Avulsion fractures of the transverse processes of the first thoracic vertebra: an archaeological case study from Raunds

Avulsion fractures of the transverse processes of vertebrae have not been previously identified in the archaeological record. This paper provides a case study of a 21–25 year old male skeleton from the 10^th century cemetery at Raunds Furnells (Northamptonshire, UK) with bilateral avulsion fractures of the transverse processes of the first thoracic vertebra. Possible aetiologies of this condition are discussed and conclusions drawn about the impact of this condition upon the individual. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing Protocols for Identifying Pacific Island Archaeological Fish Remains: The Contribution of Vertebrae

Three fish bone identification protocols used for determining taxa composition for Pacific island archaeofaunal assemblages are evaluated. The protocols include using the following: (1) the most commonly identified five paired cranial bones and ‘specials’ or unique elements; (2) an expanded number of cranial bones; and (3) the less common inclusion of all vertebrae. Explicit identification and quantification protocols are outlined for systematically incorporating all vertebrae which, predictably, increases the number of identified specimens for an assemblage, thus providing more bones useful for reconstructing live fish biomass (weight and length). Significantly, a range of unique archaeological vertebrae are useful for calculating minimum number of individuals. Using a well‐preserved assemblage from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, southeast Polynesia, numbering 6480 fish bones (concentration index = 21 580 m³), we demonstrate differences in rank‐order abundance from three taxon identification protocols. For example, when using all vertebrae grouper (Serranidae) and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) are more numerically equivalent than when relying mostly on cranial bones for identification for minimum number of individuals and number of identified specimens. This has important implications for making comparisons between sites or across regions where different identification protocols were used. This pilot study demonstrates that using all vertebrae for taxon identification and quantification, not just unique hypurals (terminal vertebrae) or those from sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii), should be standard practice for identifying a greater number of bones to taxon and thereby providing better reconstructions of prehistoric fishing and subsistence practices in the Pacific. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sagittal Clefting of the Fifth Lumbar Vertebra of a Young Adult Female from Apollonia Pontica,Bulgaria

A rare congenital anomaly in the form of sagittal clefting of the fifth lumbar vertebra was observed in the skeleton of a young adult female excavated from the Greek colonial site of Apollonia Pontica (5th to 3rd centuries BC) on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. No compensatory changes had occurred to the adjacent vertebrae, and no other skeletal anomalies or pathological conditions were observed in the skeleton. This anomaly, the first of its kind documented in ancient Greek remains, was likely asymptomatic and of no clinical significance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antemortem pathological changes suggestive of reactive and degenerative arthritic disorders

The present case displays severe antemortem skeletal malformations suggestive of antemortem reactive arthritis (ReA), spondyloarthropathies and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). The ossified anterior longitudinal ligament on the right side of the thoracic vertebral bodies, with the presence of extraspinal enthesophytes, together indicates DISH. Fused lumbar vertebrae with costovertebral and sacroiliac joint fusion, combined with numerous large enthesophytes collectively suggest ankylosing spondylosis and ReA. Finally, some vertebrae showed evidence of age related osteoarthritis. However, the anatomical evidence for these conditions displays some inconsistencies with the known pathogenesis; therefore, a definitive account of this individual's antemortem condition remains uncertain. As no biological or medical information is known about the individual, skeletal morphology, irregular skeletal fusion and the presence of enthesophytes have been collectively used to propose the antemortem disorders that appear to have affected this individual's skeleton. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A case of healing spinal infection from classical Rome

This paper describes a spinal infection in an adult male skeleton from Ist century AD necropolis in Rome. Pathological alterations of the lower thoracic vertebrae, including bone destruction and fusion, suggest tuberculous spondylitis as the most probable diagnosis. The rarity of healing infections, as well as the non‐diagnostic appearance of the lesions, have prompted this note. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assyrian Attitude Towards Captive Enemies: A 2700‐year‐old Paleo‐forensic Study

