Extreme osteoporosis in a sixth century skeleton from the Negev desert

Abstract

Osteoporosis was probably rare in ancient times due to the short life expectancy. An extremely osteopaenicskeleton of an adult female who lived in the Negev Desert c. AD 500 was studied using radiology, bone densitometry and histomorphometry. Possible aetiologic factors are discussed, with special emphasis on calcium and/or vitamin D deficiency, because nutritional deficiency has been described in Bedouin women who retain traditional dietary habits resembling those prevalent in the Negev region in antiquity.

An investigation of historical and archaeological evidence for age‐related bone loss and osteoporosis

“…Examples have been reported by Aufderheide & Rodriguez-Martin (1988, pp. 314-315) Foldes andco-workers, (1995) Mays, (1996) Roberts & Wakely, (1992) Sambrook and co-workers, (1988) and Stroud, (1989.…”

Age‐related cortical bone loss in women from a 3rd–4th century AD population from England

“…Some work has been done in this direction at an individual level. Case studies have been published of fractures at skeletal locations consistent with osteoporosis in individual skeletons found to show low bone mass (Sambrook et al, 1987;Foldes et al, 1995;Dequeker et al, 1997;Strouhal et al, 2003) or microarchitecural evidence for osteoporosis (Roberts and Wakely, 1992). However, little appears to have been done at a population level.…”

Is bioarchaeology a handmaiden to history? Developing a historical bioarchaeology

“…Some scholars additionally argue that the growth of bioarchaeology did not eliminate descriptive, typological osteological studies (Armelagos and Van Gerven, 2003, pp. 58-59), which in fact still dominate Near Eastern skeletal biology (e.g., Bourke, 1992;Foldes et al, 1995;Nabulsi, 1998). Armelagos and Van Gerven (2003, p. 62) in response have called for a return to the uniquely inter-and intra-disciplinary approach that bioarchaeology can provide.…”