International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

{"title":"Bioarcheological Insights From Fragmented Remains: Using Dental Health to Understand the Punic Necropolis of Monte Luna","authors":"Rossella Paba,&nbsp;Anna Willis,&nbsp;Kate Domett","doi":"10.1002/oa.70171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70171","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To investigate oral health in the fragmented human remains from the Punic necropolis of Monte Luna, Sardinia, and evaluate what dental pathologies reveal about lifeways and diet. Human remains from 227 individuals recovered from 70 tombs were analyzed, including 21 females, 16 males (&gt; 15 years), and 59 non-adults (1–15 years). The sample comprised 2362 teeth. Caries, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and periapical lesions were recorded and compared by sex and age. Caries prevalence was low but increased with age. In sexed individuals, males showed an age-related increase in caries, whereas females exhibited caries across all age groups and higher AMTL rates in older adulthood. Oral health patterns are consistent with agro-pastoral and coastal subsistence practices and reflect dietary traditions shaped by the environmental and cultural context of Punic Sardinia. This study presents the first comprehensive bioarcheological assessment of oral health in a Punic Sardinian population, providing insights into age- and sex-related variation in dental disease. Interpretation of age- and sex-related patterns was limited by small sample sizes and the fragmented nature of the skeletal assemblage. Analysis of additional Sardinian assemblages, combined with stable isotope, dental microwear, proteomic, and developmental stress marker studies, could further clarify long-term health and dietary change.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1324-1334"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70171","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177598","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":"The Burning Question: Frequencies of Tobacco Consumption in Postmedieval (16th–19th c. ce) England and the Netherlands","authors":"Anna M. Davies-Barrett,&nbsp;Sarah A. Inskip","doi":"10.1002/oa.70157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70157","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The frequency of tobacco use during the postmedieval period is widely underexplored; this has repercussions for our understanding of the intoxicant's health impacts during this time. Our study assesses the frequency rates of tobacco consumption in different social groups in England and the Netherlands, two countries in which tobacco use became quickly incorporated into the sociocultural fabric after its introduction to Europe in the 16th century. We assessed frequencies of evidence for tobacco use in 380 English and 318 Dutch individuals, using osteoarchaeological and biomolecular analyses. We examined use-rates in individuals from three different socioeconomic backgrounds: rural agricultural (Barton-upon-Humber; Middenbeemster), urban high-middle (St James's Gardens Burial Ground; Zwolle), and urban low-middle (St James's Gardens Burial Ground; Arnhem) status. Our results indicate high usage rates in Dutch men (63.6%–98.1%), who overwhelmingly demonstrate evidence for pipe-usage, and similar rates among English men and women (39.6%–64.2%), regardless of socioeconomic status. Women from both countries were highly unlikely to present with evidence for pipe-usage, indicating a preference for an alternative means of consumption, and were also far more likely to present with evidence for tobacco-usage in older age. Our results directly contradict the historical notion that women, particularly well-to-do women in the 19th century, were not consuming tobacco, but identify that its use perhaps became more socially acceptable as women aged. Further, we identify differences in the presence of pipe notches in different groups, which could indicate the preference for different ways of consuming tobacco according to gender, socioeconomic background, occupation, and differing norms between countries. This analysis provides nuance to historical concepts of who was, and was not, smoking during the postmedieval period, and paves the way for understanding the long-term health implications of a drug that has had vast and enduring repercussions for European society.