The Assyrians, who ruled at the height of their power between Egypt and the Persian Gulf (745–630 BC), are known from historical records to have been cruel and unrelenting towards their enemies. However, osteological evidence for this behavior is scarce. We herein present a case of an adult male skeleton, dated to the Iron Age IIB period (second half of the 8th century BC), who manifests traumatic injuries to the skull, left forearm, vertebrae, and ribs. Using modern forensic methods, the injuries were studied, and the consequences that led to these injuries reconstructed. Three possible scenarios are presented: (i) wounds inflicted during a chaotic battle; (ii) wounds caused by the chasing and capturing of a victim; and (iii) a commonly practiced violent attitude of Assyrian soldiers towards a captive combatant. Combining all the evidence at hand, the latter scenario appears more likely. This skeleton may therefore be one of the sole tangible physical evidence for the veracity of the Assyrians’ post‐battle behavior, as depicted in ancient texts and reliefs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Rebuttal to Comments on ‘Sacrifice of the Social Outsider’

A recent publication by the author documented two probable cases of Klippel–Feil Syndrome at the site of Midnight Terror Cave in the Cayo District of Belize. Radiographic images recently taken of the multiple congenital fused vertebrae from these two individuals raised discussion regarding the initial assessment of Klippel–Feil Syndrome. This commentary further discusses the topic by dealing with researcher assumptions of the syndrome and indicates radiographic data do not provide enough evidence to change the initial assessment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Skeletal manifestations of vitamin D deficiency osteomalacia in documented historical collections

The frequency with which changes related to vitamin D deficiency are recorded in juvenile bone from archaeological contexts makes it clear that conditions conducive to such deficiency were fairly widespread at a number of points in the past. Although changes will take longer to be manifest in the adult skeleton than in juveniles, and may not be as obvious, the scarcity of reported cases suggests that it is likely that cases of osteomalacia are being overlooked in archaeological human bone. Vitamin D is probably better described as a hormone, rather than a vitamin, and the production of vitamin D within the body following exposure to sunlight allows adequate mineralisation of bone to take place. Lack of exposure to sunlight, which can be caused by a range of factors, is probably one of the main causes of vitamin D deficiency. The result of such a deficiency is a general weakening of the skeleton. The range of skeletal changes recorded across different bones of the skeleton in two documented historical pathology collections (the Galler collection, Basel, and the collection of the Federal Museum for Pathological Anatomy, Vienna), are discussed for scapulae, vertebrae, ribs, sterna, pelves and femora. The likelihood of each feature being preserved in archaeological skeletal material is considered. Although the changes associated with osteomalacia may lead to fragmentation of the skeleton, the presence of characteristic changes on bones from across the skeleton should make the condition identifiable using macroscopic examination, even where the skeleton is not well preserved. The identification of cases of osteomalacia in archaeological skeletal material is potentially significant because of the socio‐cultural information that can be implied from diagnosis of the condition. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Leprosy at the Lazaretto on St Eustatius,Netherlands Antilles

Leprosaria established in the Americas during the Colonial period bear many similarities with those found in medieval Europe. They are comparable in terms of isolation, the objectification of leprosy sufferers and their association with religious charities. The Lazaretto on St Eustatius was operated from 1866 to 1923. The site was investigated to recover palaeopathological evidence of leprosy at a leprosarium in the Americas. Five burials were excavated; three individuals showed evidence of bone modifications consistent with those caused by leprosy, including aspects of ‘rhinomaxillary syndrome’ and the bilaterally symmetrical post‐cranial changes that have been described in leprosy examples from medieval Europe. An exceptional find was the presence of potentially leprous bone changes to the hyoid, thyroid and 3^rd–6^th cervical vertebrae. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A nineteenth-century case of carcinoma of the prostate,with a note on the early history of the disease

