Trabecular bone mass and bone content of diet-related Trace elements among the Prehispanic inhabitants of the western Canary Islands

Noninvasive estimation of bone mass in ancient vertebrae

“…In previous studies of the pre‐Hispanic population of Gran Canaria we found, both in iliac crest specimens and in tibiae, a high prevalence of osteopenia, in contrast with observations of pre‐Hispanic remains on other islands of the Canary Archipelago. In the present study, in the total adult population of El Hierro, the proportion of vertebrae with severe osteopenia based on radiologic criteria was 13.81%, a figure similar to that (12.5%) obtained from iliac crest specimens in which TBM was histomorphometrically assessed (González‐Reimers et al,1988). Also, in accordance with these figures, osteoporotic fractures (either wedge‐shaped or biconcave vertebrae) were observed in 16 cases of 282 in which measurements of anterior, posterior, and medial height were possible.…”

“…The island El Hierro, the smallest (273 km 2 ) of the seven “big” islands of the Canary Archipelago, was inhabited, in pre‐Hispanic times, by people of North African origin whose subsistence was based on goat‐ and sheep‐herding and consumption of marine products (Jiménez Gómez,1993). Previous studies performed on a small sample of iliac bones (González‐Reimers et al,1988) yielded a relatively low prevalence of osteopenia (12.5%), a figure quite lower than the 29% prevalence observed on a sample composed of 69 pre‐Hispanic individuals from Gran Canaria (González‐Reimers and Arnay‐de‐la‐Rosa,1992). This difference was found to be even more striking when trabecular bone mass (TBM) was determined on tibiae.…”

Paleodietary analysis of the prehistoric population of the Canary Islands inferred from stable isotopes (carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen) in bone collagen

“…Probably, the main economic activity was based on goat herding, although, undoubtedly, agriculture was also performed by their inhabitants. Preliminary data support the hypothesis that prevalence of osteopenia was less than among Gran Canaria, and, according to bone trace elements, dietary pattern was a mixed one, with less strontium than in Gran Canaria or El Hierro (Gonzá lez-Reimers et al, 1991). Similar results for Tenerife were also reported by other authors some years later (Aufderheide et al, 1992).…”

Dietary patterns during the early prehispanic settlement in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

“…Moreover, precise burial place of the relatively few anthropological remains preserved in museums and collections is unknown or confuse, and lack antiquity dates. A few analyses performed on these remains, nearly two decades ago (Gonzá lez-Reimers et al, 1991) reported high bone strontium levels, suggesting either marine or vegetal consumption.…”