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1184-1198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70157","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177240","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":"Infant Feeding Patterns and Sex-Differentiated Weaning in a Medieval Ligurian Village of Noli (9th–12th centuries ce): Evidence From Incremental Dentine Microsampling","authors":"Claire L. Gold,&nbsp;Gwenaëlle Goude,&nbsp;Kerry L. Sayle,&nbsp;Brigitte Holt","doi":"10.1002/oa.70161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigates exclusive breastfeeding, weaning age, and complementary diet among medieval juveniles interred in the San Paragorio church cemetery in Noli, Italy (9th–12th centuries <span>ad</span>). Incremental dentine microsampling (IDM) was applied to reconstruct high-resolution carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N), and sulfur (δ³⁴S) isotope profiles from birth through approximately 10 years of age using both deciduous and permanent molars from 23 genetically sexed juveniles. Comparative baseline data (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S) were generated from bone collagen of local faunal specimens. Age-at-death estimates were refined using micro-CT analysis. Isotopic trajectories reveal a marked sex difference in weaning patterns: Males exhibited slightly longer exclusive breastfeeding durations and substantially later weaning completion than females. These findings provide the first direct evidence of sex-differentiated weaning in medieval Liguria, contributing new insights into diet, parental investment, and childcare in a coastal community of the Middle Ages.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1263-1273"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177594","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":"Elk in Medieval Towns of Rus': Meat, Hides, and Antler Economies","authors":"A. V. Zinoviev","doi":"10.1002/oa.70158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Elk (<i>Alces alces</i>) was the largest wild ungulate available to the forest-zone towns of medieval Rus', yet it rarely forms more than a trace component of urban faunal assemblages. Here I synthesize published zooarchaeological evidence from key towns (Novgorod and Tver) and comparative datasets from other Rus' urban sites to reassess elk's economic role. In medieval Novgorod, elk remains typically constitute ~0.2% of identified mammal bones, but they are frequently modified: one-third of elk specimens bear butchery marks, and cranial elements show deliberate splitting and antler pedicle removal. Hinterland sites display complementary patterns, including strong biases toward foot bones and skinning marks, consistent with the import of hides rather than whole carcasses. Together, these signatures indicate that elk entered towns mainly through targeted product flows—antler for craft production and hides for processing—while contributing only marginally to routine urban meat supply. I argue that elk is best understood as an ‘invisible commodity’ of medieval urban economies: materially significant in craft and exchange networks but weakly represented in food waste deposits.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1121-1129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177608","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":"Morphological Similarity Between Edo-Period Wooden Dentures and Maxillae in Japan: A Three-Dimensional Analysis Using Homologous Modeling","authors":"Kie Yoshida,&nbsp;Yuka Hatano,&nbsp;Moe Kosaka,&nbsp;Toshihiko Suzuki","doi":"10.1002/oa.70159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70159","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wooden dentures represent a distinctive form of dental technology uniquely developed in Japan that is no longer in clinical use. Although Edo-period (1603–1867) wooden dentures are presumed to have achieved sufficient precision, their morphological fit has not been quantitatively evaluated. This study aimed to examine the morphological similarity between edentulous maxillae and wooden maxillary complete dentures and assessed the feasibility of identifying denture wearers. Sixteen edentulous maxillae and three wooden maxillary complete dentures excavated from the Edo-period Koun-ji Temple site in Tokyo were analyzed. Three-dimensional surface morphologies were digitized and converted into homologous models. Principal component analysis (PCA) and maxilla–denture distance analysis were conducted after digital superimposition. In PC1–PC2 scatter plots, correct maxillae–denture pairs clustered closely and were separated from incorrect pairings. Maxilla–denture distances for correct pairs were predominantly 2–6 mm and significantly smaller than those of incorrect pairings (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The mean histogram intersection similarity for correct pairs was 0.668. Combined PCA and maxilla–denture distance analysis enabled quantitative evaluation of morphological fit and supported the potential of wooden dentures for personal identification in osteoarchaeological contexts. This study also presents the first quantitative evidence of morphological correspondence between Edo-period wooden dentures and edentulous maxillae.