Health and disease at a South Carolina plantation: 1840–1870

Abstract

The analysis of 36 human skeletons (eight subadults, 13 males, 15 females) recovered during a cemetery relocation near Charleston, SC, provides data on health and disease for a 19th-century sample of Afro-Americans. The majority of the burials date from 1840-1870. Skeletal analysis verified some historical interpretations. Gender differential in mortality is evident with average age at death for males 35 and females 40 years. Females, besides living longer, had more missing and carious teeth but fewer abscesses. Both genders expressed childhood metabolic stress as indicated by linear enamel hypoplasias. Males, however, had a higher incidence (92%) than did females (70%). Age at occurrence was more widely distributed for females, but ages 2-4 were most critical for both genders. Postcranial indications of recovery from acute stress, Harris lines, occurred more frequently for males (45%) than for females (18%). Anemia, probably both genetic and acquired, was a significant health problem for both genders. Cribra orbitalia appeared in 35% of the adult crania, and 80% of the subadults had orbital lesions. Diplotic expansion of the cranial vault and infection were relatively common in the sample. Skeletal reaction to infections appeared in 69% of the males, 60% of the females, and 80% of the subadults. Skeletal changes associated with demanding physical labor were ubiquitous. The shoulder and hip were especially affected by degenerative changes, the cervical vertebrae frequently expressed osteophytosis, and males show a preponderance of Schmorl herniations and hypertrophy of the ulnar supinator crest. Skeletal trace elements indicate a relatively high exposure to lead, strontium concentrations indicative of a diet high in plant foods, and relatively low zinc and copper concentrations.

Using dental and activity indicators in order to explore possible sex differences in an adult rural medieval population from Thebes (Greece)

“…Angel et al 1987;Baker 1997;Coughlan and Holst 2000;Knusel 2000;Manzon and Gualdi-Russo 2016). In addition, these lesions have been used in order to assess differences in activity patterns between the sexes (Rathbun 1987;Parrington and Roberts 1990). …”

The effect of endurance exercise on the morphology of muscle attachment sites

“…This putative relationship has often been used to reconstruct behavior partially or wholly based upon variations in size and complexity of muscle attachment sites on ancient bones and fossils (e.g. Aiello, 1994;Aiello and Dean, 1990;Davidson, 1992;Davis, 1964b;Day, 1978;Johnson, 1987;Kelley and Angel, 1987;Kennedy, 1989a;McHenry, 1973;Musgrave, 1971;Rathbun, 1987;Richmond and Strait, 2000;Stern and Susman, 1983;Susman, 1988;Trinkaus, 1976Trinkaus, , 1983Vrba, 1979). The idea that there is direct and causative relationship between muscle size and activity on attachment site morphology has, until recently, been largely unquestioned by those researchers pursuing behavioral reconstructions.…”

“…reconstruct a variety of parameters, including muscle size (Aiello, 1994;Churchill and Morris, 1998;Trinkaus, 1976), frequency of muscle use (Davidson, 1992;Hawkey and Merbs, 1995;Kelley and Angel, 1987;Stern and Susman, 1983;Wilczak, 1998b) and the magnitudes of forces produced during muscle contractions (Churchill and Morris, 1998;Kelley and Angel, 1987;Rathbun, 1987;Trinkaus, 1976). Again, the justifications for connecting enthesis morphology to these aspects of muscle morphology or activity are rarely stated (with one notable exception in Davidson, 1992).…”

Infectious disease among enslaved African Americans at Eaton's Estate, Warren County, North Carolina, ca. 1830-1850

“…Rose 1985, Hutchinson 1987, Owsley et al 1987, Rathbun 1987, Jacobi et al 1992, Blakey et al 1994, Rankin-Hill 1997, Rathbun & Steckel 2002) have explored the prevalence of infectious diseases and other disorders. Diseases noted in these studies and of particular interest here, given their potential to produce dental defects and other lesions observed in the Eaton Ferry skeletal series, include congenital syphilis (Rose 1985, Rathbun 1987, Jacobi et al 1992, tuberculosis (Rose 1985, Rankin-Hill 1997, marasmus (Blakey et al 1994), rickets, scurvy (Rose 1985, Rankin-Hill 1997, and sickle-cell anemia , Rathbun 1987. The cranial, dental, and postcranial signs of these diseases/disorders Roberts et al 1994;j: Lambert 2002. are described in Table IV.…”