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
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The human hand is a complex structure that is heavily involved in many everyday activities. As such, it can serve as a useful area for activity reconstruction in the past. Though its function and...Show moreThe human hand is a complex structure that is heavily involved in many everyday activities. As such, it can serve as a useful area for activity reconstruction in the past. Though its function and evolution have long been studied, parts of it still need to be better understood. There is evidence to suggest that the fifth ray of the hand contributes significantly to grip strength and stability in a way that has so far gone largely ignored. The aim of this study is two-fold. First, it seeks to gain a better understanding of the function and use of the fifth digit in habitual activity on the basis of three postmedieval Dutch populations. Second, it investigates habitual activity and occupation among the individuals that belonged to these communities to gain a better understanding of the lives led by people in the post-medieval Netherlands. In order to achieve those goals, the study analyses activity patterns among hand entheses through the “Validated Entheses-based Reconstruction of Activity” (VERA) method. The method is applied to 3D scans of the hand bones of 43 adult individuals. Multivariate statistics, including principal component analysis, are used for the analysis of the entheseal attachment sizes. The analysis showed that the muscles of the fifth ray are recruited in both precision and power grips in different capacities. It suggests that the fifth ray is an important supporting structure that aids in the execution of power and precision grips through its opposing position to the thumb. It is also used to provide stability by pulling it towards the other fingers. The results of this study support the assumption that the fifth ray of the hand plays a crucial role in everyday manual activity. They also suggest that a deeper understanding of its role could provide additional insights into different kinds of grasping activities in the past. The analysis further showed that the three different groups exhibit different activity patterns. The lower-class urban individuals or Arnhem exhibit a trend towards more intense power grasping, while the higher-class urban individuals from Zwolle showed a tendency for precision grasping activity. This is consistent with historical records that suggest the Zwolle individuals had worked as merchants, investors, and in similar professions, while the working poor in the city of Arnhem were probably working in factories and in the local tobacco production. The individuals from the rural community of Middenbeemster fell somewhat surprisingly in the middle of the other two groups, with a sizeable number of individuals exhibiting precision gripping patterns. This suggests that, despite this community having mainly revolved around dairy farming, individual life experiences were likely quite varied. Future analyses of the fifth ray should expand on the groundwork laid in this study by increasing the sample size, looking into individuals from different contexts and time periods, and looking into potential connections between the fifth ray and the fourth ray, wrist, and forearm.Show less
As individuals living in a society, our activities, diet, and health are influenced by our socioeconomic position in said society. This amongst others means that our socioeconomic standings play a...Show moreAs individuals living in a society, our activities, diet, and health are influenced by our socioeconomic position in said society. This amongst others means that our socioeconomic standings play a large part in our social and bodily experience, therefore also in the level and kind of labour we are involved in. Labour is often highly routinised, as certain actions and movements are performed day in day out. Therefore, labour is an important aspect of ones ‘lived experience’. Osteoarthritis, a condition causing the degeneration of synovial joints and surrounding soft tissue, is the most prevalent disease in past and current societies. It is also the most frequently used marker for establishing and examining activity patterns within archaeological populations. The aim of this study is to figure out how differences in socioeconomic status and strenuous labour are embodied in a post medieval Dutch city. In order to answer this, this study analyses the severity and prevalence of osteoarthritis in two skeletal population samples of different socioeconomic status from the same city, Eindhoven. The individuals of high status were buried inside of the St. Catharinakerk, while the low status individuals were buried in the cemetery outside of this church. The high status sample consists of 13 adult individuals and the low status sample consists of 52 adult individuals. In total 40 skeletal elements have been analysed per studied individual, 20 on the left side and 20 on the right side, by using the method proposed by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). Following this, the scores resulting from the study of the skeletal remains were statistically analysed using ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance). This allows to control the sample population for a covariant, in this research age-at-death was controlled for. The statistical analysis showed that the low socioeconomic status individuals were significantly more affected by osteoarthritis in the acromial end of the left clavicle and right humeral head, while the high socioeconomic status individuals were significantly more affected in the distal radii and both left and right scaphoid. The most likely explanation for this is that the low and high socioeconomic status populations engaged in different types of activities. The low socioeconomic status individuals would have likely been subjected to repetitive and strenuous activities involving the shoulder such as lifting, pulling, holding, and carrying heavy objects. Yet, while the high socioeconomic status individuals of Eindhoven probably did not engage in the same repetitive and strenuous activities as the low socioeconomic status individuals, the prevalence and severity of osteoarthritis in the wrist does indicate that they too did experience strain on joints. This would have most likely been caused by the amount of writing the high socioeconomic status individuals had to withstand. Hence, this study concludes that osteoarthritis and thus strenuous labour is embodied differently among the high and low socioeconomic status populations of post-medieval Eindhoven.Show less
Skeletal non-metric traits (NMTs) are minor morphological variants that are often used by osteoarchaeologists to determine genetic affiliation between past populations (biodistance). Some NMTs are...Show moreSkeletal non-metric traits (NMTs) are minor morphological variants that are often used by osteoarchaeologists to determine genetic affiliation between past populations (biodistance). Some NMTs are heavily affected by environmental factors, especially habitual physical activities, whereas others have a genetic cause. This study introduces the novel application of subdividing NMTs into a mechanical, genetic, and ambiguous category, to elucidate traits of different heritability. This method is applied to a sample of 93 well-preserved adult skeletons from the 17th-19th century AD cemetery of Middenbeemster, the Netherlands. Twenty-six cranial and post-cranial skeletal NMTs were examined to determine: 1) whether significant differences in NMTs between males and females, and different age groups were present, 2) whether significant differences in mechanical NMTs versus genetic NMTs were present in the Middenbeemster sample, and 3) whether there was more variation in mechanical versus genetic NMT frequency between Middenbeemster and comparative groups of the same ethnicity. It is expected that mechanical NMTs would exhibit more variation than genetic NMTs, since it is thought that activities vary more between groups than their genes. No statistically significant differences in NMT frequency were present between males and females, or among age categories. No statistically significant differences were observed between the genetic and mechanical NMT categories in the Middenbeemster sample. Finally, no significant differences were encountered when comparing Middenbeemster to comparative assemblages. The results are affected by a small sample size, and the lack of comparative samples with frequency data for many NMTs. Future research using this categorisation can provide insight in highly heritable NMTs, which will improve the accuracy selection of biodistance studies, and traits that are more mechanically affected, for use in past activity reconstruction.Show less
Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease in both modern and past populations. It is a disease caused by several factors such as age, sex, and genetics. Activity is a factor...Show moreOsteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease in both modern and past populations. It is a disease caused by several factors such as age, sex, and genetics. Activity is a factor which possibly causes osteoarthritis. By using clinical literature, it is examined if activity is truly a cause of osteoarthritis in modern populations. Archaeological literature is then examined, to determine the relationship between activity and osteoarthritis in past populations. The clinical literature is assessed for knee, hip, and spinal column osteoarthritis. In the archaeological literature spinal and hand osteoarthritis were particularly common. In this research, a number of movements were found to be associated with osteoarthritis, such as the link between kneeling and knee osteoarthritis. Many movements were found to be in need of more research. In the archaeological literature no distinct conclusion was found. While there are some promising studies which show that activity is related to osteoarthritis, there are also studies which contradict this. Finally, a number of problems are discussed on comparing clinical and archaeological literature, among others the osteological paradox. Concluding, some sorts of osteoarthritis in the clinical setting are caused by activity but finding this in the archaeological record is difficult. There is more research needed on standards for research on the link between activity and OA.Show less
