The Egyptian Empire conquered and colonized Nubia, what is today northern Sudan, on multiple occasions. The colonization strategy employed was highly variable through time, ranging from the ...construction of militarized fortresses (Middle Kingdom 2050–1650 BCE) to an amicable co‐existence approach (New Kingdom 1550–1050 BCE). Egyptian tactics also varied spatially, depending on several factors including a colonized community's utility to the empire and the potential for revolt. Using a large dataset (n = 341), this paper compares osteoarthritis between seven Nubian communities to (1) evaluate whether imperial strategy impacted osteoarthritis severity and (2) assess whether rates of osteoarthritis differed between colonized communities.
Age‐controlled analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) suggests there was significant variation in the frequency and severity of osteoarthritis throughout the empire. The Middle Kingdom C‐Group, an indigenous Nubian population that lived outside the Egyptian‐built and ‐occupied fortresses, displayed the highest rates of osteoarthritis for nearly all joint systems. Osteoarthritis then decreased during the postcolonial Second Intermediate Period (1650–1550 BCE) and again increased during the recolonization of the New Kingdom. However, there is significant variation of osteoarthritis at three New Kingdom sites, each of which experienced a differing colonization approach. This study suggests that the varying imperial strategies utilized by the Egyptian Empire may have impacted the physical activities and daily lives of Nubians and that these tactics were not equal throughout Nubia but were tailored to communities. It is therefore difficult to discuss a singular outcome of colonization; rather, these interpretations need to be nuanced with community‐level archaeological context.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Until the 17th century, the Dutch coastal region of Zeeland ranked among Europe's most urbanized areas, driven by thriving international trade networks. People living in this time of flourishing ...economy benefitted enormously from it in terms of employment opportunities and working conditions, which were reportedly better than in the rest of the Low Countries. However, the rapid growth of Zeeland's urban centers likely presented increasing challenges for the population in terms of accessing essential resources, including food, clean water, and housing. In the 19th century, Zeeland's economy ultimately faced a significant downturn due to the decline in the maritime trade, leading to a substantial reduction in its urban population. Examining patterns of urbanization and economic histories that differ from the commonly studied thriving industrial contexts in bioarcheological research, as exemplified by Zeeland, is a crucial yet relatively underexplored facet in our efforts to understanding the human past. To address this gap, this study investigates the impact of urbanization on the health of Zeeland's inhabitants over time by analyzing nonspecific stress markers (i.e., cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, and linear enamel hypoplasia) and chronic maxillary sinusitis in a sample of 246 individuals from three urban sites dating from 1030 to 1800 CE. Our analysis of skeletal remains reveals significant differences in the prevalence of porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia, and sinusitis between the medieval and post‐medieval periods. These findings suggest that de‐urbanization and economic decline adversely affected the health and well‐being of the populations under study, influenced by factors such as working conditions and food availability. This study provides a new perspective on bioarcheological approaches to urbanization, shedding light on the intricate realities of urbanization in Zeeland and offering important insights into its complexities.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To assess the differences between endoscopic and radiological methods of analysis for diagnosing chronic maxillary sinusitis (CMS) in archaeological skeletal remains.
32 crania from a Dutch ...post-medieval rural population.
We assessed the presence of bone changes indicative of CMS (i.e., bone growth and bone resorption) both endoscopically and through computed tomography (CT), and then compared results.
We observed moderate agreement between bone growth scores obtained through endoscopy and CT, and fair agreement when assessing bone resorption.
CMS prevalence rates observed through CT may be comparable to rates assessed endoscopically, although caution is needed when making direct comparisons.
This is the first study comparing data obtained through endoscopy and radiological methods in the study of CMS, informing paleopathologists about potential biases in data comparison.
Our small sample size likely impacted results.
Further research is advised to fully explore the comparability of endoscopic and radiological method of analysis in the study of sinusitis.
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available upon request.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Starting from the twelfth century, the Netherlands experienced substantial socioeconomic change. Several towns expanded in terms of size and industrial production, making the gap between rich and ...poor even greater. Access to certain resources (e.g., food, living spaces, etc.) became largely dependent on socioeconomic status, with the rich being able to afford an overall better lifestyle than the poor. The aim of this study was to determine whether these contrasting urban life experiences impacted the health of citizens. To test our hypothesis that poorer citizens would be more severely challenged by the urban environment than richer ones, we assessed the presence of non-specific stress markers (i.e., cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia) and chronic maxillary sinusitis in four urban populations, representative of different socioeconomic statuses. Analysis of skeletal remains revealed statistically significant differences in the prevalence of cribra orbitalia between different socioeconomic groups. Furthermore, it highlighted significant differences in the prevalence of porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia, and sinusitis between the low and middle-low socioeconomic classes. These results reflected the complicated relationship between socioeconomic status and sources of physiological stress. Living in the city led people to experience very different lives, albeit similar health challenges. Factors such as working conditions, food availability, and cultural practices likely had an important role in shaping the health of Dutch citizens. As our findings have significant implications for understanding the complex reality of the urbanization phenomenon, more research into the prevalence of the non-specific stress markers in relation to socioeconomic status is warranted.
