Notes for the analysis and interpretation of archeological contexts with human bone remains

Los contextos funerarios representan una realidad arqueológica con enorme significación social para profundizar en el conocimiento de las sociedades pasadas. Estas realidades arqueológicas materializan un conjunto de prácticas y concepciones culturales que desarrollan y fortalecen identida- des, memorias colectivas y relaciones sociales. Pero también son utilizadas para distorsionar o invertir la realidad social como reflejo de diferentes actitudes hacia la muerte o en beneficio de ciertos grupos de interés. Este artículo reflexiona sobre el análisis e interpretación de contextos arqueológicos donde aparecen restos esqueléticos humanos, con especial consideración de los depósitos funerarios, y uti- lizando la base teórico-metodológica que proporciona la tafonomía funeraria. Esta disciplina intenta identificar y explicar las prácticas antrópicas y los procesos naturales que intervinieron en la formación de los contextos arqueológicos con restos óseos humanos. Dada la complejidad de los depósitos funera- rios, se precisa generar información contextual de alta resolución como base para establecer diferentes hipótesis interpretativas. La tafonomía funeraria integra distintas líneas de evidencia que contribuyen significativamente al desarrollo de estas hipótesis.Burials are archaeological deposits with enormous social significance to provide insights into the past societies. Funerary deposits reveal a set of cultural practices and conceptions that develop and strengthen identities, collective memories and social relationships. But they are also manipulated to distort or invert social reality as a reflection of different attitudes towards death or for the benefit of certain social groups. This article reflects on the analysis and interpretation of archaeological contexts where human skeletal remains appear, with special consideration of funerary deposits, and using the theoretical-methodological basis provided by funerary taphonomy. This discipline attempts to identify and explain the anthropogenic and natural processes that occurred during the formation of archaeolo- gical contexts with human skeletal remains. Given the complexity of funerary deposits, it is necessary to generate high resolution contextual information as a basis for establishing different interpretative hypotheses. Funeral taphonomy integrates different lines of evidence that contribute significantly to the development of these hypotheses

Exploring the risks accompanying child-bearing in aboriginal society on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, 13th–15th cal. CE): death of a pregnant woman during her third trimester

In the pre-Hispanic necropolis of Juan Primo, northwest Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) a grave was found containing a 20–25 year-old woman with a foetus in her abdominal region, whose age at death was estimated at 33–35 weeks of gestation. The purpose of this study is to discuss the possible cause of death of the woman and foetus. Skeletons of both individuals were well preserved, permitting a good record of the bones found in the burial, which is compatible with a pregnancy at preterm. The age of the foetus and the position of the left upper limb raise the possibility that their death was the result of a difficult birth (dystocia). However, a number of alternative disorders can be put forward to explain this death in the third trimester of pregnancy, such as eclampsia and abruption placentae. In this case, pertinent ethnohistorical and osteoarchaeological information about the ancient canaries allows us to assess some of the stressors that would increase their maternal mortality. The lack of similar evidence in archaeological contexts makes this an important finding, providing a likely case of obstetric problems and their impact on pre-industrial societies

Daily Pattern of Physical Activity and Social Organization of Labour in the Pre-Hispanic Gran Canaria: The Contribution of the Skeletal Markers of Physical Activity (11th-15 Th AD Centuries)

El propósito de este artículo es discutir una reciente aportación que desde el ámbito de la bioarqueología ha abordado ciertas cuestiones acerca de los modos de vida de los antiguos canarios. Esta contribución se focaliza en el estudio de la organización social del trabajo a partir del análisis de algunos marcadores óseos de actividad física. Concretamente, los músculo-esqueléticos o cambios entésicos y las dimensiones métricas de los huesos largos en una serie esquelética de 138 individuos. Esta muestra procede de diez necrópolis prehispánicas datadas por AMS entre los siglos xi y xv. Los resultados permiten describir un patrón cotidiano de actividad física que es congruente con una organización social del proceso productivo articulada a partir de una división sexual y social del trabajo.The aim of this paper is to discuss a recent bioarchaeological contribution concerning to the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of Gran Canaria and their ways of life. This approach is focused on the study of the social organization of labour, based on the observation/identification of some skeletal markers of physical activity. Specifically, the musculoskeletal stress markers or entheseal changes and measurements of long bones are analyzed in a sample of 138 individuals. This population is from 10 pre-Hispanic cemetery located on the coast and dated by AMS between 11th and 15th AD centuries. The results reflect a pattern of daily physical activity which is consistent with a social organization of the production articulated from a sexual and social division of labour

