A Comparison of Radiological and Palaeopathological Diagnostic Criteria for Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna

Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a common clinical finding in post-menopausal women, less often in men. The characteristic billowing symmetrical new bone formation is found on the endocranial surface of the skull and rarely causes any significant symptoms. In clinical medicine HFI is diagnosed from its X-ray appearance, whereas in palaeopathology it is diagnosed by direct observation of the skull. There are no standard palaeopathological criteria to diagnose HFI. In past populations HFI appears to be much less common than today, with modern prevalences of up to 70 per cent of women over 40 affected, compared with archaeological prevalences of between 1 and 4 per cent. This discrepancy has been attributed to a younger mean age at death in ancient populations. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the difference in prevalence may be due in part to the differential nature of diagnosis between the two disciplines. A sample of 85 skulls was X-rayed, and the presence of HFI was recorded using radiological criteria. Using this method the results showed a marked increase in the number of cases of HFI to 31 per cent in females in the ancient population. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol., 7 : 157–164 (1997) No. of Figures: 4. No. of Tables: 3. No. of References: 13.     

Is there a future for the past? An overview of archaeology in western Russia and Ukraine

The current political and economic situation in Russia and Ukraine poses grave dangers for the archaeological and museum professionals who guard these nations' legacies. At the moment that political barriers to Western collaboration were removed, new problems have crippled the post-Soviet archaeological community. Concurrently, Westerners tend to misunderstand Soviet and post-Soviet archaeological theory, forgetting that techniques such as lithic microwear and taphonomic analysis were introduced by Soviet scholars. New discoveries are described in three general categories: the origins of food-producing economies in western Russia and Ukraine, the evolution of surprisingly large towns in Copper Age Ukraine, and the origins of pastoralism in the Russian and Ukrainian steppes.     

Fatal wounds in a Late Neolithic double inhumation—A probable case of meningitis following trauma

Among a group of seven skeletons from the southern part of Lower Saxony, dating to the Single Grave Culture (ca. 2500BC ), was a double inhumation, which showed an unusual burial position for one of the individuals interred. Deviating from the typical squatted position, this male was supine. Having been badly injured by an arrow shot into the back, he suffered from post-traumatic paraplegia and, most probably died from bacterial meningitis caused by the flint tip that penetrated the spinal cord. This infection was also responsible for the burial position, clearly pointing to an opisthotonus, which is indicative of the final stage of bacterial meningitis. The other individual, also male, had an arrow wound and died from the complications of a severe wound to the intestines.     

New Perspectives on Early Regional Interaction Networks of East African Trade: A View from Tsavo National Park,Kenya

Archaeologists are interested in understanding whether cross-cultural contact catalyzed by exchange of commodities is a means for people to acquire new technology and cultural ideas. This paper reports the results and analysis of archaeological investigations in Tsavo National Park, Kenya in 2001 and 2004 that have recovered evidence of indirect contact between late pastoral neolithic (PN) herders and early iron working (EIW) communities. Analysis of stylistic motifs on ceramics used by both PN and EIW people show that socially constructed notions of aesthetics are similar, implying that a strong cultural connection between the two groups may be possible. New lexico-statistical analyses and archaeological data from Tanzania corroborate that the prehistoric East African milieu was more complex than previously believed. However, pastoralists in Tsavo show no evidence of utilizing iron technology or altering their subsistence strategies among the > 10,000 artifacts spanning 4,000+ years of prehistory recovered in the 2001 field season. Thus, long-distance and long-term contact between socially connected groups possessing different technological and subsistence foundations does not necessarily lead to a diffusion of new survival strategies.Les archéologues sont intéressés à comprendre la diffusion technologique et culturelle préhistorique [Les archeologues se sont interestesa comprendre la diffusion prehistorique de la technologie et de la culture]. Le contact entre les cultures catalysées par l'échange des produits est des moyens pour que les personnes acquièrent la nouvelle technologie et les idées culturelles. Cependant, le point auquel certaines idées sont acceptées ou rejetées demeure irrésolu. [Quand le contact contre-culturelle s'allie avec l'exchange de produits, les deux fournissent les nouvelles idees culturelles et technologiques aux gens. Mais, le point d D'autres données sont nécessaires pour augmenter nos compréhension de l'échange des idées entre les groupes de personnes et comment des changements de technologie. Les investigations archéologiques en parc national de Tsavo, Kenya dans 2001 ont récupéré l'évidence du contact indirect entre les bouviers néolithiques pastoraux (PN) en retard et les premières communautés du fondre de fer (EIW). L'analyse des motifs stylistiques sur la céramique utiliser par des personnes de PN et d'EIW prouvent que les notions socialement construites de l'esthétique sont semblables, impliquant qu'un raccordement culturel fort entre les deux groupes peut être possible. Les nouvelles analyses lexico-statistiques et les données archéologiques de Tanzanie corroborent que le milieu africain est préhistorique était plus complexe que précédemment cru. Cependant, les bouviers préhistorique dans Tsavo ne montrent aucune évidence d'utiliser la technologie de fer ou de changer leurs stratégies de subsistance parmi les > 10.000 objets façonnés enjambant les années 4.000+ de la préhistoire récupérées dans la saison de 2001 champs. Ainsi, contact à longue distance et long terme entre les groupes socialement reliés possédant différentes bases technologiques et de subsistance ne mène pas nécessairement à une diffusion de nouvelles strategies de survival.     

