This study investigates the diet of the Roman and Late Roman population of Leptiminus on the Mediterranean coast of Tunisia. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bone collagen and ...carbonate samples obtained from individuals buried in four cemeteries at Leptiminus was conducted in order to reconstruct the diet of the population, investigate the relative importance of marine vs. terrestrial resources, explore sex-, age-, and status-based variations in diet, examine temporal changes in the types of foods consumed, and compare the diet at Leptiminus with that of other Roman populations. The results of this study indicate that the residents of Leptiminus consumed a diet that was heavily reliant on terrestrial plant resources with the addition of a significant amount of marine resources. There were no significant sex differences in isotope values. In contrast, distinct dietary differences were seen between the adults and children. Nitrogen isotope values suggest that weaning began before the age of two and was completed by about 3 years of age, a finding consistent with previous isotopic studies of Roman samples. A temporal shift in diet is suggested by the nitrogen isotope values measured in samples from the most recent cemetery. A comparison of the data from Leptiminus with that derived from other Roman sites indicates that regional variability in diet existed within the Empire.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
In the summer of 1845, under the command of Sir John Franklin, 128 officers and men aboard Royal Navy ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror sailed into Lancaster Sound and entered the waters of Arctic ...North America. The goal of this expedition was to complete the discovery of a northwest passage by navigating the uncharted area between Barrow Strait and Simpson Strait. Franklin and his crew spent the first winter at Beechey Island, where three crewmen died and were buried. In September 1846, the ships became stranded in ice off the northwest coast of King William Island, where they remained until April 1848. At that time, the crew, reduced to 105, deserted the ships and retreated south along the island's western and southern shores in a desperate attempt to reach the mainland and via the Back River, to obtain aid at a Hudson's Bay Company Post. Sadly, not one individual survived. Previous analyses of bone, hair, and soft tissue samples from expedition remains found that crewmembers' tissues contained elevated lead (Pb) levels, suggesting that Pb poisoning may have contributed to their demise; however, questions remain regarding the timing and degree of exposure and, ultimately, the extent to which the crewmembers may have been impacted. To address this historical question, we investigated three hypotheses. First, if elevated Pb exposure was experienced by the crew during the expedition, we hypothesized that those sailors who survived longer (King William Island vs. Beechey Island) would exhibit more extensive uptake of Pb in their bones and vice versa. Second, we hypothesized that Pb would be elevated in bone microstructural features forming at or near the time of death compared with older tissue. Finally, if Pb exposure played a significant role in the failure of the expedition we hypothesized that bone samples would exhibit evidence of higher and more sustained uptake of Pb than that of a contemporary comparator naval population from the 19th century. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed bone and dental remains of crew members and compared them against samples derived from the Royal Navy cemetery in Antigua. Synchrotron-based high resolution confocal X-ray fluorescence imaging was employed to visualize Pb distribution within bone and tooth microstructures at the micro scale. The data did not support our first hypothesis as Pb distribution within the samples from the two different sites was similar. Evidence of Pb within skeletal microstructural features formed near the time of death lent support to our second hypothesis but consistent evidence of a marked elevation in Pb levels was lacking. Finally, the comparative analysis with the Antigua samples did not support the hypothesis that the Franklin sailors were exposed to an unusually high level of Pb for the time period. Taken all together our skeletal microstructural results do not support the conclusion that Pb played a pivotal role in the loss of Franklin and his crew.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Periosteal new bone formation (PNBF) is a common finding in a large spectrum of diseases. In clinical practice, the morphology and location of periosteal lesions are frequently used to assist in the ...differential diagnosis of distinct bone conditions. Less commonly reported is the presence of PNBF on the ribs. This contrasts with the data retrieved from the study of skeletonized human remains that shows a high frequency of cases and a strong, albeit not specific, association between periosteal rib lesions and pulmonary conditions (e.g. tuberculosis). Despite that, an overall disagreement regarding the specificity and non‐specificity of periosteal reactions exists in the study of dry bone remains. The insufficient number of clinical models exploring the morphology and the pathophysiology of PNBF's and the lack of systematic studies of pathological samples with a known diagnosis are claimed as major reasons for the disagreements. This study aimed to describe and compare the macroscopic and the histomorphologic appearance of periosteal rib lesions and to discuss their usefulness as diagnostic indicators. To pursue this goal, an assemblage of 13 rib samples (males = 11, females = 2, mean age‐at‐death = 36.6 years old) was collected from the Luis Lopes Skeletal Collection (Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal). The assemblage belongs to individuals who died from pulmonary‐TB (group 1), non‐TB pulmonary infections (group 2) and other conditions (group 3). Prior to sample preparation, the ribs were visually inspected and the PNBF described according to its thickness, the degree of cortical integration and the type of new bone formed (e.g. woven, lamellar or both). After sampling, each bone sample was prepared for histological analysis under plane and polarized light microscopy. Macroscopically, the results showed no differences in the new bone composition between cause‐of‐death groups. Only slight differences in the degree of cortical integration, which was most frequently classified as mild to high in the pulmonary‐TB group, were observed. Histologically, no distinguishing features were identified by pathological group. However, new bone microarchitectures were observed compatible with (1) acute, fast‐growing processes (e.g. spiculated reactions), (2) long‐standing processes with a rapid bone formation (e.g. appositional layering of bone) and/or (3) chronic, slow‐growing processes (e.g. layers of compact lamellae). To some extent, these distinct rates of disease progression resonate with the cause‐of‐death listed for some individuals. Despite the small sample size, the results of this investigation are in agreement with previous studies, according to which the macroscopic and histological appearance of periosteal formations are not specific for a particular pathological conditions. Nevertheless, the results support the conclusion that the morphology of periosteal lesions is a good biological indicator for inferring the rate of progression and duration of pathological processes. This study provides important reference data regarding the histomorphology of periosteal lesions that can be used for comparative purposes, as well as to narrow down the differential diagnosis in unidentified skeletal remains.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Bone trauma is a common occurrence in human skeletal remains. Macroscopic and imaging scrutiny is the approach most currently used to analyze and describe trauma. Nevertheless, this line of inquiry ...may not be sufficient to accurately identify the type of traumatic lesion and the associated degree of bone healing. To test the usefulness of histology in the examination of bone healing biology, we used an integrative approach that combines gross inspection and microscopy.
