This research focuses on looking for a connection between socio-economic status and the diet of non-adult individuals living in the post-medieval period in London. it mainly looks at the prevalence...Show moreThis research focuses on looking for a connection between socio-economic status and the diet of non-adult individuals living in the post-medieval period in London. it mainly looks at the prevalence of vitamin C within these diets. This is conducted by looking at the prevalence of scurvy, a disease that occurs when a person does not gain enough vitamin C through their food. This disease is chosen because it leaves osteological changes that are visible to archaeologists today. Non-adults are chosen for this research because the skeletal changes scurvy can make are better visible in non-adults than in adults. The aim of this research is to create a better understanding of the diet and the influence of socio economic status on this diet because there is little information about this topic available. It also aims to create a better picture of the health of non-adults in this period when looking at diet. The main research question for this research is: What is the influence of socio-economic status on the prevalence of scurvy in non-adults in post-medieval London? This is answered by looking at skeletal data gained by the Museum of London in their Wellcome osteological research database. Three different populations are compared to one another and different age groups within these populations are also compared. The three populations are Chelsea Old Church for the high-class, St. Benet Sherehog for the middle-class and St. Bride’s Lower churchyard for the low-class. The results of this research conclude that there is little to no connection between the prevalence of scurvy and the socio-economic status of non-adults in post-medieval London. This goes against the original expectations and shows that there was no difference in vitamin C intake between different classes. However future research could look at more details on these findings by for example trying to find to source of vitamin C for these different socio-economic statuses.Show less
Osteoarchaeological research is focused on profiling and understanding human remains of the past. The goal is to gather as much information as possible from the human remains. The first steps, and...Show moreOsteoarchaeological research is focused on profiling and understanding human remains of the past. The goal is to gather as much information as possible from the human remains. The first steps, and arguably the most important ones, are the estimation of sex, age and stature. These form the base of any osteoarchaeological research and help build a profile of the research population. The determination of an individual’s sex, age and stature will always be an estimation and can never be determined with 100% accuracy. This also means the process of building a profile is very time consuming. This difficulty is often exaggerated by the preservation of the human remains and methodology used. Osteoarchaeology also suffers greatly from inter and intraobserver variation. These problems become more severe when the sample size gets larger or when more traits are examined. Due to these problems, osteoarchaeological research can be very difficult and is never an exact science. Researchers are constantly trying to develop new methods to reduce the amount of time it takes to estimate sex, age and stature and to get the highest accuracy rates possible. For sex estimation, the skull and pelvis are regarded as the two most reliable aspects of the human skeleton. Several different methods have been developed focusing on these two aspects. New methods are often developed on a regional reference population. To implement such a method in a different region or country it is necessary to test its effectiveness on skeletal material with known data. In this thesis, a mathematical approach to sex estimation called the Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste method (DSP) is tested on a skeletal collection from the Middenbeemster, the Netherlands. Archival data was available for 118 individuals, of which 99 were eligible for the DSP method. The DSP method uses 4 to 10 measurements of the os coxa to estimate the chance of the individual being male or female. The big upside of this method, compared to other commonly used methods, is its ease of use. No extensive knowledge of the human skeleton is needed to gather the required measurement data for the method to be used. Even so, the creators of the method claim high accuracy levels and imply that DSP is equally, if not more, reliable than other existing methods. The results of this thesis indicate that, on Dutch populations, the DSP method is as accurate and robust as the creators claim. For the 99 individuals, DSP was able to estimate the sex of 85 of them (86%), with an accuracy of 97.6%. Only 2 individuals were incorrectly estimated to be male. From the measurements of the remaining 14 individuals the DSP method could not estimate the sex with enough certainty, leaving these individuals as undetermined. The DSP method proves to be robust and very accurate on Dutch skeletal material and should be considered a viable method for the estimation of sex. The ease of use of this method, compared to other sex estimation methods, is its strongest aspect. The method is not time consuming and can be performed without extensive knowledge on the subject, which could save a lot of time and effort in (osteo)archaeological research in the Netherlands.Show less
