International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

{"title":"Cremation during the early period (1000 bc–600 ad) in the archaeological site of Matecaña (Pereira, Colombia)","authors":"Ana María Rincón-Jaramillo,&nbsp;Juliana Gómez-Mejía","doi":"10.1002/oa.3332","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oa.3332","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cremation was a common behavior during the Early period in the Middle Cauca region of Colombia. Nevertheless, few bioarchaeological analyses have focused on understanding this phenomenon. Four funerary urns from the archaeological site Matecaña (Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia) were analyzed to understand the cremation mortuary practice during the Early period (1000 <span>bc</span>–600 <span>ad</span>). For this, the cremains went through an anatomical classification that led to establishing the minimal number of individuals with the landmark system, as well as reconstructing their biological profile and interpreting the macroscopic changes made by heat exposure, such as colorimetry, the degree of cremation, the presence of heat-induced changes, and the temperature that the incineration reached. The results indicated that the funerary cycle had three processes divided into 11 steps. During the first process, an individual's biological death led to rituals and a temporary deposition. After the skeletonization of the corpse, the second process was the cremation itself. The combustion of at least 28 individuals of different ages (fetuses, infants, and adults) was intense (400°C to over 600°C) and finalized in the third process with their burial in funerary urns. This funerary behavior reflects the long-term relationship between the living and the dead.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141797744","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":"Archaeology and ethnobiology of Late Holocene bird remains from the northern Oregon coast","authors":"Hannah P. Wellman,&nbsp;Megan D. Spitzer,&nbsp;Torben C. Rick","doi":"10.1002/oa.3330","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oa.3330","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Archaeological bird remains from the Oregon coast provide important insight into local environments and the interactions between birds and people on the North American Pacific Coast. We contribute to this discussion with an analysis of bird remains from the Late Holocene Par-Tee site (35CLT20) in Seaside, Oregon. We sampled the Par-Tee avifaunal assemblage to near-redundancy, generating the largest sample from a single site on the Oregon Coast to date (<i>N</i> = 7204). The Par-Tee assemblage is dominated by nearshore or estuarine birds including scoters (<i>Melanitta</i> spp.) and Common Murres (<i>Uria aalge</i>), as well as pelagic Sooty Shearwaters (<i>Ardenna grisea</i>). Because of the large size of the sample, we identified unique species such as the California Condor (<i>Gymnogyps californianus</i>), which are currently endangered and face conservation challenges. Although the Par-Tee avifaunal assemblage is diverse, site residents appear to have focused on acquiring the most accessible species in the nearshore habitat complemented by opportunistic pelagic hunting and/or scavenging of beached birds. Most birds appear to have been processed for dietary consumption, with possible preferential use of larger-winged birds for tool manufacture. These findings underscore the value and challenges of using legacy collections for evaluating past human–environmental interactions in coastal and other aquatic regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141827800","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":"Estimating intralimb proportions for commingled remains","authors":"Doudou Cao,&nbsp;Enrico R. Crema,&nbsp;Emma Pomeroy","doi":"10.1002/oa.3326","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oa.3326","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Intralimb proportions provide insights into growth, development, populations history, and adaptation across human groups. However, the conventional approach of calculating brachial and crural indices for individual skeletons and comparing assemblages using sample means is not feasible in commingled remains. This study aims to assess the reliability of an “aggregate method” based on the ratio of sample means of limb bone lengths as an alternative to conventionally calculated indices. We examined the correlation between the aggregate and conventional indices using data from ≥124 worldwide groups (≥2000 adults). The impact of sample size, commingling degree, and within-group variation on the correspondence between conventional and aggregate indices was further evaluated using simulated datasets. Reliability was measured using the absolute differences between the aggregate and “true” population mean indices and the proportion of simulations producing large errors (&gt;0.02, the average within-group variation among observed populations). Strong correlations are observed between the aggregate and conventional indices across groups in the empirical dataset. Simulation analyses indicates that larger samples improve prediction reliability, while increased commingling and within-group variation reduce accuracy. The aggregate method is robust when upper limb samples contain &gt;30 bones (lower limb &gt;50), with more than half of the bones representing proximal and distal elements from the same individuals, and the standard deviation in the index is smaller than 0.02. With sufficient sample sizes, the “aggregate method” is a reliable alternative for estimating average intralimb proportions in commingled and poorly preserved skeletal assemblages, enhancing the research potential of such collections.