Lecture 3 - How did People Live?

3 Groups of Information used to Reconstruct Past Lives

1. Artifacts, Ecofacts, and Features

2. Environmental Evidence (Excavations)

3. Analysis of Skeletal Remains (common) and Soft Tissue (uncommon)

Osteology

The analysis of the Skeleton and Pathological Signs of them

T/F Bone is Fixed Material

FALSE!

- bones are always changing in relation to how we use them

Inferences from high rates of Osteoporosis

- Population had a high life expectancy, as it appears more in older people

- Population had certain risk factors

Osteoblasts

Cells that form bone

Osteoclasts

Cells that dissolve and break down old bone (resorption: absorb after being destroyed)

Two Influences of the Skeleton

1. Biology (Genetics)

2. Culture (Behaviour: acting aggressive makes more bone-related accidents)

5 Insights Provided from Skeletal Analysis

- Disease

- Physiological Stress/Injury/Violent Death

- Physical Activity

- Demographics

- Diet and Nutrition

Inferences from Reading the Human Skeleton

- Age

- Sex

- Atypical Aspects

Dichotomizing Sex

Saying there are only two sides to sex, male and female, and that gender follows this. In reality, gender still plays an important role

Atypical Aspects

Distinguishing what you know is natural from what you know is atypical

- also inferring pre vs. post-mortem changes

Osteobiography

- People who "story-tell" from bones [of humans]

Bioarcheology

- The study of the biological component of the archeological record as if they were alive

Bioarcheology Methodology

- Exposing skeletons carefully and slowly, careful not to touch

- Photograph and document, including the burial practice!

- Once you remove the skeleton, there is no more feature

Paleopathology + Five Studies

An osteology speciality that studies disease and disorders of past populations, including:

- trauma

- infectious disease

- degenerative disease

- metabolic disease

- dental pathology (the most common)

3 Ways to Analyze/Interpret in Paleopathology

- Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation

- radiographic analysis

- chemical analysis

Requirement for good Paleopathological Diagnosis

A Good Description

- Ex: Drawing something means more interaction and heavy analysis than just taking a photo

Example of Infectious Disease

Tuberculosis and particularly Spinal Tuberculosis (Pott's Disease)

The Representativeness of Tuberculosis

While the presence of tuberculosis exists, only a subset of tuberculosis is Spinal; sometimes, it is Lung tuberculosis

- Hence, you cannot rule out potential other forms of a disease (something to be aware of when making a diagnosis

How Tuberculosis causes a spine to bend sideways

- Bacteria DO NOT EAT the spine!

- They set off an immune response, causing inflammation and necrosis

Inferences from Tuberculosis

- Its prevalence shows that there was social/familial support to keep someone with it alive

Tertiary Syphilis

- An infectious disease

- Destroys bones with a particular pattern