A case of prostatic carcinoma is described in the skeleton of a named individual who died in 1834. The tumour was recognized from widespread periosteal new bone throughout the skeleton and by the presence of sclerosing metastases in many bones, including the pelvis and all the vertebrae. A number of features of the disease present here are said to be uncommon in modern patients, including spiculated periosteal new bone and some degree of spinal stenosis. In two previous cases of prostatic carcinoma described in the literature, periosteal new bone was a prominent feature and was probably responsible for the disease being recognized. It is likely that if skeletons from mature males were routinely X-rayed, considerably more cases would be noted and a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of this disease in the past would thus be ascertained. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Correction and Comment on ‘Sacrifice of the Social Outcasts’

C. L. Kieffer incorrectly identified a fused pair of cervical vertebrae in an article published online in May of 2015. This is a correction of the misidentification and a comment on the implications for the author's larger point that the individuals involved may have been physically handicapped and therefore selected by the ancient Maya as victims of human sacrifice. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiocarbon and U-series dating of the endemic deer Praemegaceros cazioti (Depéret) from “Grotta Juntu”, Sardinia

Radiocarbon and U-series methods (²³⁰Th/U and ²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) for absolute age determination have been applied to some fossil samples from Grotta Juntu, in North Eastern Sardinia (Italy). The remains belong to the endemic deer species Praemegaceros cazioti, which is here represented by an almost complete skeleton. The three dating methods lead to concordant ages of about 7500 years BP, indicating that the skeleton was maintained as closed system after burial. Taking into consideration these results, Praemegaceros cazioti from Grotta Juntu is now the youngest representative of this species in Sardinia.     

欧洲人等级制世界地理观下的中国——兼论地图的思想史意义

Maps act not only as the carrier of the geographical information but also as the symbolic expression of particular cultural and political concepts, by which we can understand those people’s knowledge about themselves as well as about others. The maps drawn by the Europeans from the 16^th to the 18^th centuries vividly express the self-centeredness of the Europeans influenced by both the Christian and modern civilization concepts, and the maps also expressed their comments on the other parts of the world in such a mentality. Some characteristic maps and illustrations in the atlas of European history demonstrated how the Europeans formed and expressed their hierarchical perspective of the world geography. The position of China in the hierarchical world is one of the most important expressions of the European concept of China, and well served the purpose of our reflection on the cultural intercommunion. Translated by Deng Hegang from Zhongguo Shehui Kexue 中国社会科学 (Social Sciences in China), 2007, (2): 188–203     

A Roman Skeleton with Possible Treponematosis in the North‐East of the Iberian Peninsula: A Morphological and Radiological Study

The main goal of this paper is to describe and discuss pathological lesions observed in a Roman skeleton (between 2^nd and 3^rd century AD) from the north‐east region of the Iberian Peninsula (St Nicasi 18–24 site. Gavà, Barcelona), which may be compatible with treponematosis. Most of the skeleton, with the exception of the neurocranium, was recovered. Only the left tibia was affected, whereas the rest of the recovered skeletal remains were unaffected. Macroscopic examination revealed a male individual between 25 and 30 years of age at death with a sabre‐shaped left tibia. The proximal half of the diaphysis was pitted and the bone overall enlarged. The surface of the tibia showed occasional vascular impressions where, in some instances, small raised plaques of new bone appeared to bridge over them, specifically in the most affected area of the proximal half of the tibia. No destructive lesions were observed. Radiographic examination and gross inspection at the cross section of the tibia showed encroachment into the medullary cavity of coarse cancellous bone and cancellization of the cortex. The observed lesions indicate that the tibia was affected by a chronic infectious disease. Differential diagnoses were considered, and these included other infectious diseases, fibrous dysplasia, Paget's disease, chronic varicose ulcers affecting bone and trauma, with the conclusion that the disease affecting the tibia could have been treponematosis. This could be significant in the history of the treponematoses being one of the oldest examples of treponematosis in pre‐Columbian Europe. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the accuracy of estimating living stature from skeletal length in the grave and by linear regression