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3326","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141837017","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":"Osteoarchaeological identification guides: A new category of manuscript","authors":"Robin Bendrey,&nbsp;Piers D. Mitchell","doi":"10.1002/oa.3329","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3329","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Osteoarchaeological research is underpinned by the development and adoption of robust and replicable methodologies (Driver, &lt;span&gt;1992&lt;/span&gt;; LeFebvre &amp; Sharpe, &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;; Lyman, &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;; Wolverton, &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;). Zooarchaeological identification methodologies make use of physical modern reference collections, digital resources, and published criteria to aid species identification (Driver, &lt;span&gt;1992&lt;/span&gt;). High-quality identification guides and keys are important in a number of ways. They can provide useful support for identification by comparison to physical comparative reference collections, often the gold-standard approach, in particular through the definition of validated criteria for the morphological identification of a taxon across wider sets of samples (Driver, &lt;span&gt;1992&lt;/span&gt;). They also demonstrate the reliability of identified morphological criteria (e.g., Lister, &lt;span&gt;1996&lt;/span&gt;) and can also extend the taxonomic range from what is represented in some individual reference collections (Davis et al., &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;; Yeomans &amp; Beech, &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). As such, high-quality illustrated guides can broaden the utility of some comparative collections, which due to resource limitations do not have sufficient intra-species variation (Driver, &lt;span&gt;1992&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Osteoarchaeological research is undertaken in diverse settings, with differential access to resources and facilities. Some specialists may be working in the field without access to physical reference material or the possibility of transporting samples for follow-up study with reference to more comprehensive reference collections. Osteoarchaeologists are working in academic and nonacademic contexts, such as for universities, museums, and commercial archaeological companies and as independent or self-employed specialists (Baker &amp; Worley, &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;; LeFebvre &amp; Sharpe, &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;). High-quality illustrated guides and keys can play important roles in the different settings and stages of analysis, from preliminary sorting of remains to final analyses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are excited to announce a new category of manuscript in the journal: “Osteoarchaeological identification guides.” These are papers that will provide advances in diagnostic criteria for osteoarchaeological research, such as zooarchaeological species identification. They will offer major contributions to method and practice. This format offers greater capacity for visually illustrating criteria, which can also be further supported with downloadable supplementary materials.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This format is intended to be flexible and author-friendly, for example whether the study aims to provide comparative criteria for separating between two skeletally similar species (e.g., Lister, &lt;span&gt;1996&lt;/span&gt;), the same element across multiple taxa (e.g., Bochenski et al., &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;), or a more comprehensive photographic atlas approach (e.g., Davis et al., &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). ","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3329","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141968260","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":"Perimortem cranial injury in the Bronze Age. A blunt object to the right parietal caused trauma in a preadolescent individual from Mokarta (Salemi-Sicily)","authors":"Gabriele Lauria,&nbsp;Roberto Miccichè,&nbsp;Luca Sineo","doi":"10.1002/oa.3328","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3328","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sicilian protohistory was characterized by a progressive flow of indigenous populations towards the hills of the western Sicilian hinterland. Especially during the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, the island's hinterland was marked by isolated settlements due to <i>Siculi</i>, <i>Ausoni</i>, <i>Morgeti</i>, and <i>Elimi</i> invasions and Phoenician and Greek colonization. In this scenario, Mokarta is an example of territorial autonomy and ethnic isolation (<i>Sicanian</i>) within an