bone in the United Kingdom","authors":"Kirsty Squires,&nbsp;Jacqueline McKinley,&nbsp;Charlotte A. Roberts,&nbsp;Trish Biers","doi":"10.1002/oa.3382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3382","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the United Kingdom, the study of archaeological cremated human remains has risen exponentially over the past three decades. Consequently, we are gaining a more rounded understanding of past communities, rather than a skewed perspective caused by an overreliance on studies of human remains from inhumation graves. Yet, ethical considerations related to the excavation, recording, analysis, storage, and display of cremated remains are not explicitly explored in the literature. This paper redresses this imbalance and explores the key ethical challenges based on the authors' professional experiences in commercial archaeology, universities, and museums. Recommendations for best ethical practice are provided and are aimed at all relevant parties who may encounter cremated bone in their place of work. Clearly, best practice can only be achieved by ensuring practitioners (including students) have appropriate ethics training, including consulting with specialists where experience of cremated human bone may be lacking within a team. The attainment of standardized ethical protocols explicitly addressing cremated remains and implementing training initiatives should be spearheaded by professional bodies. Ultimately, we hope this paper will encourage the inclusion of cremated remains in ethical discourses within archaeology, osteoarchaeology, and museology.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3382","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Childhood in Precolonial South America: Breastfeeding, Infant Mortality, and Stable Isotopes Analysis in Southeastern Shell Mound Builders During the Middle Holocene (7th–5th Millennium BP)","authors":"Marina Di Giusto,&nbsp;Estelle Herrscher,&nbsp;Klervia Jaouen,&nbsp;Murilo Bastos,&nbsp;Leïa Mion,&nbsp;Veronica Wesolowski","doi":"10.1002/oa.3381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3381","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article presents and discusses isotopic data on breastfeeding, weaning, and complementary diet during early childhood in Middle Holocene southeastern Brazil. The study focuses on human individuals from two contemporaneous shell mounds, Piaçaguera (7151–5668 yBP) and Moraes (6791–5590 yBP), which show distinct patterns of infant mortality. We conducted <i>δ</i>¹⁵N and <i>δ</i>¹³C analyses on collagen extracted from subadult bones (Piaçaguera: <i>n</i> = 13; Moraes: <i>n</i> = 13) and sequential dentine slices from permanent (Piaçaguera: <i>n</i> = 7; Moraes: <i>n</i> = 11) and deciduous teeth (Moraes: <i>n</i> = 5). Our findings indicate that weaning ended between 2 and 4 years old in Piaçaguera, with complementary foods similar to the adults. At Moraes, weaning ended between 2 and 5 years old, with a higher consumption of freshwater fish during early childhood and by pregnant women. The weaning ages at Piaçaguera and Moraes align with those documented in other precolonial South American groups. However, our study suggests different dietary preferences and strategies within each group, possibly linked to distinct patterns of infant mortality, particularly evident in the Moraes group.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Osteoarchaeological Perspectives on Socioeconomic Changes in European Iron Age Societies: Some Introductory Remarks","authors":"Simon Trixl,&nbsp;Michael Francken","doi":"10.1002/oa.3380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3380","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Across many regions of Europe, the Iron Age represented a period of significant cultural, economic, and social change. New systems of agricultural production emerged, extensive exchange networks were established, and in several areas, such as Central Europe, Middle Italy, and parts of the Iberian Peninsula, a pronounced political and economic centralization became evident.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of the crucial innovations of this period was the emergence of highly organized proto-urban settlements: cycles of urbanization, subsequent de-urbanization and re-urbanization are evident in several phases of the Iron Age (e.g., Salač &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;, 69–73) and appear in various geographic areas and cultural contexts. In some cases, these developments were closely interrelated. For instance, in Central and Northern Italy, from the 9th century &lt;span&gt;bce&lt;/span&gt; onwards, urban settlements such as Verucchio and Bologna emerged, playing a vital role as political and economic centers for the surrounding micro-regions and forming part of supraregional exchange and communication networks that spanned large parts of Europe (e.g., Rondini and Zamboni &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;). Through these extensive communication networks, stimuli for settlement centralization and urbanization also reached Central Europe, where early Celtic princely seats emerged as central places of supraregional importance in the 7th century &lt;span&gt;bce&lt;/span&gt; (e.g., Fernández-Götz and Krausse &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;). These changes in settlement structures and economic patterns were accompanied by new trends in social stratification, resulting in the establishment of an elite with dynastic structures, as evidenced by lavishly furnished burials excavated near Early Iron Age central places (e.g., Gretzinger et al. &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). An even more comprehensive stage of Iron Age urbanization, both in terms of geographic expansion and the degree of changes in settlement patterns, became evident from the 3rd/2nd century &lt;span&gt;bce&lt;/span&gt; onwards, when large settlements of unprecedented dimensions emerged in the greater region encompassing Southern England, the Iberian Peninsula, Northern Italy, the German-Czech Central Uplands, and the Pannonian Plain. Although these agglomerations, referred to by Iron Age archaeology as &lt;i&gt;oppida&lt;/i&gt;, exhibit specific features at regional and individual levels, they were all characterized by various elements associated with urbanism, such as a high degree of internal organization, a central function for their surrounding areas, and in some cases an important role as economic distribution points (Guichard, Sievers, and Urban &lt;span&gt;2000&lt;/span&gt;; Salač &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;, 65–69). This late phase of Iron Age urbanization is also to be viewed as a wide-ranging communication area, linking, among others, the Mediterranean Greco-Roman &lt;i&gt;oikumene&lt;/i&gt; with the societies of Central, Western and Northern Europe (e.g., Loughton &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;, 80–81).