A palaeopathological analysis of skeletal remains from Bronze Age Mongolia

Karstens, Sarah; Littleton, Judith; Frøhlich, Bruno; Amgaluntugs, Tsend; Pearlstein, K.; Hunt, David

doi:10.1016/j.jchb.2018.11.002

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In the anthropological literature, acute traumatic injuries on almost all human extra‐spinal skeletal elements (i.e., skull, ribs, upper limb bones, and lower limb bones) have been described as being possibly related to the practice of horse riding (e.g., Aguayo, 2012; Anđelinović et al, 2015; Angel, 1982; Bagagli et al, 2012; Dutour & Buzhilova, 2014; Karstens et al, 2018; Khudaverdyan et al, 2016; Langlois & Gallien, 2006; Pálfi, 1992; Panzarino & Sublimi Saponetti, 2017; Pap, 1985; Pulcini, 2014; Reinhard & Wall, 2002; Wentz & de Grummond, 2009; Willey, 1997). Most of cases are explained as the direct consequence of a fall from the horse, even though some studies also mention injuries related to other aspects of equestrianism, such as the crushed foot when being stepped on by the animal (Willey, 1997) or finger fractures and injuries that would be caused by the saddle or the bridle (Dutour & Buzhilova, 2014; Willey, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, the link between a lesion and the activity mostly relies either simply on the fact that it was mentioned in previous studies, without any further supporting argument (e.g., Bagagli et al, 2012;Langlois & Gallien, 2006), or on general archaeological, textual, or ethnological sources suggesting that a population of interest as a whole used to practice horse riding (e.g., Karstens et al, 2018;Panzarino & Sublimi Saponetti, 2017;Reinhard & Wall, 2002;Wentz & de Grummond, 2009). The presence of funeral deposits can raise various hypotheses regarding their meaning (e.g., functional, social, ritual, and symbolic aspects; see Härke, 1997).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Riding for a fall: Bone fractures among mounted archers from the Hungarian Conquest period (10th century CE)

Berthon

Tihanyi

Váradi

et al. 2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Horse riding, a determinant activity in the history of human cultural evolution, remains unreliably identifiable from the analysis of human skeletal remains due to various sample and methodological limitations. Through a comparison between welldocumented series of presumed riders and non-riders, this study aimed to investigate the link between skeletal fractures and that practice in past populations. We relied on a Hungarian Conquest period population (S arrétudvari-Híz oföld, Hungary, 10th century CE) known to be composed of mounted archers. We recorded the presence of acute fractures on the main bones of the upper and lower skeleton to analyze their distribution and perform comparisons between the individuals with or without riding-related deposits in their grave and with an out-sample group of presumed nonriders from the documented Luís Lopes Skeletal Collection (Lisbon). We observed more fractures in the Hungarian series and especially higher rates concerning the upper limb, while the distribution of traumas was more homogenous in the documented collection. There were also significantly more clavicle fractures in the Hungarian group with riding deposit than in the non-riders from Lisbon, whose type can be related to a fall from a height. Our results coincide with sports medicine data on equestrians, whose injuries mostly concern the upper limbs. Such traumas, and especially clavicle fractures, are often caused, indeed, by a fall from a horse. Through the use of pertinent anthropological series, this study provides the most reliable association between the presence of skeletal traumas and the practice of horse riding in a past population.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Riding for a fall: Bone fractures among mounted archers from the Hungarian Conquest period (10th century CE)

Berthon

Tihanyi

Váradi

et al. 2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…Changes in foodstuffs affected protein and vitamin availability and intakes, markedly influencing physiological health [1]. Equally, interacting with large animals during hunting, corralling, managing wild herds, and eventual domestication must have exposed individuals to the risk of minor through to serious injury, including the associated risks of infection and debilitating co-morbidities [2, 3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Domestication and large animal interactions: Skeletal trauma in northern Vietnam during the hunter-gatherer Da But period