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1232-1239"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70159","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177356","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":"Reviewing the Evolution of Bioarchaeological Studies in Indonesia Through the Analysis of Funerary Practices","authors":"Theresia Lukita Oktarisa,&nbsp;Sofia C. Samper Carro,&nbsp; Fakhri,&nbsp;Lutfi Yondri","doi":"10.1002/oa.70168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper examines the evolution of bioarchaeological studies in Indonesia, focusing on funerary practices from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. Indonesia's diverse burial customs offer a unique perspective on prehistoric societies. Early research focused on osteological descriptions and isolated findings, often overlooking broader contexts. Since the 2000s, multidisciplinary approaches integrating osteology, taphonomy, direct dating, and biomolecular methods have revealed the sophistication of ancient Indonesian mortuary traditions. Variations in funerary practices, body modifications, and grave goods reflect social hierarchy and spiritual beliefs. Despite challenges, these methodological advancements have contributed to understanding cultural continuity and adaptation in Southeast Asia. This synthesis emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in unraveling Indonesia's sociocultural past.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1295-1303"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177380","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":"Bone Adaptation and Labor Organization in Co-Located Medieval Anatolian Populations","authors":"Gökhan Çakan,&nbsp;Ahmet G. Erdemir,&nbsp;Adalet E. Yıldız,&nbsp;Üstün Aydıngöz,&nbsp;Osman Doğanay,&nbsp;Ömür Dilek Erdal","doi":"10.1002/oa.70166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Skeletal evidence from geographically co-located populations offers a rare opportunity to disentangle subsistence-driven bone adaptation from socially organized labor. This study examines upper limb morphology in two Byzantine communities—the urban center of Tyana (10th–13th c. <span>CE</span>, church cemetery) and the rural settlement of Köşk Höyük (Byzantine Middle Ages)—located 4.5 km apart within the same agropastoral microgeographic context. Three complementary osteological methods were applied to 120 adult individuals: Entheseal changes scored using the Mariotti et al. Protocol, anthropometric indices of the humerus, and CT-based cross-sectional geometry (total area, medullary area, cortical area, and normalized cortical ratios).</p><p>Despite shared ecological conditions, intracommunity analyses reveal divergent mechanical loading profiles. Tyana exhibits pronounced bilateral asymmetry with large effect sizes in both anthropometric and cross-sectional parameters, but limited sex-based differentiation. Köşk Höyük, by contrast, shows marked cortical divergence along sex lines—particularly in normalized distal cortical ratios—while maintaining bilateral symmetry. Entheseal complexes revealed no significant interpopulation divergence, and their sensitivity to fine-scale activity differences appears limited relative to cross-sectional geometry.</p><p>These profiles suggest that variation in labor organization within a broadly shared agropastoral framework, rather than subsistence type alone, shaped upper limb morphology at the microgeographic scale. The differential sensitivity of the three datasets underscores the value of multiproxy approaches for activity reconstruction.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1311-1323"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70166","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177125","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 Possible Case of Temporomandibular Joint Dislocation, Trepanation, and Metabolic Bone Disease in a Young Adolescent From North-Central Myanmar (1000–700 bce)","authors":"Anna Willis,&nbsp;Baptiste Pradier,&nbsp;Thu Thu Win,&nbsp;T. O. Pryce","doi":"10.1002/oa.70160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70160","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This osteobiography explores the life history of an adolescent who lived during the early-mid Bronze Age (c. 1000–700 <span>bce</span>) and was buried at Nyaung'gan, a site in north-central Myanmar. Burial 3b had multiple skeletal lesions, and their bones were covered in well-remodeled subperiosteal new bone. A differential diagnosis was undertaken to evaluate the etiology of the lesions and potential co-morbidity. The lesions observed have different underlying mechanisms, and while most represent reactive biological responses to trauma and disease, a circular cranial lesion with remodeled margins is more consistent with intentional trepanation than a natural biological process. The findings suggest that 3b had survived a significant traumatic cranial injury earlier in childhood and was suffering from a dislocated temporomandibular joint and possible co-morbid vitamin D deficiency-related osteomalacia. It is cautiously suggested that 3b survived a subsequent trepanation performed to alleviate symptoms of their condition. Drawing on bioarchaeological approaches to past caregiving, we consider the consequences of these on 3b and how they were cared for, providing unique insight into social dynamics and community care in ancient Myanmar.