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This space of supraregional and transcult","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3380","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Method for Detecting Bias in Human Archaeological Cemetery Samples","authors":"Bonnie R. Taylor,&nbsp;Marc F. Oxenham","doi":"10.1002/oa.3379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3379","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper aims to provide a methodological approach to identify potential bias in cemetery sample age-at-death distributions and provide an alternative way to report fertility despite underenumeration. The method involves comparing total fertility rate (TFR) estimates from two empirically derived models developed on a United Nations mortality and fertility dataset. The models utilize different age cohorts in their calculations (one relies on the proportion of pre-adults aged &lt; 15 years, whereas the other excludes all those aged &lt; 15 years). The tested hypothesis is that similar TFR estimates using both models indicate a relatively unbiased sample, although the converse would suggest cemetery sample bias in one broad age cohort. Results comparing the respective TFR estimates from D0–14/D and D15–49/D15+ models confirm that fertility estimates are comparable for unbiased samples. From this, a method for the coordinated application of the D0–14/D and D15–49/D15+ models were found to be valid in determining if a cemetery sample was biased. Following the determination of potential underrepresentation, an approach is outlined for dealing with biased and unbiased cemetery samples in terms of reporting on demographic variables such as TFRs.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143447092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An “Invisible” Child—A Case of a Child With Anthropogenic Modification Marks and Pathological Conditions in Early Neolithic China","authors":"Rong Fan,&nbsp;Xingtao Wei,&nbsp;Juzhong Zhang,&nbsp;Minghui Wang","doi":"10.1002/oa.3368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3368","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this preliminary study, we present a unique and rare case of a child with anthropogenic modification marks on his/her skeletal remains and pathological conditions that may be related to malnutrition. This child's remains were discovered at the Jiahu site. It is a relatively early Neolithic site located in northern China dated to circa 7000–5000 <span>bc</span>. The child was estimated to be around 8–10 years old. His/her remains were placed in a concealed way with grave goods, including a bone flute. The burial where the child was uncovered is in close proximity to two unique archeological features, including a large multiple commingled burial and a pit containing turtle shell rattles and a fork-shaped bone tool. All these objects and bone flutes are considered as ritual paraphernalia by many scholars. Six groups of anthropogenic modification marks are documented on the child's left femur and both tibiae. Four of the groups of marks are located close to joints and the other two are on the shafts. Five groups of the thin, straight, and shallow grooves are at a transverse angle, which suggests possible excarnation actions. The context along with the marks and the child's pathological condition is indicative of a ritual setting or a ritual practitioners' mortuary practices that may have been associated with the child's underlying diseases or preparation for making bone tools, even though the intentions behind such unique mortuary practices may never be conclusive.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3368","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Allocation of Scattered Teeth From a Batavia 1629 Communal Grave","authors":"Robert Bower,&nbsp;Stephen Knott,&nbsp;Deb Shefi,&nbsp;Corioli Souter","doi":"10.1002/oa.3375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3375","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>When the Dutch ship <i>Batavia</i> wrecked in 1629 on Morning Reef in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia, most of the passengers and crew survived the wreck, but about 200 of the survivors later perished on and around Beacon Island where they had landed after the wreck. As many as 81 bodies may be buried on Beacon Island and 21 bodies have been excavated to date. During the 2017–2018 excavations, seven of the buried individuals were excavated from a communal grave. During the excavation, 18 teeth were found scattered in the soil around the bodies. A systematic method is presented to allocate isolated teeth to their appropriate skeleton using tooth morphology and tooth wear as the primary criteria for allocation. Tooth wear must be similar to the adjacent and opposing dentition before the tooth is considered for allocation. If the wear is similar, the tooth is gently fitted into the proposed tooth socket. The fit of the tooth in the tooth socket is visually assessed, and if close, the tooth is radiographed in situ to confirm the allocation. Each separated tooth must be tested in all the sites to which it is appropriate. If a tooth fits more than one site, it cannot be allocated. Use of this method allowed allocation of 10 separated teeth in 28 possible sites. The possible cause of the separation of teeth from the skeleton is discussed.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}