A new perspective on Copper Age technology, economy and settlement: grinding tools at the Valencina mega‑site

Activity patterns at large prehistoric sites are often difficult to interpret, as they frequently combine productive, domestic and funerary components. Valencina, the largest of the Copper Age mega-sites in Iberia, has proved particularly challenging in this regard. Macrolithic tool assemblages have been generally neglected in these debates but can provide specific insight into the nature and patterning of activities. In this study, 185 grinding tools from seven separate excavations across this 450 ha mega-site were subjected to multiple lines of analysis including quantification, morphology, raw material, use-wear and depositional context. A surprising feature of this assemblage is the high degree of fragmentation, with more than half of the items representing less than 25% of the original artefact and only a small minority of them (< 10%) complete. The absence of intact quernstones is particularly striking. The results indicate a ritualization of deposition at Valencina, and throw new light on the interpretation of this complex site. Furthermore, they emphasize the central role that grinding technology should play in future discussion of European prehistoric mega-sites

Cardiovascular risk in infants overweight and obese

El sobrepeso y la obesidad conducen a la aparición de comorbilidades como la diabetes mellitus tipo 2, hipertensión arterial, dislipidemias. Objetivos: Determinar la presencia de riesgo cardiovascular en niños y adolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad, por género y grupos de edad. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Participantes: Niños y adolescentes, de ambos géneros, comprendidos entre los 5 a 18 años. Intervención: El diagnóstico de sobrepeso y obesidad se hizo de acuerdo a la clasificación de Must y col. con los siguientes criterios: de 85 a 95 para el sobrepeso y más de 95 percentil obesidad. En sangre se determinó el perfil lipídico, glucosa e insulina; con estas dos últimas se determinó el índice HOMA, para identificar resistencia a la insulina (RI), mediante la ecuación de Matthew, el síndrome metabólico (SM) con la referencia de Cook y las dislipidemias (D) con las sugerencias de Friedman y de Daniels. Principales medidas de resultados: Riesgo cardiovascular. Resultados: Los obesos presentan mayores riesgos cardiovasculares que los que tienen sobrepeso: RI 77,8%, SM 22,2%; D: colesterol total (CT) 64,4%, C-HDL 33,3%, C-LDL 19,5% y triglicéridos (Tg) 40%. El género masculino, independientemente de su estado nutricional, tuvo mayor riesgo que el femenino: RI 74,1%, SM 22,2%, D: CT 63%, C-HDL 37%, C-LDL 36% y Tg 40,7%. En cuanto a la edad, en los mayores de 10 años se ha encontrado RI en 78% y C-HDL 31,7%; los demás factores de riesgo fueron mayores en los menores de 10 años. Conclusiones: Los riesgos afectaron más a los obesos que a los que tenían sobrepeso, más al género masculino y, en cuanto a la edad, los mayores de 10 años presentaron mayor prevalencia de RI y de C-HDL bajo. A mayor IMC más riesgo cardiovascular, lo que compromete muy seriamente la salud y que se hace más preocupante porque su aparición es a temprana edad.Overweight and obesity lead the occurrence of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anddyslipidemias. Objectives: To determine the presence of cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents overweight and obese,by gender and age groups. Design: Cross sectional study. Participants: Children and adolescents of both genders, 5-18 year-old.Interventions: Diagnosis of overweight and obesity was done according to Must et al. classification with the following criteria: 85 to 95for overweight and more than 95 percentile for obesity. Serum lipid profile, glucose and insulin were analyzed, and with the latter twoHOMA index was determined to identify insulin resistance (IR), using Matthew´s equation, the metabolic syndrome (MS) with referenceto Cook and dyslipidemias (D) with Friedman and Daniels’ suggestions. Main outcome measures: Cardiovascular risk. Results: Obesechildren had higher cardiovascular risks than overweight: IR 77.8%, SM 22.2%, D: total cholesterol (TC) 64.4%, HDL-C 33.3%, LDL-C19.5% and triglycerides (Tg) 40%. Males had higher risk than females regardless of nutritional status: IR 74.1%, SM 22.2%, D: TC63%, HDL-C 37%, LDL-C 36%, Tg 40.7%. Children over 10 had IR 78% and HDL-C 31.7%; other risk factors were higher in thoseunder 10 years. Conclusions: Risks affected obese more than overweight children, more to males, and those over 10 years had higherprevalence of IR and low HDL-C. With higher BMI more cardiovascular risk and serious health compromise, worrisome because ofearly age onset