area of <i>Elimi</i> colonization. Its demise in the 11th century B.C.E, presumably at the hands of the <i>Elimi</i>, was rapid and violent as the settlement was suddenly abandoned following its destruction by fire. Symbolic of this event is an individual found at the entrance of a burned and collapsed hut who appears to have died from a cranial injury. This paper focuses on the osteological analysis of this skeleton, highlighting the <i>perimortem</i> injury, related to his death, and places the results within a forensic archeological context. The morphological pattern of the lesion is the result of a high-energy impact by a circular blunt object. The fracture, involving both the meningeal vessels and the brain, could have led to a fatal neurological trauma. The analysis of the cranial fracture and an anatomical evaluation of the affected area led us to conclude that the <i>perimortem</i> injury, inflicted on the right parietal, probably was the cause of death. The case proposed highlights how an integrated approach based on bioarcheology and forensic anthropology helps in interpreting an archeological scenario and formulating hypotheses about the circumstances of an individual's death.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435870","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":"A probable case of multiple osteochondromas in a Qing period (1644–1911) individual from Shandong, China","authors":"Yawei Zhou,&nbsp;Fanhao Xi,&nbsp;Fangchao Zhao,&nbsp;Elizabeth Berger","doi":"10.1002/oa.3323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3323","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article aims to understand the impact of a condition causing multiple benign neoplasms on a historical individual, and increase understanding of disease processes using a paleopathological case. We present the case of an adult male from the Balizhuang site in Weifang City, Changle County, Shandong Province, China, dated by the burial artifacts to the Qing period (1644–1911 CE). The individual has multiple bony growths found on both long and flat bones, which were also observed radiographically. Imaging revealed that the lesions show continuity with the medullary cavity of the host bone. The individual also exhibited short stature, upper limb length asymmetry, and hip and ankle deformities. Conditions included in a differential diagnosis are myositis ossificans, parosteal osteosarcoma, and osteochondroma, with multiple osteochondromas (MO) being the most likely diagnosis. We also present historical texts suggesting the presence of osteochondromas in China. This may be the first case of adult MO reported in Chinese bioarcheology, helping to expand paleopathological data on benign tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435765","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":"Assessment of the changes in the petrous portion of temporal bone (pars petrosa ossis temporalis) under the influence of high temperature during the cremation process","authors":"Klementyna Mackiewicz,&nbsp;Łukasz Pawelec,&nbsp;Jan Šimon,&nbsp;Jacek Szczurowski","doi":"10.1002/oa.3325","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3325","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The petrous parts of temporal bones are considered to be the densest parts of the human skeleton. Because of their high biomechanical strength, these elements can be preserved well even exposed to destructive processes. It has been proved that these bones are very well preserved in cremation graves and thus can be used as the foundation for anthropological analyses of cremated remains. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of shrinkage of the petrous portion of temporal bone under the influence of high temperature during the cremation. In a modern crematorium in Prague (Czech Republic), an experiment was conducted by burning 15 human temporal bones and a fresh pig's heads with soft tissues. Nine measurements were collected from each bone before the burning process. Cremation was carried out under controlled conditions in a modern cremation oven—the process took 45 min, and the temperature reached 1000°C. All the bones were burned together to maintain the same experimental conditions. Measurements of the individual bones were then repeated, and the significance of the dimensional changes was assessed. The presented study pointed out the significant size's reduction at level to 14% for dry petrous parts of temporal bones, while the size of fresh bones changed to 28% of their mass depending on the examined feature. Furthermore, the results of comparative analyses revealed that the differences between burning of dry and fresh bones are insignificant.