This study evaluates a method for obtaining stature estimates for populations represented by skeletal material, with individuals buried in a supine position. During the excavation of a Danish mediaeval cemetery, in situ skeletal length in the grave was measured from a point above the cranial point farthest from the body to the most distal point of the talus. The measurement was made with a folding rule placed on the sagittal midline of the skeleton, allowed to follow any curvature of the skeleton in situ. In the laboratory, stature was reconstructed anatomically, and this stature was regarded as an accurate estimate of living stature. Stature was also reconstructed from femur length by two linear regression procedures: 1) by sample and sex specific formulae, employing a leave‐one‐out approach, and 2) by sex wise formulae for Euro‐Americans from Trotter & Gleser (1952, American Journal of Physical Anthropology 10 : 463–514). Skeletal length in the grave and the two stature estimates based on linear regression were compared to anatomically reconstructed stature. Skeletal length in the grave estimated anatomically reconstructed stature with practically no bias (95% CI: −1.3–1.5 cm). Sample specific regression formulae estimated anatomically reconstructed stature also with no bias (95% CI: −1.2–1.1 cm). In contrast, statures calculated from Trotter & Gleser's regression formulae estimated anatomically reconstructed stature with a bias of about 4 cm (95% CI: 3.3–5.0 cm). Estimates of stature variance were biased for all three estimation procedures. However, for samples of adults, an adjusted variance estimate can be obtained by subtracting 8.7 cm² from the variance obtained from skeletal lengths in the grave. It is recommended to measure skeletal length in the grave whenever possible, and use this measurement for estimating statures for prehistoric and early historic populations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tortuosity or aneurysm? The palaeopathology of some abnormalities of the vertebral artery

The anatomy of the vertebral artery (VA) and two pathological conditions which affect it—tortuosity and aneurysm—are described. The changes which these lesions produce in the cervical vertebrae are also described and we present two cases in which these changes have been found. One case is of a female aged at least 45 years at the time of death from a 15th century medieval cemetery site in Britain with what we consider to be tortuosity of the VA. The second case is of a male aged between 25 and 35 years at the time of death from a Coffin period site in Japan, dating to ca 1600 years BP. The changes in this skeleton are considered to be more in keeping with a diagnosis of aneurysm of the VA. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occipitalization of the atlas with reference to its embryological development

A skull is described from the St Bride's collection in which the atlas is fused to the occiput. The mechanism of occipitalization or assimilation is described in the light of the embryological development of the upper axial skeleton.     

Postcranial anatomy of the early notoungulate Allalmeia atalaensis from the Eocene of Argentina

We redescribe and interpret the postcranial elements of Allalmeia atalaensis Rusconi, found in the Divisadero Largo Formation, Mendoza, Argentina. Allalmeia is one of the few basal notoungulates with preserved postcranial remains. Rusconi initially documented a skull, several vertebrae and part of the appendicular skeleton but these specimens were subsequently lost. Recently though, distal components of the holotype humeri, the proximal portion of the right femur, several broken diaphyses and most of the left and right pes (MCNAM-PV 507), were relocated. Preparation of this material has revealed new details, especially from the plantar side of the feet. The calcaneum has a distal peroneal process with marked rugosity in the lateral end, a well-developed calcaneal plantar tubercle and a large sustentaculum tali. The naviculars exhibit a well-developed medial tuberosity and slightly contact the calcaneum on the dorsal side, a condition called a ‘reverse alternating tarsus’. The disposition and morphology of the cuneiforms are similar to those of more recent typotheres and the archaic ungulate Tetraclaenodon puercensis. The phalangeal rows are oblique to each other, as in some extant digitigrade mammals. The ungual phalanges are claw-like suggesting that they might have borne claws. Long bones are gracile in comparison with other notoungulates, but with well-developed muscle origins and insertions. The use of body-mass allometric equations and a comparison with extant analogues suggests that Allalmeia was a small, generalized, digitigrade animal. An estimated body mass of approximately 3 kg is consistent with oldfieldthomasiids and archaic ungulates.