The History of Tuberculosis from Earliest Times to the Development of Drugs
Lloyd N. Friedman, Martin Dedicoat, Peter D. O. Davies in Clinical Tuberculosis, 2020
Scholars studying TB in our ancestors draw on a number of sources. The primary evidence derives from people themselves (Figure 1.1) who were buried in cemeteries throughout the world that have been excavated over the years and that contribute to the understanding of humankind's long history. Bioarcheologists study human remains, with paleopathology specifically focused on the study of ancient disease. Secondary sources of evidence “flesh out” the skeletal remains that we study. For example, we might consider historical sources that document TB frequency at particular points in time in specific parts of the world—something we cannot glean from the skeletal remains. Written accounts will also tell us something about whether attempts were made to treat TB and how. Illustrations in texts may indicate that the infection was present in the population and also show the deformity and/or disability that accompanied it. The following sections consider this evidence in more detail, highlighting the strengths and limitations of our data.
The History of Tuberculosis from Earliest Times to the Development of Drugs
Peter D O Davies, Stephen B Gordon, Geraint Davies in Clinical Tuberculosis, 2014
Scholars studying TB in our ancestors draw on a number of sources. The primary evidence derives from people themselves (Figure 1.1) who were buried in cemeteries throughout the world that have been excavated over the years and that contribute to the understanding of humankind’s long history. Secondary sources of evidence ‘flesh out’ the skeletal remains that we study. For example, we might consider historical sources that document TB frequency at particular points in time in specific parts of the world – something we cannot glean from the skeletal remains. Written accounts will also tell us something about whether attempts were made to treat TB and how. Illustrations in texts may indicate that the infection was present in the population and also show the deformity and/or disability that accompanied it. The following sections consider this evidence in more detail, highlighting the strengths and limitations of our data.
Paleopathology and paleomedicine
Lois N. Magner, Oliver J. Kim in A History of Medicine, 2017
Another approach to studying human remains in their archeological context is called bioarcheology, a field that encompasses physical anthropology and archeology. Funerary customs, burial procedures, and environmental conditions, such as heat, humidity, and soil composition, can determine the state of preservation of human remains. Cremation, in particular, creates severe warping and fragmentation. Bodies may be buried in the ground shortly after death, covered with a mound of rocks (cairn burial), or deliberately exposed to the elements. Both nomadic and settled people might place a body on some type of scaffold as a temporary measure if the death occurred when the ground was frozen. Later, the skeletal remains could be interred with appropriate ceremonies. In some burial sites the dead might be added to old graves, causing a confusing commingling of bones. Added confusion arises from ritual mutilation of the body, the admixture of grave goods and gifts (which may include body parts of animals or grieving relatives), and distortions due to natural or artificial mummification. Burrowing animals and looters might also disturb burial sites, damaging bones and changing their distribution. Catastrophes, such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, and massacres, may provide information about a large group of individuals during one moment in time.
The usability of the ratio of bi-humerus breadth to maximum pelvic breadth in sex estimation
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2022
E. Senol, C. Celik, I. Tamsel, A. Kaya, H. Guler, B. Karadayi
Habitat, genetic factors, nutrition, physical activity and occupation can affect sex estimation by causing variation by population (Sadeghi et al. 2015; Shah et al. 2015; İşeri and Arslan 2019). Therefore, this study needs additional validation in skeletal remains of other populations to substantiate its reliability in forensic and/or bioarcheological contexts. Additionally, since measurements were performed on radiographic images, actual measurement of the bony structures might not necessarily yield to correlate numbers. It has also been stated that the body structure in Turkey has changed geographically (İşeri and Arslan 2019). This study is procured from a small Turkish sub-population (the Izmir population), and further applicability to the greater Turkish population requires investigation.
Secular trends in cranial chord variables: a study of changes in sexual dimorphism of the North Indian population during 1954–2011
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2019
In forensic and archaeological scenarios fragmented skeletal remains are frequently encountered. Creating biological profiles from those fragmentary bones often presents challenges to forensic anthropologists and archaeologists (Lidstone 2011). Due to this disintegration, most of the traditional measurements cannot be taken, so anthropologists always recommend introducing new variables that can add-on to or replace the traditional ones in cases of fragmentation. Sex determination is one of the most important components of biological profiling which immediately eliminates half of the population from consideration and many other factors are also sex-dependent. Any secluded skeletal variable of particular bone cannot perfectly determine the sex of a skeleton. So, it becomes essential to examine the sex-specific characteristics from as many bones as possible. The sexing accuracy depends not only on the choice of a statistical method but also on the anatomic regions of the skeleton and the degree of sexual dimorphism of the given population (Lidstone 2011). It has been shown in some previous studies that the degree of sexual dimorphism also fluctuates with time as a result of temporal and secular changes which might arise in a population even within a short period of 20–40 years (Saini 2014; Saini et al. 2014).
Walking backwards into the future: the need for a holistic evolutionary approach in Pacific health research
Published in Annals of Human Biology, 2018
Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith, Anna L. Gosling
Examination of human skeletal remains can also provide insights into past subsistence, particularly via the use of stable isotope analysis and the examination of mineralised dental plaque recovered from ancient individuals. Stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human bone collagen have proven to be a useful tool in exploring subsistence patterns and determining what types of animals and plants were making up the majority of the diet of past people. In the Pacific, analysis of δ13C has limited utility in assessing plant consumption because most of the plants belong to the C3 plant family (though sugar cane and seaweeds are exceptions), and the relative amount of plant matter consumed is generally understated in this type of analysis because of the inherent protein paucity of plant material compared to meat. Fortunately, analyses of the mineralised dental plaque (calculus) from archaeological sites provides opportunities for generating higher resolution plant subsistence data (compared to isotopic analysis alone) (Tromp and Dudgeon 2015; Tromp et al. 2017).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Animal
- Body Fluid
- Bone
- Cartilage
- Endoskeleton
- Exoskeleton
- Vertebral Column
- Soft Tissue
- Hydrostatic Skeleton
- Ossicle