Six bone samples belonging to 5 adult individuals with signs of bone trauma were collected from the Human Identified Skeletal Collection from the Museu Bocage (Lisbon, Portugal). Previous to sampling, the lesions were described according to their location, morphology, and healing status. After sampling, the bone specimens were prepared for plane light and polarized light analysis.
The histological analysis was pivotal: (1) to differentiate between types of traumatic lesions; (2) to ascertain the posttraumatic interval, and (3) to diagnose other associated pathological conditions.
The outer surface of a bone lesion may not give a complete picture of the biology of the tissue's response. Accordingly, microscopic analysis is essential to differentiate, characterize, and classify trauma signs.
•Oxygen, strontium, and lead isotope analyses of tooth enamel samples from the remains of 12 crewmembers of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, recovered from King William Island, Nunavut.•Oxygen isotope ...data provide little insight into the identity of the samples.•Strontium isotope data point to a large number of possible identifications of crewmembers born in the UK and a number of exclusions.•Lead isotope data indicate that all individuals in the sample derived their lead from British ore sources.
The 1845 expedition of Sir John Franklin in search of a northwest passage through the Canadian Arctic resulted in the loss of all 129 officers and crew. The skeletal remains of a number of these individuals have been recovered from King William Island, Nunavut, and one positive and several tentative identifications have been made using DNA, isotopic, and archaeological evidence, and facial reconstruction. The aim of this study was to apply oxygen, strontium, and lead isotope analysis to tooth enamel samples obtained from twelve unidentified individuals to investigate their possible identity by comparing information on geographic origins derived from the isotope data with place of birth data obtained from historical documents. The oxygen isotope data provide little insight into the birth place of the individuals in our sample. In contrast, the strontium isotope data point to a large number of possible identifications and a number of exclusions. The lead isotope data indicate that all individuals in the sample derived their lead from British ore sources.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Stable isotopic analyses (δ13C, δ15N) of dental calculus have been suggested as a proxy for the study of diet of ancient populations but questions about their validity have been raised. Here we test ...this question, introducing significant improvements in the analysis of δ13C and comparing our results for δ13C and δ15N of calculus with corresponding analyses of associated well-preserved bone which are widely believed to provide reliable paleodiet values. The content of organic material in calculus is decreased by ∼75% compared with modern calculus, resulting in diagenetic changes to δ13C and δ15N of organic matter. Neither δ13C nor δ15N analyses of the organic component of calculus provide accurate estimates of paleodiet. Although δ15N values of dental calculus are correlated with δ15N values of bone collagen from the same individual, it is clear that they have been greatly affected by diagenesis, as shown by a correlation between C/N ratio and δ15N. The inorganic (mineral-bound) carbon component of calculus, analyzed separately from the organic component, gave δ13C values slightly offset from δ13C values of CO3 in bone mineral. Thus it alone appears to have potential as a dietary proxy.
•Dental calculus and bone were collected from a Greek colonial site.•We separately analyzed δ13C values of mineral and organic components of calculus, and δ15N of organic component.•δ13C, δ15N values of calculus do not correlate with δ13C, δ15N data for mineral, collagen from associated bone samples.•δ15N of collagen correlates with C/N ratio, suggesting diagenetic change.•Similar problems seem to affect δ15N data in previous studies, suggesting calculus is not reliable for paleodiet analysis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•Digital cranio-facial reconstruction of an officer from the 1845 Franklin expedition.•Clarification of site formation processes in the decades after the Franklin tragedy.•New inferences from ...variability in burial practices during the Franklin expedition.
In 2018, archaeological investigations on King William Island led to the rediscovery of the grave of a member of the 1845 Franklin expedition first recorded in 1879, the exact location of which had been unknown for 139 years. The results of the 2018 investigation confirm the original interpretation that the deceased was a member of the Franklin expedition and a Royal Navy officer. The officer's death likely occurred in late April or early May 1848, during the retreat to the Back River by the expedition's 105 surviving members. Historical and archaeological evidence suggest the integrity of the grave was transformed by at least two temporally distinct episodes and types of disturbance. The officer's identity is unknown, but it is hoped that mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA profiles and a digital craniofacial reconstruction will contribute to a future identification.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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