New approaches to the study of disease in archeological New World populations.

One of the objectives of paleopathology is to clarify the role of disease in the evolution of human groups. The recovery of DNA and immunoglobulins from archeological human skeletal tissue offers a method for enhancing and expanding our knowledge about the presence and significance of disease in past human populations. DNA also might reveal the presence of genetic disease. Immunoglobulins recovered from archeological bone indicate some of the diseases to which an individual was exposed during life. This information also provides supporting evidence for anatomical observations of skeletal disease. This is illustrated by the identification of treponemal antibody in an archeological skeleton that has gross lesions suggestive of treponematosis. Similar biochemical methods could be applied to other research problems to clarify the presence of various syndromes of the inflammatory erosive arthropathies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, in New World archeological populations. Some of these syndromes are associated with DNA sequences and specific proteins that are recoverable from archeological skeletal tissue.     

Growth Arrest Lines in Long Bones of the Casas Grandes Population

Abstract

One aspect of paleopathology, the examination of growth arrest lines, is suggested as a tool in archeological interpretation. Disruption of the normal growth pattern of long bones may result in the formation of transverse lines of extra-dense bone, visible in ordinary X-rays of the bone shaft. These radio opaque lines, presumed to result from temporary growth arrest caused by illness, are described for a sample of tibias and femurs from Casas Grandes, an archeological site in northern Chihuahua, Mexico. The sex and age of each individual at the time of growth arrest is noted, and the possibility of using this information to supplement or clarify archeological data is discussed.     

Lagoa Santa's contribution to the origins and life of early Americans

The region of Lagoa Santa, Central‐Eastern Brazil, provides an exceptional archeological record about Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene occupation of the Americas. Since the first interventions made by the Danish naturalist Peter Lund in the 19th century, hundreds of human skeletons have been exhumed in the region. These skeletons are complemented by a rich botanic, faunal, technological, and geomorphological archeological record. We explore here the contributions of Lagoa Santa material to the origins and lifestyle of early Americans, providing an historic background. Cranial morphology of Lagoa Santa skeletons allowed the proposition of a model of two biological components for the occupation of the Americas, in which early Americans are morphologically similar to people of African and Australo‐Melanesian origin. Furthermore, the archeological record in the region has revealed an intense use of plant resources, a restricted spatial distribution, and the symbolic elaboration of local hunter‐gatherers, unveiling a distinct lifestyle compared to early North American populations.     

The Paleolithic in the Nihewan Basin,China: Evolutionary history of an Early to Late Pleistocene record in Eastern Asia

The Nihewan Basin of China preserves one of the most important successions of Paleolithic archeological sites in Eurasia. Stratified archeological sites and mammalian fossils, first reported in the 1920s, continue to be recovered in large‐scale excavation projects. Here, we review key findings from archeological excavations in the Nihewan Basin ranging from ~1.66 Ma to 11.7 ka. We place particular emphasis on changes in stone tool technology over the long term. Though Pleistocene lithic industries from East Asia are often described as simple in character, re‐evaluation of the stone tool evidence from the Nihewan Basin demonstrates significant, though periodic, innovations and variability in manufacturing techniques through time, indicating adaptive and technological flexibility on the part of hominins. Synthesis of paleoenvironmental and archeological data indicate changes in hominin occupation frequency in the Nihewan Basin, with chronological gaps suggesting that continuous presence in high, seasonal latitudes was not possible prior to the Late Pleistocene.     

A Qualitative Model For Inundation Studies In Archeological Research And Resource Conservation:An Example From Arkansas

Abstract

Federal and state flood control and water resource management projects are exposing an ever increasing number of archeological sites to long term inundation in reservoirs. The effectsof this inundation on the submerged archeological context is not well understood, handicapping the archeologists in their attempts to mitigate the effects of these projects on this portion of the cultural resource base as required by recent federal legislation. This paper pointsout the inadequacy of our present knowledge, cites the need for research, and proposes a model as a basis for research into the. effects of inundation on archeological sites.     

Archeology as Long-Term Ethnography

Behavioral variation from year to year is archeologically invisible, yet it may have important effects on the archeological record. Moreover, much of current theory demands that we give attention to such variation. Rather than adopting normative reconstructions from ethnographies, archeologists must view the archeological record as a long-term ethnography, confounded by such variations in behavior. Using an ecological perspective, patterns of behavioral variation can be linked to environmental characteristics, with implications for the archeological record of settlement and subsistence. The Paleolithic and Mesolithic of southwest Germany are used to illustrate this approach.     