Obeso metabólicamente normal

Introduction: Obesity is a public health problem that tends to increase and compromises the health of people. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of metabolically normal obese (OMN) subjects depending on the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in an adult population showing obesity and morbid obesity. Design: Observational, descriptive and cross-section study. Setting: Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Dos de Mayo, Lima, Peru. Participants: Obese adults without metabolic diseases. Interventions: the study was conducted during the period between April 2009 and May 2010 in all adults consulting for obesity and who declared not having type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension or dyslipidemia. Weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were obtained, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Those who had 30 kg/m2 or more were included in the study. Insulin, glucose and lipid profile were determined. Metabolic syndrome was determined through measurement of glucose, HDL-C, triglycerides and WC. Insulin resistance (IR) was diagnosed through glucose and insulin resistance homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Two groups were distinguished: obese with BMI of 30 to 39.9 kg/m2, and obese with BMI 40 kg/m2 and more. Statistical analysis was performed using student t test and chi -square with a 95% confidence interval and a significance level of &lt; 0.05. Main outcome measures: Average and standard deviation variables. Prevalence of OMN and OMnotN. Results: From the 158 subjects, 91.2 % were female The OMN and OMnotN groups showed statistically significant difference in weight, height, WC, insulin and HOMA-IR. OMN prevalence was 7% in all obese and 7.3 and 6.4% in the BMI groups (Wildman criteria), while it was 13%, 15.5 and 2.1 % respectively by Meiggs criteria. Conclusions: The study showed the presence of a reduced number of obese subjects considered OMN by the criteria used.Introducción: La obesidad es un problema de Salud Pública que tiende a incrementarse y que compromete la salud de las personas. Objetivos: Conocer la prevalencia de obesos metabólicamente normales (OMN) en función de la presencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en una población adulta que presenta obesidad y obesidad mórbida Diseño: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y de corte transversal. Lugar: Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital Dos de Mayo, Lima. Perú Participantes: Personas adultas sin enfermedades metabólicas. Intervenciones: En el período abril de 2009 a mayo de 2010, se estudió a todas aquellas personas adultas que consultaron por obesidad y que dijeron no presentar diabetes mellitus tipo 2, hipertensión arterial y dislipidemias. Se les pesó, talló y se midió su circunferencia de cintura (CC). Con las dos primeras se calculó el índice de masa corporal y quienes tenían 30 kg/m2 o más ingresaron al estudio. Se les midió insulina, glucosa y perfil lipídico. Con la glucosa, c-HDL, triglicéridos y la CC se determinó el síndrome metabólico y con la insulina y la glucosa el modelo homeostático de evaluación de la resistencia en insulina (HOMA-IR). con la finalidad de identificar resistencia a la insulina (RI). Se dividió el grupo en dos: obesos de 30 a 39,9 kg/m2 y 40 kg/m2 y más. El análisis estadístico se efectuó con las pruebas de t-student y de chi-cuadrado, con un intervalo de confianza de 95% y nivel de significancia &lt;0,05. Principales medidas de resultados: Promedio y desviación estándar de las variables estudiadas y prevalencia de OMN y OMnoN. Resultados: La población estudiada alcanzó a 158 personas, de las cuales 91,2% correspondió al género femenino. Entre las diferencias entre los dos grupos OMN y OMnoN, referente a las variables antropométricas y bioquímicas, tuvieron significación estadística el peso, talla, CC, insulina y el HOMA-IR. La prevalencia de OMN, de acuerdo a Wildman, fue 7% en el total de obesos y 7,3 y 6,4% en los grupos OMN y OMnoN, mientras según los criterios de Meiggs, fue 13%, 15,5 y 2,1%, respectivamente. Conclusiones: El estudio mostró la presencia de un reducido número de obesos que fueron caracterizados como OMN

Assembling the Dead, Gathering the Living: Radiocarbon Dating and Bayesian Modelling for Copper Age Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain)

The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennium cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the c. 450 ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site and a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive burial was established at the site. Mud-vaulted tholoi appear to belong to the 29th or 28th centuries cal BC; large stone-vaulted tholoi such as La Pastora appear to date later in the sequence. There is plenty of evidence for a wide range of other activity, but no clear sign of permanent, large-scale residence or public buildings or spaces. Results in general support a model of increasingly competitive but ultimately unstable social relations, through various phases of emergence, social competition, display and hierarchisation, and eventual decline, over a period of c. 900 years