This thesis will look at the prevalence of cam-type femoroacetabular impingement among three medieval and post-medieval populations from the Netherlands in order to identify a pattern or trend in...Show moreThis thesis will look at the prevalence of cam-type femoroacetabular impingement among three medieval and post-medieval populations from the Netherlands in order to identify a pattern or trend in the said prevalence. These could in turn be linked to biological sex, environment and historical period and offer new insights in the lifestyle, in particular physical activity, of historical populations from the Netherlands. The results of this thesis could in turn also contribute to a better understanding of femoroacetabular impingement in the modern age. The trend that the femoral heads of the males in this sample are significantly less spherical than in females may be related to a sex-based labour division. Males would have done the bulk of the heavy work which put more strain on their lower limbs. The most important takeaway from this thesis is that femoroacetabular impingement, in particular cam-type, is not a new disorder. It is present in a wide range of populations from different environments and historical periods. The activity levels and physical load on the proximal femur of modern professional athletes may be comparable to ancient populations who were involved in physically demanding professions daily. The environment and diet might play a larger role in all of this than anticipated.Show less
In the post-medieval Netherlands (c. 1650 to 1850 CE), large socioeconomic differences within urban centres existed, which appear to correlate with the diet each socioeconomic group had access to....Show moreIn the post-medieval Netherlands (c. 1650 to 1850 CE), large socioeconomic differences within urban centres existed, which appear to correlate with the diet each socioeconomic group had access to. While low socioeconomic status (SES) often evokes the association of low body mass as a result of having little access to food, modern-day studies show that people living in poverty actually have a higher body mass than contemporaries of higher socioeconomic status. This thesis aims to study to what extend the relationship between body mass and socioeconomic status existed in the post-medieval Netherlands, with a focus on the role of diet and lifestyle. This was done by studying two post-medieval urban populations: one with a low SES from the Eusebiuskerk in Arnhem and one with a high SES from the Broerenkerk in Zwolle. Body mass was estimated by applying body mass estimation equations developed by Ruff et al. (2012) to measurements of the femoral head breadth. Statistical analyses were applied to compare the mean body mass between the high- and low SES samples. The males and females were compared separately. The results showed a positive relation between body mass and low SES. However, this relation was only statistically significant between the male samples. As males had more access to food because of their role in the household, the calorie-dense diet of low SES males could have allowed them to consume more calories than their high SES male counterparts who had access to a more varied diet with overall less calories. Low SES males furthermore performed more physically intense labour than the high SES males, increasing their muscle mass. Both female groups likely had less access to food in general, thus it is plausible that bottom line they consumed similar amount of calories. Also, both female groups would have mostly performed similar household tasks leading to no difference in muscle mass. Lastly, the femoral head is less responsive to changes in body mass in females which could attribute to these results. It can thus be concluded that that body mass can change as a result of status-differences in diet and labour. Based on the sites of Zwolle and Arnhem there seems to be a positive relation between low socioeconomic status and body mass in the post-medieval Netherlands.Show less
Estimation of stature is important because it can indicate health trends, diet, and evolution. Pablos et al. (2013) devised a new method using talar bones but has yet to be compared to the well...Show moreEstimation of stature is important because it can indicate health trends, diet, and evolution. Pablos et al. (2013) devised a new method using talar bones but has yet to be compared to the well-used method of Trotter and Gleser or the Fully method. This thesis compares these three methods using a Wilcoxon-signed rank test and descriptive analysis. The comparison shows that the Fully method statistically compares to the Trotter and Gleser method for the female sex, while not for the male sex. When comparing the Pablos et al. (2013) method test shows that the method does not compare statistically to the Trotter and Gleser method or the Fully method. When looking at the standard error range for both sexes the Trotter and Gleser method overlaps with both the Fully method and the Pablos et al. (2013). But the Pablos et al. (2013) method and the Fully method do not overlap.Show less
