Prehistoric women’s manual labor exceeded that of athletes through the first 5500 years of farming in Central Europe

Macintosh, A. A.; Pinhasi, Ron; Stock, Jay T.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aao3893

Cited by 81 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The amount of endocortical bone that is resorbed is similar in men and women, however because men have greater periosteal apposition during aging, they show less net bone loss measurements of long bone diaphyses, where the primary response to activity is to resist torsional and bending loads (Lanyon & Rubin, 1984). Structural variability in long bone diaphyses has been linked to habitual behaviors (e.g., Macintosh, Pinhasi, & Stock, 2017;Ruff & Hayes, 1983;Ruff, Larsen, & Hayes, 1984;Shaw & Stock, 2009;Stock & Pfeiffer, 2001) including mobility patterns (e.g., Macintosh, Pinhasi, & Stock, 2014;Marchi, Sparacello, & Shaw, 2011;Ruff et al, 2015). An extensive amount of work has examined functional loading scenarios in the upper and lower limb elements using CSG properties (Ruff, 2008 and references therein;Ruff & Larsen, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Wilson

Groote

Humphrey

2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives Age‐degenerative features of the metatarsals are poorly known despite the importance of metatarsal bone properties for investigating mobility patterns. We assessed the role of habitual activity in shaping the patterning and magnitude of sexual dimorphism in age‐related bone loss in the hallucal metatarsal. Materials and methods Cross‐sections were extracted at midshaft from micro‐computed tomography scan models of individuals from medieval rural (Abingdon Vineyard) and early industrial urban (Spitalfields) settings (n = 71). A suite of cross‐sectional geometry dimensions and biomechanical properties were compared between populations. Results The rural group display generally stronger and larger metatarsals that show a greater capacity to resist torsion and that have comparatively greater bending strength along the medio‐lateral plane. Men in both groups show greater values of cortical area than women, but only in the urban group do men show lower magnitudes of age‐related decline compared to females. Women in rural and urban populations show different patterns of age‐related decline in bone mass, particularly old women in the urban group show a marked decline in cortical area that is absent for women in the rural group. Discussion Lifetime exposure to hard, physical activity in an agricultural setting has contributed to the attainment of greater bone mass and stronger bones in young adults. Furthermore, over the life‐course, less of this greater amount of bone is lost, such that sustained activity levels may have acted to buffer against age‐related decline, and this is most pronounced for women, who are expected to experience greater bone loss later in life than men.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Wilson

Groote

Humphrey

2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…This subsistence activity would involve repetitive bimanual movements in the AP plane, which might result in a morphological pattern similar to that inferred for bone beamer use. Experimental studies on mortar and pestle use have not been conducted; however, activities using similar tools and loading patterns have been inferred in association with AP loading and bilateral symmetry in other archaeological contexts (Cameron & Stock, ; Macintosh et al, ). Bone beamer may have impacted female humeral biomechanical properties; however, other activities, such as wooden pestle and mortar use, also likely contributed to observed patterns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We expect to observe more robust, AP-reinforced, bilaterally symmetrical humeri among Trigg individuals (relative to Crab Orchard) due to increased processing activities at the Trigg site where hide workers produced surplus deerskins for commercial trade. Sexual dimorphism is consistently noted in bioarchaeological CSG property analyses (Cameron & Stock, 2018;Macintosh et al, 2017). This has been attributed to hormonal influences and potentially differing reaction norms in response to physical activities (Macintosh et al, 2017).…”

Section: Participation In the Deerskin Trade By Residents Of The Postmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sexual dimorphism is consistently noted in bioarchaeological CSG property analyses (Cameron & Stock, 2018;Macintosh et al, 2017). This has been attributed to hormonal influences and potentially differing reaction norms in response to physical activities (Macintosh et al, 2017).…”

Section: Participation In the Deerskin Trade By Residents Of The Postmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sexual dimorphism is consistently noted in bioarchaeological CSG property analyses (Cameron & Stock, ; Macintosh et al, ). This has been attributed to hormonal influences and potentially differing reaction norms in response to physical activities (Macintosh et al, ). Sex‐based variation may reflect this pattern; however, differences between the sexes also may suggest whether males or females engaged in hide processing activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the influence of hide processing on Native American upper limb morphology

Cameron

Lapham

Shaw

2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The commercial pelt trade between Native Americans and Europeans flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the impact of this economic change and increased hide processing efforts on Native American upper limb morphology is unknown. The hide scraping hypothesis, tested in living subjects, suggests that hide processing efforts may lead to significant changes in humeral morphology. Two modern human Native North American skeletal collections from south‐western Virginia, USA, were studied to test if intensive hide processing led to changes in humeral morphology. At the earlier Late Woodland Crab Orchard site, animal skins and furs were prepared for household use. During the occupation of the later early historic Trigg site, processing activities intensified to produce surplus hides for the commercial pelt trade. In this study, the cross‐sectional geometric properties at the mid‐distal humerus (35% of length) of Crab Orchard and Trigg adult males and females were examined. We assessed whether Trigg site individuals had increased humeral symmetry, changes to diaphyseal shape, and increased robusticity. Additionally, humerus morphological properties were compared between males and females to assess if there were sex‐based differences. Trigg site males had greater humeral robusticity than Crab Orchard males. The humeri of females from the Trigg and Crab Orchard sites were both relatively anteroposterior strengthened and displayed quite low levels of bilateral asymmetry. This pattern suggests that females at both sites may have employed techniques that involved bimanual hide processing tools. The differences between the morphologies predicted and those observed in these Native American populations may indicate (a) adaptation to bimanual hide processing techniques or (b) adaptation to osteogenic tasks not involved in hide processing but associated with postcontact economic changes.

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Bone density and frame size in adult women: Effects of body size, habitual use, and life history

Lee

Rogers-LaVanne

Galbarczyk

et al. 2020

American J Hum Biol

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Objective Bone mineral density (BMD) and frame size are important predictors of future bone health, with smaller frame size and lower BMD associated with higher risk of later fragility fractures. We test the effects of body size, habitual use, and life history on frame size and cortical BMD of the radius and tibia in sample of healthy adult premenopausal women. Methods We used anthropometry and life history data from 123 women (age 18‐46) from rural Poland. Standard techniques were used to measure height, weight, and body fat. Life history factors were recorded using surveys. Grip strength was measured as a proxy for habitual activity, wrist breadth for skeletal frame size. Cortical BMD was measured at the one‐third distal point of the radius and mid‐point of the tibia using quantitative ultrasound (reported as speed of sound, SoS). Results Radial SoS was high (mean t‐score 3.2 ± 1.6), but tibia SoS was average (mean t‐score 0.35 ± 1.17). SoS was not associated with age, although wrist breadth was positively associated with age after adjusting for height. Radius SoS was not associated with measures of body size, habitual use, or life history factors. Wrist breadth was associated with body size (p < .05 for all), lean mass, and grip strength. Tibia SoS was associated with height. Life history factors were not associated with frame size or cortical SoS. Conclusions Habitual use and overall body size are more strongly associated with frame size and cortical SoS than life history factors in this sample of healthy adult women.

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Prehistoric women’s manual labor exceeded that of athletes through the first 5500 years of farming in Central Europe

Abstract: The advent of farming was associated with thousands of years of manual labor for women that exceeded that of living athletes.

Cited by 81 publications

References 59 publications

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Examining the influence of hide processing on Native American upper limb morphology

Bone density and frame size in adult women: Effects of body size, habitual use, and life history

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