In the ambiguity of your skin. About mummies and tombs

Se presentan algunas reflexiones sobre la práctica mortuoria de los antiguos canarios, en particular sobre el fenómeno de la momificación. Se parte de un breve repaso historiográ- fico a las bases desde las que se ha construido la noción de momia. Y se propone el análisis de esta entidad no como un fenómeno singular con valor en sí mismo, sino al amparo de las normas sepulcrales de la población prehispánica de Gran Canaria. Esta perspectiva de estudio, así como los análisis arqueotanatológicos de los depósitos funerarios insulares, la valoración particularizada de los procesos tafonómicos en estos contextos y, en especial, la reconceptualización de la idea de la muerte en esta sociedad, conducen a una forma de entender «la momia» algo diferente a como tradicionalmente se ha hecho. El principal elemento de cuestionamiento es la habitual consideración de «la momia» como reflejo evidente de la diferenciación social en la práctica funeraria, junto a la asunción de la momificación como un rito mortuorio particular en el sistema de creencias de los antiguos canarios.We offer some reflections on the mortuary practices of the ancient canaries and, particularly, about the phenomenon of mummification. It begins with a brief historiographical review of the basis on which it has built the notion of mummy. Next, the analysis of this entity is proposed, not as a singular phenomenon with value itself but under the rules for burial followed by the prehispanic population of Gran Canaria. This perspective of study, as well as the archaeothanatological analysis of funeral deposits, particularized assessment of taphonomic processes in those contexts and, basically, the re-conceptualization of the idea of death in that society, provides an understanding of “mummy” different from what we have habitually considered. As a result, it calls into question the traditional view of “mummy” as a reflection of social asymmetries in the funerary practice, along with the assumption of mummification as a particular and specific mortuary ritual in the belief system of the ancient canaries

Short history of spondylus in the South American Pacific: a symbol that returns at present

Las especies de Spondylus constituyen un grupo de moluscos de gran importancia dentro de las culturas americanas desde el tercer milenio a.C. hasta el siglo XVII, recuperando su importancia en las décadas recientes. El presente artículo es una cronología sintética del simbolismo del Spondylus en diferentes culturas del pasado de Suramérica. Mediante la reconstrucción histórica del uso del Spondylus se expone el papel que ha jugado en la historia suramericana, lo cual ha permitido y potenciado la interacción entre diferentes culturas. Hoy en día, sobre todo en Ecuador, ha resurgido el Spondylus como símbolo de gran importancia, suponiendo un vínculo entre regiones y, uniendo las comunidades actuales con su pasado histórico.Spondylus species form a group of mollusks of great importance within American cultures since the third millennium BC until 17th century AD, and have received greater recognition over the last decades. The present article is a synthetic chronology of Spondylus symbolism in different cultures of South America’s past. Through the historical reconstruction of the use of Spondylus, the role played by this mollusk in South American history, which has allowed and enhanced the interaction between different cultures, is exposed. Nowadays, especially in Ecuador, Spondylus has resurfaced as a symbol of great importance, assuming a link between regions and uniting the present communities with their historical past.Fil: Lodeiros Seijo, César. Universidad Tecnica de Manabi; Ecuador. Universidad de Oriente; VenezuelaFil: Santana Cabrera, Jonathan A.. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; EspañaFil: Jaramillo Arango, Antonio. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Soria, Rodrigo Gaspar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Marcos, Jorge. Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral; Ecuado

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase&nbsp;1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation&nbsp;disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age&nbsp; 6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score&nbsp; 652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc&nbsp;= 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N&nbsp;= 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in&nbsp;Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study

Background Early mobilisation (EM) is an intervention that may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. There is limited data on EM in COVID-19 patients and its use during the first pandemic wave. Methods This is a pre-planned subanalysis of the ESICM UNITE-COVID, an international multicenter observational study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020. We analysed variables associated with the initiation of EM (within 72 h of ICU admission) and explored the impact of EM on mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as discharge location. Statistical analyses were done using (generalised) linear mixed-effect models and ANOVAs. Results Mobilisation data from 4190 patients from 280 ICUs in 45 countries were analysed. 1114 (26.6%) of these patients received mobilisation within 72 h after ICU admission; 3076 (73.4%) did not. In our analysis of factors associated with EM, mechanical ventilation at admission (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.25, 0.35; p = 0.001), higher age (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98, 1.00; p ≤ 0.001), pre-existing asthma (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.73, 0.98; p = 0.028), and pre-existing kidney disease (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71, 0.99; p = 0.036) were negatively associated with the initiation of EM. EM was associated with a higher chance of being discharged home (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.08, 1.58; p = 0.007) but was not associated with length of stay in ICU (adj. difference 0.91 days; 95% CI − 0.47, 1.37, p = 0.34) and hospital (adj. difference 1.4 days; 95% CI − 0.62, 2.35, p = 0.24) or mortality (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.7, 1.09, p = 0.24) when adjusted for covariates. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that a quarter of COVID-19 patients received EM. There was no association found between EM in COVID-19 patients' ICU and hospital length of stay or mortality. However, EM in COVID-19 patients was associated with increased odds of being discharged home rather than to a care facility. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04836065 (retrospectively registered April 8th 2021)