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1240-1247"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70160","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177276","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":"Direct AMS Radiocarbon Dating of Cave Hyenas From San Teodoro Cave (Sicily, Italy)","authors":"Gerlando Vita,&nbsp;Luca Sineo","doi":"10.1002/oa.70164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70164","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>San Teodoro Cave in Sicily preserves one of the most important Late Pleistocene stratigraphic sequences in the central Mediterranean, recording faunal accumulation, carnivore activity, and Late Upper Palaeolithic human occupation. Despite abundant cave hyena remains, the timing of persistence and extinction of the species on the island has remained unresolved due to the absence of direct radiocarbon dates. Here, we present three AMS radiocarbon dates obtained directly from cave hyena (<i>Crocuta crocuta spelaea</i>) remains from San Teodoro, integrated with U/Th chronology, radiocarbon dates on associated fauna, human bone collagen, charcoal, and geochemical evidence. The results indicate that cave hyenas persisted in Sicily from at least circa 26.5 to 18.8 ka cal BP, spanning the Last Glacial Maximum and persisting substantially later than most continental Eurasian populations. Whereas the oldest dated specimen confirms the presence of cave hyenas during the LGM, the youngest individuals demonstrate survival into the Late Glacial transition. This updated chronology reveals a significant temporal gap between the youngest directly dated hyenas (ca. 18.8 ka cal BP) and the earliest Late Epigravettian occupations of the cave (ca. 16.7–14.1 ka cal BP), with no direct evidence of interaction or stratigraphic overlap between humans and hyenas identified so far. These findings support the interpretation of Sicily as a late refugial area for cave hyenas and further refine the chronological framework for assessing the persistence and extinction of the species in an insular Mediterranean setting. More broadly, they highlight the value of integrated chronological approaches for investigating extinction dynamics, insular refugia, and the ecological transformations that accompanied the final stages of the Late Pleistocene.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 5","pages":"1248-1262"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149177644","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":"Warfare, Labor, and Urban Stress: Divergent Health Trajectories in Mongol-Period Karakorum","authors":"Júlia Olive-Busom,&nbsp;Susanne Reichert,&nbsp;Dunburee Batsukh,&nbsp;Jan Bemmann,&nbsp;Alice Toso","doi":"10.1002/oa.70144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.70144","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines major palaeopathological trends in Mongol-period Karakorum and incorporates them into the existing body of research in order to deepen our understanding of health and survival, the impacts of conflict and violence on past populations, and the lived experiences of the city's diverse inhabitants within the broader socio-political landscape of the Mongol Empire. Two distinct groups buried in Karakorum are analyzed: individuals recovered from a mass grave located outside the city walls (MG), and a portion of the Muslim community interred in the city's cemetery (KARCEM). These populations are assessed through macroscopic observation, statistical analysis, and radiographic imaging of palaeopathological markers, with particular attention paid to differences between the two groups. Clear differences emerge between the assemblages. The MG assemblage (<i>n</i> = 13) is composed mostly of males and notably lacks both non-adult and elderly individuals. The occurrence of perimortem trauma consistent with arrowhead injuries and blunt force trauma, along with the funerary context, strongly supports a context of warfare, whereas the demographic profile and comparative patterns of Schmorl's nodes and osteoarthritis prevalence may indicate the presence of combatants in the assemblage. In contrast, KARCEM (<i>n</i> = 27) includes a substantial proportion of non-adult individuals affected by nutritional deficiencies, whereas adults show higher rates of antemortem trauma and degenerative disease. These pathological patterns suggest a settled urban community whose adult members led physically demanding lives, whereas children experienced considerable physiological stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"36 4","pages":"954-969"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.70144","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148699859","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}