Anthropology and paleogenetics. Рубрика в журнале - Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia
A case of chronic maxillary sinusitis in a late Neanderthal population of the Altai mountains
Статья научная
We describe a likely case of chronic maxillary sinusitis (CMS) in a Neanderthal skeletal sample from Chagyrskaya Cave, in the Altai Mountains. Signs of CMS were recorded in the Chagyrskaya 57 specimen, which is a fragment of a left maxilla. Alveoli of the upper fi rst molar are partially preserved, and so are the second and third upper molars, with adjacent parts of the walls, and the fl oor of the maxillary sinus. The fragment was found in layer 6b, dating to 53,100–51,100 BP. We analyze the factors that had caused the development of the disease, and assess its etiology. In the 3D-model, generated by computed microtomography, and in the original specimen, porotic changes were registered, situated at the fracture line of the alveoli of M1, lost post-mortem, and near the vestibular roots of both preserved molars. Also, there were isolated bone spicules, 1.0–2.6 mm in size. These signs indicate incipient CMS, evidently caused by chronic periodontal disease combined with a deep alveolar recess of the maxillary sinus. As the periodontal gap expanded, several small nutrient foramina, piercing the bottom of the sinus, merged. As a result, several oro-antral channels formed, whereupon the infection spread into the maxillary sinus. Since the deep alveolar recess is observed in the vast majority of Neanderthal crania with published images or reconstructed maxillary cavities, it can be assumed that Neanderthals were predisposed to odontogenic CMS.
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
A digital X-ray analysis of Middle Bronze Age skeletal samples from the Baraba forest-steppe
Статья
We present the results of a comparative analysis of skeletal and dental pathologies in Middle Bronze Age individuals buried at Late Krotovo and Andronovo (Fedorovka) cemeteries in southwestern Siberia. This was the period when the Andronovo steppe tradition in Northern and Central Asia expanded in various directions, including the foreststeppe. Growth arrest lines on tibiae (Harris lines) and dental pathologies (enamel hypoplasia and caries) were recorded. To evaluate developmental anomalies in the bone tissue, digital X-ray analysis was used. The principal sample includes representatives of various sex and age groups buried at the largest cemetery in the region, Tartas-1 (Baraba forest-steppe). Harris lines and enamel hypoplasia result from a broad range of factors such as infections, occasional malnutrition, traumas, vitamin defi ciencies, etc. Caries is caused by a high amount of carbohydrates in the diet, accompanied by low standards of oral hygiene. These pathologies occur at different ages: Harris lines and enamel hypoplasia evidence adverse factors during infancy and adolescence, whereas caries is typical of adulthood. Late Krotovo and Andronovo groups differ in terms of occurrence and combination of pathologies. Enamel hypoplasia is less frequent in the Andronovo sample, indicating a lesser stress level in children. Harris lines are less frequent in the Late Krotovo group, suggestive of lower stress level during adolescence. These differences may be tentatively attributed to various models of subsistence and cultural adaptation.
Бесплатно
Статья
Бесплатно
A medieval Yakut burial near lake Atlasovskoye of the 14th–15th centuries: an anthropological study
Статья научная
The burial near Lake Atlasovskoye, Yakutia, is one of the earliest Yakut burials, dating back to the 14th or 15th centuries and associated with the medieval Kulun-Atakh culture. Initially, its age was assessed by the comparative typological method based on artifacts, and later а radiocarbon estimate was generated, suggesting that the burial dates to the early stage of the Kulun-Atakh culture. Its highly unusual feature is that the individual was buried in a seated position – an exceptional case in the Yakut funerary practice. The cranium was completely wrapped in a bandage sewn from birchbark sheets, under which lethal injuries were found. Our comprehensive study was aimed at assessing the individual's lifestyle and cause of death. Postcranial bones revealed pathologal symptoms unusual for an early age (20–25) and caused by excessive physical strain, suggesting that the man was either a slave or a warrior. The complex birchbark bandage may indicate high status. Together with the seated position of the body, this makes the military status even more likely. Multiple traumatic lesions infl icted with a cutting tool indicate the violent nature of confl icts at the early stage of the Yakut culture. Craniometruic analysis reveals Buryat and Mongol affi nities, supporting epic evidence relating to Yakut origins, in which Buryat or Mongol immigrants had taken part.