A Guide to the Drafting of Archeological Maps1

Abstract

Scholarly writing in archeology is often accompanied by maps and other forms of graphic illustrations. In the past the quality of these illustrations has been rather poor. Maps are an important form of visual communication, but a map can detract from the scholarly nature of the accompanying written test if it is not drafted and presented in a professional cartographic manner. Too often the archeologist seems to be unaware of the whole, vast field of cartographic technique. The use of even the rudimentary principles from this field would improve archeological mapping significantly. This article outlines some of the basic errors and problems associated with archeological mabls and presents ideas, suggestions, and techniques for solving these· problems.     

Estimation of sex from the hyoid body in skeletal individuals from archeological sites

Recent forensic studies have shown that the hyoid bone is a sexually dimorphic element of the human skeleton. Given the advanced techniques of collecting human remains in archeological and forensic contexts, the recovery of hyoid bones is now more frequent in skeletal samples. For that reason the authors propose a new method for estimating sex based on hyoid bodies from archeological sites.     

Fouling communities and degradation of archeological metals in the coastal sea of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico

Corrosion and biofouling phenomena of cast iron and brass were evaluated under natural conditions to determine the degradation process of archeological artifacts. Field exposure studies of experimental materials were conducted over 15 months at an offshore position in the sea of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Corrosion was determined by gravimetric measurements. The community structure of the benthic assemblage inhabiting the surfaces of both materials was evaluated. A total of 53 species was identified. The community in both cases was composed of a small number of species. Encrusting, attached and erect life forms were dominant on iron. Attached life forms were dominant on brass. Biofouling produced a decrease in the weight loss measurements of cast iron samples. Biofouling provided a beneficial factor for in situ preservation of iron archeological artifacts in wreck sites.     

New European fossil hominid material from an Acheulean site near Rome (Castel di Guido)

New fossil hominid material recovered from an Acheulean Italian archeological site is reported. It consists of two portions of femora, an occipital fragment, a fragmentary right maxilla, and a portion of parietal. Each specimen is described in detail and measurements are given. On the basis of the morphology, which includes primitive traits reminiscent of Homo erectus, and of the archeological, paleontological, and stratigraphical association, these new fossils are referred to the early European group.     

Pre-Hispanic Beer in Coastal Peru: Technology and Social Context of Prehistoric Production

The native Andean beer , chicha, played a variety of roles in pre-Hispanic Peruvian societies. Commonly made from maize , chicha was both the everyday beverage and an essential element in ritual and social interactions. Most important, political leaders had to reward corvée labor groups with chicha and food as part of the "hospitable repayment" lords were obligated to provide their subjects. The article describes an archeological investigation of chicha production in a non-elite residential sector at Manchan, the Chimu Empire's (A.D. 900–1470) regional center in the Casma Valley of the Peruvian North Coast. Two issues are considered: the technical process and the social context of chicha- making. In both cases, ethnohistoric and ethnographic data are used to develop archeological correlates for different aspects of the technology and social context of chicha- making. The archeological data indicate that (1) the equipment for chicha- making was generally available, (2) different households episodically produced large quantities of chicha, and (3) this production took place within a self-sufficient household and without extensive state involvement by the Chimu Empire.     

Changes in skeletal robusticity in an iron age agropastoral group: The samnites from the Alfedena necropolis (Abruzzo,Central Italy)

Cross‐sectional geometrical (CSG) properties of an Iron Age Samnite group from the Alfedena necropolis (Abruzzo, Italy, 2600–2400 B.P.) are compared with a Ligurian Neolithic sample (6000–5500 B.P.). In the period under examination, Samnites were organized in a tribal confederation led by patrilinear aristocracies, indicating incipient social stratification. In comparison, Neolithic society lacked clear signs of social hierarchy. The subsistence of both groups was mainly based on pastoralism and agriculture, but changes in habitual behavior are expected due to the socio‐economic transformations that characterized the Iron Age. The Samnites' warlike ideology suggests that unimanual weapon‐use and training would have become frequent for males. The intensification of agriculture and the adoption of transhumant pastoralism, performed by a smaller subset of the population, likely led to a lower average level of logistic mobility. The strongly genderized ideology of the period suggests a strict sexual division of labor, with women primarily performing sedentary tasks. CSG properties based on periosteal contours were calculated for humeri, femora, and tibiae (N = 61). Results corroborated the expectations: Alfedena males show substantial humeral bilateral asymmetry, indicating prevalent use of one arm, likely due to weapon training. In both sexes lower limb results indicate reduced mobility with respect to the Neolithic group. Sexual dimorphism is significant in both humeral asymmetry and lower limb indicators of mobility. Although both groups could be broadly defined as agropastoral based on archeological and historical evidence, CSG analysis confirmed important differences in habitual behavior. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Plant exploitation and cultural landscape related to the Medieval village of Geridu (Sardinia,Italy)