The purpose of my thesis is to research how individuals from the lower class with severe and visible disabilities were cared for during the Early modern period in the Dutch city of Arnhem. To be...Show moreThe purpose of my thesis is to research how individuals from the lower class with severe and visible disabilities were cared for during the Early modern period in the Dutch city of Arnhem. To be able to say something about care for these individuals I use historic literature, which functions as a historical framework, and I apply a bioarchaeological method known as the Index of Care, in which pathology found on skeletal remains form an important source of information. I will use pathology found on three skeletal individuals, from Arnhem, to say something about the living conditions of these people and what their quality of life might have looked like considering their disability. Based on the historic literature I provide the reader with an image of what care might have looked like for these individuals. And I research what this says about Arnhem’s population of the time and what their perspective was on their disabled and sick community. Arnhem would have different facilities in which people could be provided with care. Guesthouses played a major role in the caring for the city’s poor, sick and disabled community. In these guesthouses people could stay for a certain period of time up until a lifetime, depending on the guesthouses’ regulations. The church offered food, prayers and housing (also through guesthouses) to those in need as well. Additionally there were physicians and apothecaries that took care of the medical aspects of care for those who could afford it. However we must not forget that most of the disabled and sick individuals were most likely cared for by their relatives. The three individuals I analysed, must all have been cared for, for a longer period of time, most likely till their death. Based on these results and the historic framework, it is known that the lower class of Arnhem that was harshly disabled or sick would have been able to receive care if they needed to, and that this was provided by parties from different angles of society such as the church, the individual’s own social circle and the local guesthouses. This means that the early modern Arnhem cared for their disabled and sick population and that these people were seen as individuals that are entitled to housing, food a normal live and (medical)-care.Show less
The many ceremonial and prestigious paraphernalia in both completed and semimanufactured states encountered at Tingi Holo have led researchers to conclude that the inhabitants were heavily involved...Show moreThe many ceremonial and prestigious paraphernalia in both completed and semimanufactured states encountered at Tingi Holo have led researchers to conclude that the inhabitants were heavily involved in crafting (Versteeg 2003). To research if this can also be observed in the part of the skeletal population of Tingi Holo that was excavated in 1963 by Geijskes, entheseal development, osteoarthritis and spondylosis have been studied in this thesis. A selection of studied skeletal elements has been made based on observations done by Becker (2016) on a female craftswomen from the Ch’iji Jawita Site in Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Following Sofaer (2006), the theoretical framework employed in this research is that of ‘the body as material culture’. This theory bridges the Cartesian divide by considering the bones of the human body as a material with a specific characteristic, which is it’s plasticity. This plasticity allows the bones to react to both natural influences, such as age, sex and disease, as well as social influences such as food consumption and activity. It is particularly applicable to this research for it acknowledges the unique way in which humans both shape and are shaped by the creation of their own material culture. To conceptualize the range of crafting activities and the divide of labour between men and women and old and young people, ethnographic and historic sources have been employed. Among the studied communities are the Maroni River Caribs of Suriname, the Barama River Caribs of British Guiana, the Wayana of French Guiana, the Waiwai of northern Brazil and British Guyana and the Xingū of central Brazil. Through their habits regarding crafting, some general trends have been inferred. Although men and women alike craft with all available materials, there is a distinction in the type of objects both are allowed to make. This becomes particularly clear when looking at ceremonial and prestige artefacts, which almost are always done by men. Old age was not observed to increase the status of craftspersons within the studied societies. Combining the results of the ethnographic and osteological data allowed for a meaningful conclusion about the activities of the Tingi Holo population. In accordance with the ethnography, men showed indications of being more involvedShow less
Nutritional and socio-economic status are often considered as being closely related. In skeletal collections, these forms of status are studied using non-specific stress indicators. This research...Show moreNutritional and socio-economic status are often considered as being closely related. In skeletal collections, these forms of status are studied using non-specific stress indicators. This research focusses on one nutritional status. Pelvic inlet morphology is repeatedly suggested to be a good proxy for nutritional status, but this never has been systematically analysed. This thesis examines pelvic inlet morphology together with other indicators, namely cribra orbitalia and maximum femoral length for two samples of different socio-economic status. This to verify the usefulness of the shape of the pelvic inlet as a nutritional status indicator. This research shows that the relationships between the different indicators are not significant, that they differ between subsamples and that they do not all follow the expected pattern. The correlations between pelvic morphology and cribra orbitalia, and between pelvic morphology and maximal femoral length, suggest that if pelvic morphology is influenced by periods of stress, it results of different causes of stress or different periods of stress than the other indicators, since most correlations are quite low and some of them contradict each other within subsamples. Furthermore, sex is found to influence individual measurements of the pelvis, but it has no real effect on the pelvic inlet index. Lastly, the individuals from Arnhem seem to have a slightly lower nutritional status than those from Zwolle, but differences are not pronounced. Even though the results are not significant and confounding factors are numerous, this is the first study that explores pelvic measurements in relation to nutrition for the Northern Europe and the first to provide pelvic data for Dutch samples.Show less
