84 research outputs found
Size and shape of Greek Late Neolithic livestock suggest the existence of multiple and distinctive animal husbandry cultures
In this paper we discuss domestic livestock morphometric data from the Late
Neolithic Greek regions of Macedonia and Thessaly. Six sites are considered,
including a substantial and previously unpublished dataset from Promachon
(Macedonia). The analysis of the size and shape of the animals indicates great
variation between sites and regions, suggestive of the co-existence of multiple styles
of husbandry. The site of Sitagroi stands out for its large and robust cattle and sheep,
probably a consequence of its environmental setting, as well as the dynamism of its
cultural and economic connections. In Thessaly, despite the existence of inter-site
connections documented through the material culture, different sites maintained their
independence in terms of husbandry choices
Reassessing the Age, Sex and Metric Variation of Commingled Human Remains from a 1911 Excavation of a Neolithic Passage Tomb Complex in North-West Ireland
The Neolithic passage tomb complex at Carrowkeel, County Sligo, Ireland, is one of the best preserved and most significant megalithic funerary and ritual landscapes in Europe. The most substantial archaeological excavations at the complex were undertaken in 1911, from which a relatively large sample of commingled unburnt and cremated human remains from seven chambered passage tombs was recovered. Although the archaeological value of this material is reduced as its spatial and stratigraphic context is uncertain, the skeletal remains have the potential to provide insights into how these monuments were used. This study is a quantitative reassessment of that osteological material from the passage tombs excavated in 1911, with a focus on a contextual analysis of the remains. Overall, the age-at-death and sex ratios do not indicate any demographic differentiation between monuments in selecting locations for the deposition of bodies, and there is no clear evidence to suggest any selectiveness of certain skeletal elements took place. There may however have been a differentiating age and gender aspect in terms of the unburnt versus cremated bone surface depositions within the passage tombs, as a higher proportion of 5+years non-adults and adult females were present in the cremated material. By using the log-ratio metric scaling technique on the cremated adult material, a statistically significant difference in skeletal dimensions is observed between individual passage tombs; however, it is unclear how significant this disparity is from a biocultural point of view. Despite apparent methodological difficulties in assessing an archaeological bone assemblage collected by early 20th-century antiquarians, the material can still yield new knowledge about the rituals conducted at Carrowkeel
Temporal Trends in Vertebral Size and Shape from Medieval to Modern-Day
Human lumbar vertebrae support the weight of the upper body. Loads lifted and carried by the upper extremities cause significant loading stress to the vertebral bodies. It is well established that trauma-induced vertebral fractures are common especially among elderly people. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological factors that could have affected the prevalence of trauma-related vertebral fractures from medieval times to the present day. To determine if morphological differences existed in the size and shape of the vertebral body between medieval times and the present day, the vertebral body size and shape was measured from the 4th lumbar vertebra using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and standard osteometric calipers. The modern samples consisted of modern Finns and the medieval samples were from archaeological collections in Sweden and Britain. The results show that the shape and size of the 4th lumbar vertebra has changed significantly from medieval times in a way that markedly affects the biomechanical characteristics of the lumbar vertebral column. These changes may have influenced the incidence of trauma- induced spinal fractures in modern populations
The Fisherman from Barum-mother of several children! : Palaeo-anatomic finds in the skeleton from BĂ€ckaskog
Datamaskinbehandling av skelettmaterial vid Stockholms universitets osteologiska forskargrupp
En storgrav frÄn Gotlands bronsÄlder : arkeologisk undersökning vid Simunde i Hörsne med Bara socken pÄ Gotland 1957-58
För över 50 Är sedan undersöktes ett gravmonument vid Simunde i Hörsne med Bara socken pÄ Gotland. Monumentet mÀtte nÀra trettio meter i diameter och innehöll ett tjugotal gravar. Den Àldsta graven dateras till bronsÄlder omkring 1500 f. Kr. och den yngsta dateras till vendeltid. Monumentet har följaktligen anvÀnts som begravningsplats i över tvÄtusen Är. Under denna period har det genomgÄtt en successiv utveckling under intryck av en tradition som Àndrat innehÄll och uttrycksformer, bÄde pÄ grund av interna och utifrÄn kommande influenser. Monumentet vid Simunde, dess mÄnga gravar och strukturella komplexitet, hÀnvisas ofta till i den arkeologiska litteraturen. Undersökningen har dock aldrig tidigare publicerats och syftet med denna bok Àr dÀrför att göra en av gotlÀndsk- och svensk arkeologis viktigaste undersökningar tillgÀnglig för framtida studier. Texten bygger till stora delar pÄ originalmanus och Àr en produkt av ett samarbete mellan ansvarig arkeolog vid undersökningen Bengt SchönbÀck och doktorand Joakim Wehlin vid Högskolan pÄ Gotland.Med osteologisk rapport av Nils-Gustaf Gejvall 1958</p
- âŠ