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435834","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":"Comparison of occlusal dental wear and degenerative alterations of the temporomandibular joint in two medieval populations from Central Europe","authors":"Antonella Pedergnana,&nbsp;Roger Seiler,&nbsp;Mislav Čavka,&nbsp;Dominic Gascho,&nbsp;Laura Harvey,&nbsp;Frank Rühli,&nbsp;Patrick Eppenberger","doi":"10.1002/oa.3327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3327","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease commonly identified in archaeological human remains. This condition primarily affects stress-bearing joints, which include the temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Comparing dental status and degenerative alterations of the TMJs of individuals is crucial for understanding the role of the former in increasing predisposition to temporomandibular OA. The combination of visual and radiologic observations allows for a more in-depth assessment of TMJ-OA in archaeological specimens. A comparative study between tooth wear and the extent of degenerative signs on mandibular condylar surfaces was conducted on individuals from two medieval cemeteries in central Europe (Früebergstrasse in Baar and Dalheim). OA, tooth wear, and AMTL were evaluated in 41 individuals comprising both adult specimens as well as those of a more advanced age. Condylar OA was diagnosed in 14 individuals (Baar, <i>n</i> = 7; Dalheim, <i>n</i> = 7). No specific sex predisposition for OA in TMJs was found in the study's sample. Tooth wear was more severe in individuals with condyles affected by OA than in individuals whose condyles showed no degenerative signs. Although dental occlusion could not be evaluated, tooth wear values seem to point to diverse mastication patterns when there is unilateral or bilateral manifestation of mandibular OA in the two medieval populations under study.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3327","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435885","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":"Osseous harpoon heads of hunter-gatherers from the lower Paraná wetland","authors":"Natacha Buc,&nbsp;Alejandro A. Acosta,&nbsp;Lucia T. Rombolá,&nbsp;Daniel M. Loponte","doi":"10.1002/oa.3321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3321","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Harpoons are part of the composite technologies, widely dispersed throughout the world. In South America, a unique type of throwing harpoon reveals a limited distribution, primarily discovered in hunter-gatherer archaeological sites within the lower La Plata basin. Specifically, they are found in two archaeological units named Incised Pottery and Plain Pottery which are defined by different material properties but share several common aspects as well. Regarding bone tools, the primary distinction lies in the decoration of the items, contrasting with the ornamentation of the pottery. While the processes underlying regional variability in the archaeological assemblages is not yet fully understood, various types of artifacts show differences in morphology and stylistic features that can be linked to archaeological units. For this purpose, we examined 13 archaeological samples of harpoon heads considering morphological, physical, and metrical variation, as well as the operational sequence. As result, we observed variations in both morphology and decoration, while the metrical structure, the selection of raw material and the operational sequence remain unaltered. This phenomenon could be attributed to a recent process of social differentiation affecting external features, whereas the internal characteristics are connected to technique behaviors resistant to recent changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435459","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":"Bronze age horsemen: An evaluation of pathological and nonpathological changes for indicators of “horsemanship syndrome” of the Strzyżów culture population, Poland, 2000–1600 BC","authors":"Anna Hyrchała,&nbsp;Dorota Lorkiewicz-Muszyńska","doi":"10.1002/oa.3324","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3324","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Numerous pathological and nonpathological changes examined on human bones are classified and related to various types of physical activities practiced during life. Some activities in ancient populations can be reconstructed based on studies of specific patterns and types of skeletal changes. Recently, particular attention has been paid to evaluate diagnostic traits that are commonly interpreted as “horsemanship syndrome.” In the present study, as of the time of writing, 100 skeletons from 23 archaeological sites of the Strzyżów culture in south-eastern Poland have been cataloged and analyzed. Preliminary analysis showed that 31 individuals were of subadult age and 46 adult skeletons were poorly preserved. In further research, authors focused on pathological and nonpathological changes in bone morphology associated with horseback riding among the remaining 23 adult individuals. Diagnostic traits including pelvic and lower limbs entheses, acetabular shape (vertical ovalisation), femoroacetabular morphological changes, subtrochanteric shape (platymeria), and specific vertebral degeneration and specific trauma lesions were analyzed related to biomechanical stress from frequent horseback riding. An evaluation gave results with high level of diagnostic certainty for four individuals and included two males, one female, and one individual whose sex could not be clearly determined due to the fragmented and incomplete preservation of the skull and pelvis. Lower probability was received in the next three cases included one male, one female, and one probably female. This study revealed that a proportion of the Strzyżów culture population developed skeletal changes compatible with riding horses.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435463","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}