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Internat J Osteoarchaeol 17 (5)
Title
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Title:
Internat J Osteoarchaeol 17 (5)
Series
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Series:
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
Volume
Volume number and part
Volume:
17 (5)
Publication Type
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Publication Type:
Journal
Editor
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Editor:
G J R Maat
Terry P O'Connor
Publisher
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Publisher:
John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Year of Publication
The year the book, article or report was published
Year of Publication:
2007
Source
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Source:
BIAB (The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB))
Relations
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Relations:
URI:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/116317820/issue
Created Date
The date the record of the pubication was first entered
Created Date:
27 Aug 2008
Please click on an Article link to go to the Article Details.
Article Title
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Abstract
Osteoarthritis revisited: a contemporary review of aetiology
Elizabeth Weiss
R Jurmain
437 - 450
Osteoarthritis is among the most common pathological conditions in skeletal collections and is the most frequent musculoskeletal disorder in contemporary populations. Jurmain (1991) has previously published in this journal a brief review of skeletal perspectives on osteoarthritis. Subsequent studies by osteologists and medical researchers have added considerably to understanding of the aetiology and patterning of osteoarthritis. Thus, the authors present an updated review that expands and supports conclusions discussed in the earlier review. They conclude that osteoarthritis aetiology is multifactorial, with age being the main influence on the onset and severity of osteoarthritis. Genetic influences also play a large role in the severity of osteoarthritis, especially in the lower limbs. Weight, although playing a significant role for modern populations, seems to have had very minimal effects on prehistoric populations. Sex differences may often be a consequence of hormones, body size and anatomy, rather than activity related. Finally, intense activity starting at a young age still may influence osteoarthritis, especially in the upper limbs. Future directions discussed include within-body comparisons, animal studies, and examining patterns in large populations.
Scapular development from the neonatal period to skeletal maturity: a preliminary study
C Rissech
Sue Black
451 - 464
With the intention of describing the changes that accompany postnatal ontogeny in the scapula and algorithms to predict sub-adult age at death, the paper examines the development of the scapula through nine measurements (three from the glenoidal area, four from the body and two related to the spinous process) by polynomial regression. Data were collected from thirty-one of the individuals that comprise the Scheuer Collection, which is housed at the University of Dundee. Four of the derived mathematical curves (scapular length, infra- and suprascapular height and spine length) displayed linear growth, whilst three (maximum length of the glenoid mass, acromial width and scapular width) were best expressed by a second-degree polynomial and two (maximum and middle diameter of the glenoidal surface) by a third-degree polynomial. All single measurements proved useful in the prediction of age at death, although derived indices proved to be of limited value. In particular, scapular width, suprascapular height and acromial width showed reliable levels of age prediction until late adolescent years.
Spondylolysis in non-adult skeletons excavated from a medieval rural archaeological site in England
Simon Mays
504 - 513
The paper describes a study of spondylolysis in a large series of non-adult skeletons, ranging in age at death from twenty-eight weeks gestation to eighteen years old, from the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy. The aim of the study was to shed light on the age of occurrence of the lesion. Among those with complete lumbar spines, the prevalence of spondylolysis is 0.7%. The prevalence in adults from this group is 12% with no age patterning. Age of occurrence of spondylolysis in this population is inferred generally to be during late adolescent or early adult life. This contrasts with a published study of a modern reference group, unselected for activity patterns or medical complaints, which reported that in most cases spondylolytic defects had already formed by six years of age. The Wharram Percy group appeared to resemble rather more the pattern seen today in those involved in strenuous activities, such as competitive sports, both in the relatively late age of occurrence of defects and in the eventual high prevalence. This may be consistent with the observation that, during adolescence, individuals in medieval rural communities were beginning to take on adult tasks which would have been physically strenuous. However, it is unclear why individuals from Wharram Percy did not also form defects in early childhood as modern children appear to. A late age of occurrence appears consistent with published data which suggest a paucity of cases in non-adults in British archaeological populations.
Sexing cattle horn-cores; problems and progress
Naomi J Sykes
R Simmons
514 - 523
It has long been recognised that cattle horn-cores are sexually dimorphic, and many methods have been developed using archaeological material for differentiating between specimens belonging to cows, bulls and oxen. Whilst these techniques have been adopted widely by zooarchaeologists, in particular those studying medieval and post-medieval tannery and horn-working assemblages, they are highly subjective and their reliability has never been tested using material from cattle of known sex. The paper presents the results of a study of nineteenth- and twentieth-century cattle horn-cores, from animals of known age, sex and breed, which were examined and measured in order to test the validity of traditional horn-core sexing techniques. Previously claimed traits of sexual variation are refuted, and a new metrical threshold for separating the males and females of `medium-horned' and `long-horned' types is presented.