et al. 2019

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The aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis that healed traumatic injuries in the pre-Neolithic assemblage of Con Co Ngua, northern Vietnam ( c . 6800–6200 cal BP) are consistent with large wild animal interactions prior to their domestication. The core sample included 110 adult (aged ≥ 18 years) individuals, while comparisons are made with an additional six skeletal series from Neolithic through to Iron Age Vietnam, Thailand, and Mongolia. All post cranial skeletal elements were assessed for signs of healed trauma and identified cases were further x-rayed. Crude trauma prevalence (14/110, 12.7%) was not significantly different between males (8/52) and females (5/37) (χ 2 = 0.061, p = 0.805). Nor were there significant differences in the prevalence of fractured limbs, although males displayed greater rates of lower limb bone trauma than females. Further, distinct from females, half the injured males suffered vertebral fractures, consistent with high-energy trauma. The first hypothesis is supported, while some support for the sexual divisions of labour was found. The prevalence and pattern of fractured limbs at CCN when compared with other Southeast and East Asian sites is most similar to the agropastoral site of Lamadong, China. The potential for skeletal trauma to assess animal trapping and herding practices prior to domestication in the past is discussed.

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“…The pathogenesis of Schmorl's nodes is still under debate in both clinical and palaeopathological settings as they have been associated with a number of risk factors like developmental, degenerative and mechanical conditions, bone diseases, neoplasia, autoimmunity, vertebral morphology, direct trauma and stress to the lower spine Plomp et al, 2015Plomp et al, , 2012. In dry bones, Schmorl's nodes can be seen as circumferential concave lesions/depressions in the superior and/or the inferior vertebral body surfaces and researchers, despite their poor understanding, are still using Schmorl's nodes as pathological indicators of physical stress and activity (Figure 5.25) (Faccia and Williams, 2008;Karstens et al, 2018;Üstündaǧ, 2009).…”

Section: Schmorl's Nodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and differentiation in the Roman province of Macedonia: A bioarchaeological approach

Vergidou

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The Roman Macedonian society was highly diverse and heterogeneous, as attested by textual evidence showing several hierarchies at play and many factors contributing to their reproduction. Among them, food holds a central place through the ostentatious display surrounding the royal symposia, the elite banquets, or during public festivals. However, food inequalities have so far been studied through condensed approaches that perpetuate oversimplified interpretations of the differences between the elite and the 'common' people, the wealthy and the poor. Inequalities and diversity within any society are much more complex and should be examined from multiple perspectives. Unfortunately, information about the dietary habits of ancient Macedonians is limited due to the paucity of available textual sources, which are often fragmented and biased, either referring to the region sporadically or written with a focus on the urban elite. As a result, any dietary insights gleaned from these sources, particularly regarding the diet of the common people, must be approached with caution. Bioarchaeological studies across the Roman Empire have shown that human skeletal remains could fill this gap by providing direct information for the diet of the people 'without name', and by revealing aspects of the social history that cannot be approached through other data (e.g., textual or mortuary record). This approach has been rarely adopted in Roman Macedonia.This study used dietary data obtained through macroscopic (palaeodemographic and palaeopathological -both dental and skeletal) and stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N values from bone collagen) to explore the influence of the micro-ecology on the dietary choices of the inhabitants of two distinct but contemporaneous communities of Roman Macedonia (1 st -4 th century CE). It also examined whether status, sex, and age differences existed to gain insights on the dietary preferences of certain groups. The main research question of this study is: To what extent can dietary variation within and between particular communities of the Province of Macedonia be related to differences in the local micro-ecology of the sub-regions in which they resided, and/or to inter-and intra-site status, sex, and/or age differences? 5.2.4.3 Considering diet in relation to other frequently observed skeletal lesions .

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A palaeopathological analysis of skeletal remains from Bronze Age Mongolia

Cited by 5 publications

References 34 publications

Riding for a fall: Bone fractures among mounted archers from the Hungarian Conquest period (10th century CE)

Riding for a fall: Bone fractures among mounted archers from the Hungarian Conquest period (10th century CE)

Domestication and large animal interactions: Skeletal trauma in northern Vietnam during the hunter-gatherer Da But period

Diet and differentiation in the Roman province of Macedonia: A bioarchaeological approach

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