Бесплатно
Статья
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
Analysis of 3D-models of artificially deformed crania, using geometric morphometry
Статья научная
The study of artificially deformed crania is complicated by difficulties in analyzing curvilinear shapes without reliable reference points for measurement. Methods of geometric morphometrics (GM) help to solve this problem. We generated 3D-models of deformed crania (26 male and 19 female) from burials of different chronological periods of the Okunev archaeological culture (Verkhniy Askiz I, Uybat III and V, Uybat-Charkov, Itkol I and II), Southern Siberia (2600–1700 BC). Using the Landmark IDAV software, each model was transformed into a set of six traditional craniometric landmarks and 450 semi-landmarks regularly distributed over the entire surface of the braincase. For further processing with the Procrustes and principal component analysis, functions of several R-packages (Morpho, Geomorph, and Arothron) were employed. Crania from early Okunev burials were found to have a small deformed area around lambda, spanning the posterior parts of parietal bones and the upper part of the occipital squama. In crania from later Okunev burials, the deformation extends on the parietal area, causing the reduction of cranial height owing to a lesser curvature of the parietal segment. The lateral walls of the braincase, the frontal squama, and the lower part of the occipital squama in such crania are more convex.
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
Статья научная
The study explores social and climatic factors affecting the occurrence of chronic maxillary sinusitis (CMS) in ancient and historical samples of Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. The main database consists of 23 cranial samples. According to the results of univariate (correlation analysis and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test) and multivariate (principal component) analyses, only climatic factors reveal a statistically significant effect on the frequency of CMS. The principal factor is temperature, which shows a negative correlation with CMS at the world level: the higher the mean annual temperature and the maximal temperature of the three hottest months, the lower the occurrence. At the regional level, significant correlation was also found between CMS and the number of rainy days per year. Rather than direct dependence, however, this result suggests that the correlation between climatic variables is different in Europe and North America. None of the socio-economic factors that we analyzed (sex, urban versus rural residence, subsistence strategy) demonstrated significant correlation with the prevalence of CMS at the world level. Assessing the effect of social status evaluated by archaeological criteria was impossible because of the complex nature of stress-inducing factors.
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
Cranial traumas in a sample from the Pucar'a de Tilcara fortress (Jujuy province, Argentina)
Статья
We analyze injuries in the cranial sample from the Pucará de Tilcara fortress, dating to the time of the Inca conquest. Analysis of violence markers, carried out by visual examination and computed tomography, and the comparison of results with those relating to samples from the Regional Development Period of the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley, suggest that although the violence level remained high, its nature could have changed after the arrival of the Inca. The female sample reveals just two perimortal injuries, no trophy skulls were found, and the frequency of nasal bone fractures is higher than in earlier samples. This may indicate lower level of between-group fi ghting for control over resources, and higher risk of interpersonal violence. The observed pattern suggests that having arrived in the Quebrada de Humahuaca region, the Inca eased political tension by establishing control over trade routes and the distribution of arable land areas, which had previously been the main cause of local armed clashes. The infl uence of artifi cial cranial modifi cations on the pathological and traumatic status of individuals was also analyzed. Two types of modifi cation were recorded in the sample—fronto-occipital tabular oblique and fronto-occipital tabular straight. None of them caused pathological changes or a decrease in the thickness of cranial bones.
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
Deciduous human teeth from the Upper Paleolithic site of Yudinovo,Western Russia
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
Статья
Бесплатно
Статья научная
This dental study addresses the origin of the Bolshaya Rechka people in the Novosibirsk region of the Ob, with reference to the migration of Saka and Sarmatian tribes from the southwest. I compare dental features of southern Kamen and northern Bolshaya Rechka populations inhabiting the entire Upper Ob area. Dental samples from eleven Bolshaya Rechka cemeteries were studied. Findings indicate heterogeneity. Nearly all samples evidence admixture between eastern and western groups. That from Bystrovka-3 takes a separate position, revealing more eastern traits along with those marking the Southern Siberian Upper Paleolithic complex. The results enable us to evaluate the role of Saka and Sarmatian migrants from Kazakhstan, Cis-Urals, and Tian Shan. This role appears to have been relatively minor and likely indirect, upholding the ideas advanced by archaeologists. Bolshaya Rechka and Kamen populations (the latter culture was thought to include the former) are biologically distinct. Bolshaya Rechka displays continuity with local Early Bronze Age groups. The main component of the Kamen population of forest-steppe Altai, on the other hand, was introduced by Saka and Sarmatian immigrants, who, evidently, had not reached the Novosibirsk region of the Ob. Rather than moving on northwards along the Ob from the forest-steppe Altai, they turned west, toward the Tobol-Irtysh watershed.
Бесплатно
Статья
Бесплатно
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно
