Do temporal size differences influence species identification of archaeological albatross remains when using modern reference samples?

Zooarchaeological remains have been identified to species, using identification criteria based on specific morphological variations among modern specimens. However, temporal size changes in bones, due to micro-evolution and/or phenotypic plasticity, could distort identification of archaeological remains according to these criteria. We developed species identification criteria for North Pacific albatrosses (Short-tailed, Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses) using both mensural- and DNA-based analysis and actually identified many archaeological remains from a site using these criteria. Our mensural-based criteria could accurately discriminate the modern Short-tailed Albatross from modern Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses and indicated that the archaeological remains included both Short-tailed and Laysan or Black-footed Albatrosses. DNA-based criteria, however, suggested that all remains were Short-tailed Albatross. The most plausible explanation for this inconsistency would be misidentification using mensural-based analysis, due to temporal size changes in bones or existence of birds from extinct population(s) or breeding region(s) with mensurally different bones from recent birds. This is the first study that suggests temporal size changes in bones may distort the species identification of archaeological remains according to modern size variations. Further studies are required to judge if this pattern is unusual or not.     

The limits of biomolecular palaeopathology: ancient DNA cannot be used to study venereal syphilis

To determine whether ancient DNA (aDNA) can be used to study the palaeopathology of venereal syphilis, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of the preservation of human and pathogen DNA in a set of 46 bones of various ages, most of which displayed osteological indications of the disease. Bones came from seven English cemetery sites that were in use during the 9th–19th centuries. Twelve of the 46 bones consistently yielded mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences after replicate polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), and a further 13 bones yielded mtDNA sequences with less reproducibility. The sequence data enabled tentative mitochondrial haplogroups to be assigned to nine of the bones, and the identities and frequencies of these haplogroups were compatible with the geographical origins of the bones. Twenty-one bones consistently gave negative results with all mtDNA PCRs, indicating that at least these bones were not contaminated with modern human DNA, and those bones that gave positive results only yielded one sequence each, again suggesting that widespread modern contamination had not occurred. Mycobacterium tuberculosis sequences were obtained from seven bones, including three of five bones with tuberculous lesions. The cloned and direct sequences obtained from both the mtDNA and M. tuberculosis PCR products showed features typical of degraded aDNA. All of these results suggest that at least some of the 46 bones that we studied were suitable for aDNA analysis. All 46 bones were tested with nine different treponemal PCRs, each optimised to give a detection limit of ≤5 genomes. Although various bones gave PCR products of the expected size with one or more of these PCRs, sequencing showed that none of these products were authentic treponemal amplicons. Our failure to detect treponemal DNA in bones that were suitable for aDNA analysis, using highly sensitive PCRs, suggests that treponemal DNA is not preserved in human bone and that it is therefore not possible to use aDNA analysis to study venereal syphilis. Any past or future paper claiming detection of treponemal aDNA should therefore be accompanied by a detailed justification of the results.     

Microscopic examination of ground sections – a simple method for distinguishing between bone and antler?

Both bones and antlers have been used throughout history for manufacturing various products. Therefore, archaeologists often have to distinguish between these materials. The more the raw material (bone or antler) has been treated, the more complicated it is to distinguish. For this study, recent macerated and archaeological samples of bone and antler and their products have been compared. Antler is usually very easy to distinguish based on the characteristic surface structure; however, the original surface is not preserved in all artefacts. The inner surface of the diaphysis of long bones is mostly compact with prominent trabeculae and lamellae, whereas, after removal of the spongiosa, the inner surface of antler is characterised by numerous grooves. Sometimes, however, artefacts are found which are composed only of the compact bone substance, without inner and outer surfaces, and it is not possible to distinguish between bones and antlers macroscopically. Haversian systems can be found in histological and ground sections of both bones and antlers. In contrast to bones, antlers have few interstitial lamellae. The osteons of antler seem to be smaller and to consist of fewer layers than those of bone. Inner and outer circumferential lamellae cannot be distinguished in antlers. Although microscopic examination of sectioned samples does not allow distinction between bones and antlers in every case, it represents a valuable additional tool for distinguishing between these two materials in historic artefacts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Boiled versus unboiled: a study on Neolithic and contemporary human bones

Bones treated at low temperature do not present major modifications although, macroscopically, boiled bones may be distinguished from unboiled ones as they are smoother, lighter and more transparent. Such observations should correspond to textural modifications at a nanometric level and should depend on boiling time. In this study, contemporary human bones, boiled during various time intervals, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption (BET). The results were used to estimate the boiling time in four archaeological samples (Neolithic bones from Malalmuerzo cave, Spain). It is concluded, comparing Neolithic bones to contemporary ones and from the textural characterization at a nanometrical level, that two of the archaeological bones were boiled and that they were boiled for less than 6 hours.     

Histological identification of bone fragments in archaeology: telling humans apart from horses and cattle

In archaeology, it is not always possible to identify bone fragments. A novel approach was chosen to assess the potential of histology as an identification tool in those instances in which macroscopical study (e.g. by means of bone surface texture) has failed. This study concentrated on the diaphyses of long bones in three species of comparable size which are relevant to archaeology. Late juvenile and adult human diaphyseal bone structure was compared with the bone structure of horses and cattle. Since bone structure can differ even within a single bone, the restrictions in terms of bone category, bone part and species were deemed necessary for the development of a useful identification method for archaeological bone. The reference series comprised long bones from several individuals to broaden the insight into variations in diaphyseal bone structure within a single species. A general difference in the primary bone types was found between humans and the two large mammals. Human bone displayed lamellar bone types, whereas horses and cattle showed fibrous bone types. The only exceptions were separated growth layers. A difference in the secondary bone structure was also observed. A large number of connecting, primary (Volkmann's) canals, giving the secondary bone a reticular aspect, were common in horses and cattle. They were not, however, present in the human bones studied. To confirm the validity and applicability of these differences, a blind test was conducted on 15 diaphyseal fragments of identified long bones from archaeological sites. The results were very promising. Although four fragments could not be identified due to severe degradation, all the others were correctly attributed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bone Degradation and Environment: Understanding,Assessing and Conducting Archaeological Experiments Using Modern Animal Bones

Archaeological experiments that use modern bones to replicate past animal bone assemblages have often failed to consider the effects of environment, storage and preparation on modern bones. Often, these experiments make little mention of the conditions to which bones were subject during their storage and preparation for use in experiments. In other instances, these variables are reported but not considered as factors that contribute to the nature of the results obtained. This study considers previously reported data concerning the degradation of frozen bones (−20°C), and bones exposed to hot, dry conditions (40°C), and presents new data for bones exposed to room temperature environments (22°C) and refrigerated environments (2°C), and bones that are frozen (−20°C) and then thawed (22°C). These conditions are all relevant to understanding the nature of bone degradation and the use of bones in modern archaeological experimentation. This article also surveys a range of previously reported experiments that utilise modern bones to create analogies to the past and considers different methodological approaches and their relationship to the condition of bones at the time of their fracture and fragmentation. The longitudinal data presented in this study demonstrate differential rates of bone degradation over time in various environmental conditions. This degradation results in dramatic changes in bone fracture morphology, bone strength and utility for bone tool production. These observations have significant implications for experiments that utilise modern bones, especially when experimental data are used to create analogies to the archaeological past. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Arsenic accumulation on the bones in the Early Bronze Age İkiztepe Population,Turkey

In this study, arsenic, copper and lead content of a group of human and animal bones recovered from the Early Bronze Age ?kiztepe site have been analyzed using ICP-MS method. Average arsenic value of 90 femur bones of a human was found to be 15.0 ± 5.79 ppm which was varied among age and sex groups, and among species. Origin of arsenic accumulation in bones was diagenetic because overall the groups were highly variable. The distribution of metallic items among the burials had a big affect on the arsenic uptake of the bones. Copper and lead values supported the diagenetic arsenic accumulation in the bones as well. Their values on the bones were not as high as those for the individuals involved in metal working activities in the ancient world. Judging from these data, it is concluded that ?kiztepe people did not produce the manufactured metallic items using arsenical copper but might have been imported from the other sites.     

Diameter of the human internal acoustic meatus and sex determination

We report the results of testing the diameter of the internal opening of the acoustic canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone for sex determination of skeletal remains. The method involves measuring the diameter using a suite of ordinary drills. The method is very simple and has the great advantage of utilising one of the sturdiest bone elements of the human skeleton. The method may be especially useful for the analyses of very fragmented skeletal remains or cremated bones, where the petrous bone may still be readily recognisable. The method was tested using a forensic sample of 113 left petrous bones with known sex. Intra‐ and inter‐observer testing was also performed. We found a statistically significant difference in diameter between males and females (means: males: 3.7 mm; females: 3.4 mm; P < 0.009). However, the low predictive value (70%) for correct sexing using two sectioning points ( < 3.0 mm = female; >3.5 mm = male) was disappointing. No additional accuracy was gained by employing both left and right petrous bones (a bilateral sample of 60 petrous bones was also tested), although left and right side diameter is highly correlated (R = 0.778; P = 0.0001). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Foot anomalies in the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic population exhumed from the rock cut cave of São Paulo 2 (Almada,Portugal)

The study of developmental abnormalities of the tarsal bones in a Portuguese Late Neolithic population was performed, as part of an ongoing research project that includes the evaluation of foot defects in Portuguese skeletal populations from Neolithic times to modern 20th century samples. Two accessory bones were found, calcaneum secundarium and os trigonum, and three non‐osseous coalitions were detected, calcaneonavicular, cuboid‐navicular and third metatarsal‐third cuneiform. The newly presented frequencies corresponded to other published sources, except for the frequency of calcaneum secundarium, higher than in previous studies (8.6% left bones; 15.2% right bones). This result suggests population homogeneity maybe due to geographic isolation and/or marriage customs although the exact pattern of inheritance of the majority of these foot anomalies is unknown. No apparent sex bias was detected and side could not be tested since these human remains were uncovered from a commingled funerary context. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The estimation of live fish size from archaeological cranial bones of the New Zealand blue cod Parapercis colias

Twenty-four measurements were taken on five of the paired cranial bones and the otoliths of a modern sample of 177 blue cod. Parapercis colias. Regression analysis was performed on these measurements to estimate live fork length and ungutted weight. A number of regression models were examined (linear, logarithmic, exponential and power curve) to work out the optimum estimator for each bone measurement. It was found that live fork length of this species can be estimated with a standard error of less than ±28 mm, and the weight to less than ±140 g. Coefficients are provided for 48 equations linking bone size to live characteristics. This is followed by a study of blue cod from an archaeological site at Waihora in the Chatham Islands. Measurements were made on 8036 archaeological bones with a minimum number of individuals of 2547. It was found that the blue cod catch had near normal characteristics, with a mean fork length of 327 mm and SD of 57 mm. The mean body weight was estimated at 569 g. The usable meat weight represented by these fish is estimated to be 1.0 t. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Collagen deamidation in archaeological bone as an assessment for relative decay rates

Attempts to extend methods for dating archaeological bones beyond that of radiocarbon dating, such as amino acid racemization, have met with limited success owing to the dependence on multiple environmental factors and controls. Despite facing similar challenges, deamidation of glutamine has recently been investigated as a potential indicator of ‘thermal age' in archaeological bones, as well as a measure of their preservation quality. In this study, we undertook a series of simulated diagenetic experiments to understand the various factors affecting deamidation. Further, we analysed bones from different Middle Palaeolithic layers from Grotte Mandrin (France), with the results suggesting potential use of deamidation for relative dating, but only in case of extremely well‐preserved layers. The results also suggested the possible use of attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy as a screening test for soluble collagen before proteomic analysis.     

Transition from hunting to animal husbandry in Southern,Western and Eastern Finland: new dated osteological evidence

The beginning of animal husbandry in Finland is one of the most debated topics in Finnish archaeology. For this study a total of 69 bone materials from archaeological sites in Southern, Western and Eastern Finland, dating from the Middle Neolithic to the Early Metal Period, were analysed: 52 represented identifiable animal bones. These data were complemented with those from previously analysed bone materials. A total of 19 domestic animal bones were radiocarbon-dated to determine their connection with a particular cultural period. However, 13 of them proved to belong to the historical and not the prehistoric period, emphasizing the importance of radiocarbon-dating and context awareness when interpreting prehistoric bone materials. Among the radiocarbon-dated material were the oldest dated sheep, cattle and horse bones in Finland. The oldest radiocarbon-dated domestic animal bone in Finland, from sheep or goat, derives from the Late Stone Age Kiukainen Culture site, while cattle and horse bones date to the Bronze Age. This is later than expected. However, the available material does not exclude the possibility that some animal husbandry was practised in Finland earlier. Nevertheless, domestic animal bones are rare in samples dated to the cultural periods studied, while hunting and fishing represented important subsistence activities.     

On yellow and red pigmented bones found in Mayan burials of Jaina

In the island of Jaina, Campeche, red and yellow pigmented bones have been found. The study of the yellow and red colors in these burials is important for their possible interpretation, either religious, intentional coloring, or to understand taphonomic processes such as reactions of the original pigments with other compounds. Yellow color on bones is unusual in prehispanic burials.     

The long–term survival of bone: the role of bioerosion

Fossil bones (N = 350) spanning more than 350 million years, and covering a wide range of depositional environments, were studied to compare the distribution of microbial destruction features in fossil bones with previously published data sets of bones of archaeological age. The distribution of bioerosion in fossil bones is very different from that found in bone from archaeological sites. Fossil bones typically show little or no bioerosion. Under normal conditions, if a bone is to survive into the fossil record, then rapid bioerosion must be prevented (or halted). This conclusion suggests that early post mortem processes,such as the mode of death, influence the potential of any bone to survive into deep time.     

Tracking changes in bone fracture morphology over time: environment, taphonomy, and the archaeological record

Zooarchaeologists have often employed studies of bone fracture morphology as a means of understanding past human cultural activity, and various methodological approaches have been developed for analyzing archaeological broken bone assemblages. It is widely understood that bones degrade over time, however, few studies have attempted to define and quantify the rate at which bones degrade and fracture morphologies change. This study examines degradation in frozen bones (−20 °C) and bones exposed to hot (40 °C) dry conditions. These two simulated environmental conditions represent extreme real-world climates, and allow for an actualistic understanding of the rates of degradation that bones experience in nature. When frozen, bones degrade slowly but significantly, and demonstrate measurable differences in samples frozen for 1, 10, 20, 40, and 60 weeks. In hot, dry conditions, bones degrade very quickly, and demonstrate measurable differences after 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. These data allow for a more detailed understanding of the relationship between the cultural and natural processes that result in bone fracture, and the time period during which bones can be expected to maintain fresh fracture characteristics. This research also has implications for understanding human subsistence and survival strategies and for interpreting the archaeological record.     

Radio – Ulnar Weight Index — is it a Useful Criterion for Sex Identification of the Human Skeleton?

Sex identification of human long bones has been studied by several investigators. Measurements of the radius and the ulna have also been reported as an indicator of sex by reference to separate parameters and/or to combinations of the parameters of a single bone. This study was designed to determine whether the radius and the ulna can provide reliable information for the sexing of human bones, as can the lower leg bones, if the forearm measurements include the weight index of the two bones as a parameter. The materials consisted of the dried radii and ulnae of 20 recently deceased Japanese males and 20 similar females. Almost all the dimensions exhibited statistically significant sex differences. The radio–ulnar weight index did not, however, differ between the sexes. In discriminant analysis, the rate of correct sex discrimination based on distances between various pairs of points was not improved by the inclusion of the radio–ulnar weight index. Therefore, the radio–ulnar weight index cannot be recommended as a parameter for the sexing of human bones.     

Sex identification from the distal fibula

This study was designed to determine whether the fibula, which is one of the least studied long bones, can provide reliable information for sexing of human bones, provided that one condition is satisfied, namely, its distal end is available for measurement. The materials consisted of the dried fibulae of 71 Japanese males and 35 females whose names, ages and sex were known. The distal end of the fibula was measured with respect to five novel dimensions that are closely related to the soft tissues that had been attached to the bone surface. Highly significant sex differences were found when all parameters examined were considered together. The differences for separate items were not, however, sufficient for sex discrimination. Discriminant analysis was performed using the five parameters and yielded the correct sex with 90. 6 per cent accuracy for the entire group of specimens. This degree of accuracy suggests the utility of the present method for sexing human bones, in particular, in osteoarchaeological situations.     

Prehistoric Butchery and Consumption of Birds in the Kingdom of Tonga,South Pacific

We evaluate the preservational attributes (element frequency, breakage, burning, cut-marks, rodent gnawing, and age) of ca. 500 bird bones from three prehistoric archaeological sites on the Polynesian islands of Foa and Lifuka in the Ha‘apai Group, Kingdom of Tonga. Two of the sites lie in calcareous beach sands whereas the third is the refuse infilling of a well. Although differing in age, all three sites are unequivocally cultural in origin, as evidenced by rich artifact assemblages and various sedimentological features (pits, hearths, etc.) that reflect human activities. The sites also contain bones from a diverse assemblage of marine fish, marine and terrestrial reptiles (sea turtles, iguanas), and terrestrial mammals (fruit bats, rats, pigs, dogs). We find no evidence for deposition of bones (bird or otherwise) in these Tongan sites by non-human agents. This is expected given that we are unaware of any non-human species or geological process that would concentrate the bones of fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals on a beach ridge or in a well in Tonga. This is especially the case since the species range from very small to very large, and represent marine, fresh water, coastal, and forested habitats. Nevertheless, clear evidence of cultural involvement cannot be discerned on most individual bones, whether bird or non-bird. Furthermore, most taphonomic attributes (element frequency, breakage, burning, and cut-marks) of bones of a domesticated species (the chicken, Gallus gallus) resemble those found on bones of indigenous landbirds. We believe that all bones in any zooarchaeological assemblage should be evaluated carefully to determine who or what was responsible for their deposition. We see no reason, however, why bird bones should be held to some standard higher than those applied to the bones of other taxa, as some have suggested.     

The chronology of epiphyseal union in the hand and foot from dry bone observations

Dry bone data for epiphyseal union at the hand and foot are scarce, incomplete or inexistent. This study documents the timing of fusion of secondary ossification centres at the hand and foot in a sample of known‐age human skeletons. The sample comprises 92 individuals (49 females and 43 males), between the ages of 9 and 22 years, from the identified skeletal collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History in Lisbon, Portugal. Epiphyseal union was recorded on the right and left side at the long bones of the hand (metacarpus and phalanges) and foot (metatarsus and phalanges), and also at the talus and calcaneus, using a three stage scheme (non‐fused; partially fused and completely fused). In the hand, intra‐observer agreement was 99% and inter‐observer agreement was 98%. In the foot, both intra‐ and inter‐observer agreement reached 100%. Lateral asymmetry was not significant and only 1.1% of the individuals in the sample were found to be asymmetric in the stage of epiphyseal fusion (1.8% in the hand and 0.3% in the foot). A minimum mean advancement of 1–2 years in females relative to males was observed. In the hand bones, epiphyseal union occurred between 12–18 years in females and 16–18 years in males. Comparatively, in the foot bones, epiphyseal union occurred slightly later, with the exception of the talus and calcaneus, which are the earliest bones to mature. Data in this study can be used to estimate the age of unidentified skeletal remains, either directly or by aiding in the modification of incomplete or imprecise data that have been collected over the years. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Possible rheumatoid arthritis found in the human skeleton collected from the tomb of Joseon Dynasty,Korea, dating back to the 1700s AD

We report a possible rheumatoid arthritis (RA) case found in a Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) tomb encapsulated by a lime‐soil mixture barrier (LSMB). The tomb is thought to have been constructed during the 1700s AD (1760 AD by carbon dating). In our anthropological examination, joint destruction, erosion or fusion (signs of polyarthritis) were identified mainly in the peripheral skeleton. Especially in both sides of the wrist bones, severe destruction/joint fusion possibly caused by polyarthritis was observed. A similar polyarthritis pattern also was seen in the right foot bones, even though we failed to confirm this symmetry due to the missing left foot bones. Despite these findings, signs suggestive of polyarthritis are very rarely seen in axial bones, even though bony fusions are found in the atlanto‐occipital joint or thoracic vertebrae (TV) 9–10. By the osteological signs observed in this case, the individual, a female, might have been suffering from a very late stage of RA and died in her 40s, even though other forms of chronic arthritis could not be ruled out completely. Though the current case could not provide evidence to decisively settle the debates on the antiquity of RA, our report could be a stepping stone for forthcoming studies on RA cases found in East Asian countries. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.