Leiden University Student Repository

Becx, Martine (2016)

Relationship between activity patterns and bone robustness within hunter-gatherer and farming societies: Demonstrated with a case study from Skateholm I and II, Sweden

Bachelor thesis | Archeologie (BA)

This research set out to determine whether or not a distinction could be made between three different kinds of (pre)historic societies, namely terrestrial hunter-gatherers, marine hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists based on the level of activity. What was examined was that, within terrestrial hunter-gatherers, the lower limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to long-distance traveling and running. Within the marine hunter-gatherers, the upper limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to the fact that their way of transportation would mainly involve either swimming or the use of watercrafts. Also they do not need to be as nomadic as terrestrial hunter-gatherers. Both terrestrial and marine hunter-gatherers show a great level of sexual dimorphism within their skeleton due to different jobs performed by men and women. Within agricultural societies there is a decrease in diaphyseal strength of the long bones, whether these are from the upper limb or from the lower limb, and...Show moreThis research set out to determine whether or not a distinction could be made between three different kinds of (pre)historic societies, namely terrestrial hunter-gatherers, marine hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists based on the level of activity. What was examined was that, within terrestrial hunter-gatherers, the lower limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to long-distance traveling and running. Within the marine hunter-gatherers, the upper limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to the fact that their way of transportation would mainly involve either swimming or the use of watercrafts. Also they do not need to be as nomadic as terrestrial hunter-gatherers. Both terrestrial and marine hunter-gatherers show a great level of sexual dimorphism within their skeleton due to different jobs performed by men and women. Within agricultural societies there is a decrease in diaphyseal strength of the long bones, whether these are from the upper limb or from the lower limb, and their shape changes from more oval to more circular. Another notorious change witnessed within the transition to agriculture is that there is a decrease in sexual dimorphism. This topic is still in a primal phase of investigation and telling activity patterns from bone is still very difficult.Show less

bone robustness

hunter-gatherer

activity patterns

Robustness

Bone

Author

Becx, Martine

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Inskip, S.

ECTS Credits

9

Language

en