We analyzed the archaeobotanical remains from the Mediterranean Medieval village of Geridu (Sardinia-Italy) in order: (1) to formulate hypotheses concerning different uses of woody plants; (2) to reconstruct the distribution patterns of charcoals and to compare them with the results of the archeological interpretation and (3) to describe the agricultural activities and cultural landscape around the village. In total, 29 plant taxa were identified from charcoals and 14 from carpological remains. The number of charcoals and the ubiquity of plant taxa were correlated with each other (r_p = 0.735; n = 29). Only the stratigraphic units referred to as the “construction layer” in the archeological interpretation significantly differed from the other archeological contexts which were related to the life and abandonment phases of the village. Some hypotheses regarding the agricultural activities of the village were formulated on the basis of carpological remains, largely of cereals and legumes. Integration of the archeological findings with information supported by the biological archive in Geridu and with knowledge of the vegetation series allowed reconstruction of the cultural landscape, which fit with the thermo- and meso-Mediterranean climate of the area.     

Rethinking the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa

Current fossil, genetic, and archeological data indicate that Homo sapiens originated in Africa in the late Middle Pleistocene. By the end of the Late Pleistocene, our species was distributed across every continent except Antarctica, setting the foundations for the subsequent demographic and cultural changes of the Holocene. The intervening processes remain intensely debated and a key theme in hominin evolutionary studies. We review archeological, fossil, environmental, and genetic data to evaluate the current state of knowledge on the dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa. The emerging picture of the dispersal process suggests dynamic behavioral variability, complex interactions between populations, and an intricate genetic and cultural legacy. This evolutionary and historical complexity challenges simple narratives and suggests that hybrid models and the testing of explicit hypotheses are required to understand the expansion of Homo sapiens into Eurasia.     

Discovery of taeniid eggs from a 17th century tomb in Korea

Even though Taenia spp. eggs are occasionally discovered from archeological remains around the world, these eggs have never been discovered in ancient samples from Korea. When we attempted to re-examine the archeological samples maintained in our collection, the eggs of Taenia spp., 5 in total number, were recovered from a tomb of Gongju-si. The eggs had radially striated embryophore, and 37.5-40.0 μm×37.5 μm in size. This is the first report on taeniid eggs from ancient samples of Korea, and it is suggested that intensive examination of voluminous archeological samples should be needed for identification of Taenia spp.     

The attraction of paleomagnetism

The majority of fossil primates and human archeological sites are recovered from sedimentary rocks, but obtaining radioisotopic dates directly from rocks of this type is generally difficult. Paleomagnetism offers an alternative dating approach. Specific applications of paleomagnetism in the field of anthropology range from dating late Eocene fossil anthropoids to determining human archeological site use and occupation. This single dating technique is not restricted to a specific time range, but can be used across the entire span of primate evolution. When linked with other dating techniques, such as radioisotopic or astrochronologic methods, paleomagnetism offers a high level of temporal resolution in unraveling questions of the past.     

Tooth and bone development in a Danish medieval mandible with unilateral absence of the mandibular canal.

A Danish anthropological collection of medieval human skeletons excavated in 1986 involves a mandible (No. 212) from an adult female born without the lower alveolar nerve and mandibular canal. It is believed that the defect has resulted in lack of tooth development on the affected side and that the mylohyoid nerve has partially compensated for this defect by development of teeth in localized areas. The defective mandibular dentition has caused a compensatory development of the alveolar process in the maxilla. The missing occlusal support has altered muscular traction on the mandible. This has caused an alteration in mandibular shape. Whether the asymmetric development of the mandible is caused by muscular dysfunction, by failure in angular growth apposition, or by a combination of these factors is discussed. The case presents valuable data in the ongoing discussion about the interaction between nerve tissue and tooth formation and about the interaction between occlusion, jaw morphology, and muscular traction. The study shows how archeological material in an interdisciplinary cooperation between archeological, embryological and orthodontic research can contribute to the clarification of current biological problems.     

Peopling of Andean South America

Archeological, craniometrical, and genetic information is utilized to reconstruct possible migration routes used in the peopling of Andean South America. Special emphasis is given to the elaboration of craniometrical isoline maps and its application in testing models of population displacement based on archeological data. A genetic distance analysis among linguistic groupings complements the conclusions based on archeological and craniometrical information.