Vanaf de 12e eeuw maakte Nederland grote sociaaleconomische veranderingen door. Verschillende steden groeiden in omvang en de industriële productie nam toe, waardoor de kloof tussen arm en rijk nog groter werd. Toegang tot bepaalde hulpbronnen (bijvoorbeeld voedsel, woonruimte, enz.) werd grotendeels afhankelijk van de sociaaleconomische status, waarbij de rijken zich veelal een betere levensstijl konden veroorloven dan de armen. Het doel van deze studie was om te bepalen of deze contrasterende ervaringen van het stadsleven de gezondheid van burgers hebben beïnvloedt. Om onze hypothese te testen dat armere burgers meer gezondheidsproblemen dan rijkere ondervonden, hebben we de aanwezigheid van niet-specifieke stressmarkers (d.w.z. cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, lineaire glazuurhypoplasie) en chronische maxillaire sinusitis in vier stedelijke bevolkingsgroepen, representatief voor verschillende sociaaleconomische statussen, onderzocht. De analyse van skeletresten liet statistisch significante verschillen zien in het voorkomen van cribra orbitalia tussen verschillende sociaaleconomische groepen. Bovendien werden er ook significante verschillen in het voorkomen van porotic hyperostosis, lineaire glazuurhypoplasie en sinusitis tussen de lage en middellage sociaaleconomische klassen waargenomen. Deze resultaten weerspiegelden de complexe relatie tussen sociaaleconomische status en gezondheid. Hoewel het leven in de stad duidelijk verschillend was haar diverse inwoners, hebben zij vergelijkbare gezondheidsproblemen ervaren. Factoren zoals arbeidsomstandigheden, beschikbaarheid van voedsel en culturele praktijken hebben waarschijnlijk een belangrijke rol gespeeld bij het vormgeven van de gezondheid van Nederlandse burgers. Aangezien onze bevindingen significante implicaties hebben voor het begrijpen van de complexe realiteit van het verstedelijkingsfenomeen, is meer onderzoek naar het voorkomen van de niet-specifieke stressmarkers in relatie tot sociaaleconomische status gerechtvaardigd.
Abstract
Skeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined ...osteological and biochemical approach to these poorly-preserved remains. A combined strontium (
87
Sr/
86
Sr), oxygen (
δ
18
O
VPDB
) and carbon (
δ
13
C
VPDB
) isotope analysis informed possible childhood origins and diet, while sex-specific amelogenin enamel peptides revealed biological sex. Osteological analyses presented evidence of residual rickets, a healed trauma, dental pathological conditions, and pipe notches. The combined isotope analyses yielded results for 43 individuals which suggested a diverse range of geological origins, including at least 16% of the population being non-local. The inclusion of
δ
13
C
VPDB
had intriguing implications for three individuals who likely did not have origins in the Cape Town region nor in Europe. Peptide analysis on the dental enamel of 25 tested individuals confirmed they were all biologically male. We suggest that isolated enamel may provide crucial information about individuals’ pathological conditions, geographical origins, diet, and biological sex. These data further demonstrated that a combined approach using multiple osteological and biochemical methods is advantageous for human remains which are poorly preserved and can contextualise a site with little direct evidence.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this introduction to the special issue, Adaptive Tools for Resilient Bones: Biostatistical Approaches to Past Physical Activity in Osteoarchaeology, we discuss the outcome of the workshop held in ...Leiden (the Netherlands; November 18–19, 2021). We review statistical approaches to entheseal changes and present a series of new contributions to this field. These research, commentary, and review articles present different statistical approaches to entheseal changes and reflect the current state of research in the field.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Throughout Egypt and Nubia's state formation periods (4400–1750 BCE), broad transformations impacted Nile Valley communities, which experienced agricultural consolidation, sedentarization, and more ...complex social organization. The current study examines the various patterns and levels of physical activity in the skeletal remains of 259 predynastic and early dynastic individuals from Nubia (Northern Dongola Reach) and Egypt (el‐Badari, Naqada, el‐Ballas, and Hu). Using entheseal changes in the upper and lower limbs and non‐parametric tests, we have observed changes in behavior patterns between the fifth and second millennia BCE in the Nile Valley. These transformations include an increased impact on the evolution of physical activity and possibly specialized occupations in the Old Kingdom. In this regard, we discovered differences in activity based on the type of burial and the tasks performed by females compared with males. Furthermore, we found additional evidence to support the hypothesis that the Nubian state of Kerma was based on a highly mobile pastoral way of life.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Bioarcheologists have focused extensively over the past few decades on how to best investigate past activity, often concentrating on data collection protocols and more recently focusing on ...statistical approaches. Here, we complement ongoing studies focusing on emerging inequality during the Middle Period (AD 400–1000) in the San Pedro de Atacama oases (Chile) by investigating entheseal patterns among individuals (n = 210) interred in four cemeteries. This period represents a time of demographic expansion and the development of interregional networks and formalized social inequalities, all of which would have shaped the lived experiences of local inhabitants. The four cemeteries studied here allow investigations of potential differences between individuals living in a close geographic area: Solcor 3 and Casa Parroquial represent “elite” sites connected with the Tiwanaku state, the somewhat later site of Coyo 3 is associated with mining activities, and Quitor 6 Tardío represents individuals from relatively lower status. Using two complementary multifactorial tests, factorial ANOVA and ANCOVA, we identified differences in entheseal scores in several joints as a proxy for activity patterns among the cemeteries (left and right shoulders and wrists, and left elbow and hip; p < 0.05), with individuals from Casa Parroquial demonstrating lower entheseal scores in most joints. Results highlight how we can infer differences in entheseal patterns among individuals interred in cemeteries that were in close geographic proximity and in use over similar periods, highlighting possible differences in lived experiences in the sites categorized as “elite” as well as the effects of cemetery location, either within the core oases or outside them. Our analyses further suggest that ANCOVA and factorial ANOVA can identify more nuanced differences among the cemeteries while accounting for covariates in a single test, making them more robust inferential statistical approaches for this type of study.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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