Lead concentrations in bones from a Neolithic long barrow

Lead concentrations were determined in ribs obtained from the Neolithic long barrow at Hazelton and compared with those in a series of modern bones. The mean lead concentration in the neolithic material was about two-and-a-half times less than the contemporary mean indicating that human activity has considerably increased the human body burden of lead.     

The selection of bird bones for artefact production at Dutch neolithic sites

The bird bones used for artefacts at the Dutch neolithic site of Aartswoud were from birds that were not represented among the food remains. Studies at other contemporary sites show that this was also the case at some other sites. The bones seem to have been selected from birds of particularly large size. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mesolithic domestic sheep in West Mediterranean Europe

Domestic ovicaprine specimens, some attributed specifically to Ovis aries L., have been recovered at two Mesolithic sites in the western Languedoc region of France, and two sites in southeastern France. The sites are typical late Mesolithic occupations, firmly dated between 7300 BP and 8000 BP, and stratigraphically precede the appearance of other domestic animals, cultivated plants, pottery, and the establishment of settled villages in their regions. They seem to represent early steps in the adoption of animal husbandry by hunter-gatherer societies in the western Mediterranean. Evidence from the Aude valley sites is presented for the gradual development of animal herding over a period of 1000 years or more, which spans the Mesolithic-Neolithic boundary. The evidence suggests that indigenous Mesolithic societies may have played a formative role in the development of settled farming communities in this area, and that the availability of domestic species may not have led rapidly to major changes in settlement, economy and society.     

环渤海地区的早期新石器文化与海岸变迁──环渤海环境考古之二

从世界范围看,人类历史进入新石器时代是伴随距今１２０００年前后全球气候变暖全新世到来之际才发生的,而在环渤海地区,这一过程还伴随着渤海从陆地到海洋的剧烈环境变迁。如果说渤海的这一沧桑巨变过去离我们还非常洪荒遥远的话,那么在环渤海地区不断发现早期新石器文化遗址的今天,它已越来越走近我们的视野了②。９０年代以来,相关考古资料进一步增加并趋细化系统化,使深入考察环渤海地区早期新石器文化的发展与海岸变迁的互动关系成为可能并日显迫切。笔者不揣浅陋,拟在前人基础上从分析兴隆洼文化与小珠山下层文化的关系入手,…     

The magnetic sourcing of obsidian samples from Mediterranean and near Eastern sources

The magnetic properties of obsidians are examined for their potential in sourcing obsidian artifacts. The three simplest to determine magnetic parameters—initial intensity of magnetization, saturation magnetization and low field susceptibility—are found to be effective discriminants of many Mediterranean, Central European and near Eastern sources. Although the between-source precision is not as good as geochemical analyses of minor and rare-earth elements, the technique demonstrated the existence of new sources that were subsequently confirmed by minor element analyses. Unfortunately some key sources do not appear to be readily distinguishable on these three simple magnetic parameters alone, although more sophisticated magnetic analyses may prove diagnostic. Despite this, it would appear that effective discrimination can be made in many cases, occasionally with more precision than minor element analyses. This technique therefore offers, as a minimum, a preliminary sourcing tool for use in many areas of the world, thus reducing the number of expensive geochemical analyses. Furthermore, its very low cost, non-destructive nature and speed open the possibility of quantitative evaluation of trade routes based on obsidian distributions, particularly as versions of the equipment are now suitable for use in the field.     

浅析新石器时代生产工具中的“仪式用斧”问题——兼论生产工具功能的分化

石铲和石钺在我国新石器时代之初是较为普遍的生产工具,后来随着社会经济的发展和原始宗教力量的增强,部分石铲和石钺逐渐从生产工具中分化出来,制作日益精美,有的器表还刻有纹饰,成为祭祀或是宗教活动中的仪式用品。本文以石铲和石钺为例对新石器时代生产工具中的仪式用斧现象略作探讨。     

Several Infra‐cranial Non‐metric Variations in a Single Neolithic individual: A Common Genetic Underlying Predisposition?

Non‐metric variations have been the subject of anatomical and anthropological studies for more than a century. In this study, we present an individual from Sion (Canton of Valais, Southern Switzerland) dated from the Middle Neolithic who shows evidence for four non‐metric variations. This young adult male presents an os acromiale, spondylolysis, a bipartite patella, and bilateral calcaneus secundarius. These non‐metric variations have a low frequency in most populations (less than 10%), and for each of them the origin is usually considered to be genetic, environmental, or a combination of both. This case is of interest for understanding the potential genetic origin of these non‐metric variations as well as for demonstrating their usefulness in bioarcheological analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing for the presence of thermal pretreatment of flint in the mesolithic and neolithic of Sweden

Through ethnographic accounts, the method of heat treatment of silica materials to improve the flaking qualities is shown to have been known almost worldwide. Some mesolithic and neolithic flint artifacts from southern Sweden were examined in order to determine if they too were heat treated. From several methods proving or indicating thermal alteration of flint, analysis using scanning electron microscopy was chosen. Two samples were taken from each artifact, one being examined unaltered, the other being heat treated. No two samples from the same artifact had the same kind of surface appearance. Thus these analyses prove that the artifacts examined had not been heat treated.     

A New Find of a European Pond Tortoise,Emys orbicularis (L.) from The Netherlands: Osteology and Taphonomy

A recent find of a European pond tortoise is presented in relation to former finds of Pleistocene and Holocene age from the Netherlands. The new find, with a ¹⁴C date of 5400±70 years BP, allows for a detailed study of the carapace, plastron and skeletal elements contained within the complete shell.