Leiden University Student Repository

Bannink, Henriette (2011)

Archeologische toepassingen van Occupational Stress Markers

Bachelor thesis | Archeologie (BA)

By research of ‘occupational stress markers’ (markers on the skeleton which appear during life because of repeated acts), archaeologists have learned a lot about the lifestyle of people from the past. Since the beginning of the last century a lot of research has been done on these markers of occupational stress. However there is also a lot of uncertainty and disagreement about the research on these markers. For example, there are several different terms in literature which are meaning approximately all the same, there are different scoringsystems in use and not every study takes the non-mechanical factors, which can play a role by the appearance of the markers, into account. This study is showing how an occupational stress marker exactly appears, which factors are necessary for this and which other factors (like body size and age) also can play a role in the appearance. I also give examples of the activities we can derive from the markers and the reliability of these results. I give...Show moreBy research of ‘occupational stress markers’ (markers on the skeleton which appear during life because of repeated acts), archaeologists have learned a lot about the lifestyle of people from the past. Since the beginning of the last century a lot of research has been done on these markers of occupational stress. However there is also a lot of uncertainty and disagreement about the research on these markers. For example, there are several different terms in literature which are meaning approximately all the same, there are different scoringsystems in use and not every study takes the non-mechanical factors, which can play a role by the appearance of the markers, into account. This study is showing how an occupational stress marker exactly appears, which factors are necessary for this and which other factors (like body size and age) also can play a role in the appearance. I also give examples of the activities we can derive from the markers and the reliability of these results. I give a review of the different scoringsystems which are used today, as well. Herewith I come to an overview about what occupational stress markers, and related terms, exactly are. About what archaeologists can do with it. About the reliability of the results. And what the most recent opinions are, researches take today about these markers of occupational stress.Show less

Author

Bannink, Henriette

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Verpoorte, A.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

nl