In this study, a selection of articles on trepanation in Pre-Columbian Peru were chosen to represent the four departments of Amazonas, Apurímac, Lima and Cusco. The available data was extracted...Show moreIn this study, a selection of articles on trepanation in Pre-Columbian Peru were chosen to represent the four departments of Amazonas, Apurímac, Lima and Cusco. The available data was extracted from these articles, and combined in order to greater understand the variations between the method, location, biological profiles and frequency of trepanations in Peru before the Spanish conquest. The survival rate for this sample, at 54% (n=136), suggests a lower rate than shown in previous studies. This result is discussed, in relation to surrounding issues within trepanation studies to understand the true implications of the results. The lack of available data, as well as the future improvements imaging technology encourage for further research into the subject of survival and the nature of Peruvian trepanations, hopefully exceeding the problems encountered in the making of this study, as well as previous studies, on trepanation.Show less
An inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in...Show moreAn inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in a global context. Acknowledging the ownership of Indigenous communities over the ancestral human remains, physical anthropologists often support repatriation by closely working with community members. However, in Japan, the repatriation of human remains of the Indigenous Ainu people has not successfully collaborated with physical anthropologists. The relationship between physical anthropologists and Ainu people who are being critical of the use of “stolen”, unethically excavated ancestral human remains on scientific research is in much tension and they are far from an inclusive model. This thesis addresses the issues surrounding the attempts of communication between these parties. By understanding the social and historical background of the situation, as well as comparing occasional dialogues and opinions of stakeholders with successful cases of an inclusive model in global context, I was able to identify the issues. Despite the acknowledgement of the rights of the Ainu over their heritage in the code of ethics, the attempts of making communication are insufficient in terms of the recognition of Ainu kotan (community) with their ownership over the ancestral remains, and there are misconceptions and ignorance between each other. In order to move forward towards an inclusive model, physical anthropologists should approach to the Ainu sincerely to construct dialogue by charanke, a discussion in Ainu manner. Understanding the specific demands and feelings of Ainu kotan and being aware the socio-political impacts of their research outcomes are also essential. Through these efforts, an inclusive model may be achieved in the future, working with the Ainu as sisamu, good neighbour.Show less
Iron Age cremation graveyards are a relatively rare phenomenon in the Netherlands and there is a general lack of understanding of demographic data based on osteological analyses of these graveyards...Show moreIron Age cremation graveyards are a relatively rare phenomenon in the Netherlands and there is a general lack of understanding of demographic data based on osteological analyses of these graveyards. Cremation analysis of these graveyards is not done on a consistent basis and osteological information is generally lacking. In the research, the Middle to Late Iron Age graveyard from Panningen-Loo (Netherlands) has been analysed and compared to other graveyard within the Meuse-Demer-Scheldt (MDS) region in the southern Netherlands. Furthermore, a GIS-analysis has been carried out to analyse locations of graves, grave types and demographics within the graveyard. The osteological analysis was carried out using standard macroscopic methods of analysis for cremated remains. With the help of a literature study and a GIS-analysis, comparisons in and between graveyards have been made. Several statistical calculations were ran to test the significance of weight and fragmentation between demographics and grave types. In total, 31 graves were found which contained 33 individuals. Grave types following the scheme of Hiddink (2003) were proposed: sixteen graves were of type A. Ten were of type B. Seven graves were of type C. The grave types also differed in other terms: weight, fragmentation and location were different for the proposed grave types. The weight of the graves varied between 0,1 to 3241 grams, with an average of 611 grams. The graveyard contained three adult females, three possible females, two indeterminate adults, one possible male, five adult males and six subadults. Fragmentation of the remains was high. Four individuals were found with no or marginal amounts of cranial fragments. In comparison to other graveyards within the MDS area, several graveyards match Panningen-Loo in multiple osteological and archaeological aspects. Panningen Stokx, Weert Laarveld and Weert Molenakkerdreef are all highly matching in most aspects. By carrying out this study, progress had been made in aiding the understanding of Iron Age graveyards and indicating the usefulness of a complete osteological analysis of cremated remains.Show less