Spinal pathological findings in ancient Egyptians of the Greco‐Roman period living in Bahriyah Oasis

The spine can provide a large amount of information about an individual's physical condition and possible lifestyle through palaeopathological investigations. The aim of this research was to study spinal diseases among Greco‐Roman ancient Egyptians from Bahriyah Oasis, and to compare them with those from Giza of the Old Kingdom. The material used in the study included 809 single vertebrae and 77 adult sacra of ancient Egyptians from the Greco‐Roman period (332–30 BC) that were excavated from Bahriyah Oasis. The spinal elements were examined for pathological conditions, degenerative diseases, trauma, congenital abnormalities, infectious diseases and neoplasms. The most common lesions of the spine were those due to degenerative processes. The articular facets were more affected than the vertebral bodies. Compression fractures of the bodies, mostly due to osteoporosis, were found in 1.44% and 5.07% of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae respectively. The percentage of spina bifida occulta among ancient Egyptians from Bahriyah Oasis was 62.33%, while among those from Giza was only 3.33%. Few cases of lumbar spondylolysis and one case of DISH were recorded. No cases of infectious or neoplastic diseases were found. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in Late Jomon Hokkaido,Japan

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the evidence for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in samples of human skeletal material recovered from Late Jomon (ca. 1500–300 BCE) and Okhotsk (CE 500–900) cultural period sites, northwestern Hokkaido, Japan. Two individuals from the Jomon period assemblage (n = 14) exhibited lesions consistent with DISH, while the larger Okhotsk sample (n = 39) was free of this condition. The aetiology of this condition is reviewed with reference to the clinical and bioarchaeological literature, in addition to behavioural and environmental considerations specific to this region and these time periods. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Co‐occurrence of DISH and HFI in the Terry Collection

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and hyperostosis frontalis internus (HFI) are both characterised by abnormal bone growth, a late age of onset, and an association with obesity, acromegaly and various metabolic disorders. In this study we examined the co‐occurrence of DISH and HFI in a sample of 406 black and whites aged 40–102 years old from the Terry Collection, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Fisher's exact tests showed the co‐occurrence was significant for females. DISH was present in 19.6% of black and 29.6% of white females with HFI versus 4.76% and 2.38% of control females without HFI. A similar frequency of DISH was seen in males with HFI (20% black and 27.3% white), but this was not significantly different from the male controls without HFI (16.8% and 18.9%). The risk of developing DISH for females with HFI was nearly 8.78 times greater (CI = 2.56–30.1) than for females without HFI. Logistic regression of the female data showed HFI was a significant determinant (p = 0.001) of the presence of DISH but age was not (p = 0.744). We suggest that similar metabolic, genetic and environmental risk factors in the pathogenesis of the two conditions explain the observed comorbitity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis cases found in Joseon Dynasty Human Sample Collection of Korea

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a disorder showing hyperostosis of the spinal column and ossification of extraspinal ligaments or tendons. The prevalence of DISH has been found to be higher in historic peoples of the upper‐ and ruling classes, and in fact was closely correlative with nutritional and high‐caloric diets. DISH is also known to be a function of genetic factors; as such, there have been very few cases of DISH found among the specimens of Asian skeletal collections. In our osteoarchaeological study on the Joseon Dynasty Human Sample Collection (JDHSC), we found four DISH instances among the 96 cases (4.17%) we examined. This prevalence is not so different from those discovered in already‐published studies on collections in Europe and other regions. However, as already stated, it must be considered that most of the JDHSC individuals we examined were remains of people from the highest social classes of 16th–18th century Joseon society. Therefore, when collections from medieval European monastic sites, the appropriate control from well‐fed populations, were used for comparison, the prevalence of DISH was found to be far lower among the JDHSC. Reports on DISH from examinations of collections in Asian countries have been spotty, leaving gaps in the social‐strata spectrum. Further researches into the prevalence of DISH among the different social strata of ancient or medieval Asian peoples are still required. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

DISH and the monastic way of life

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is common condition and its prevalence increases markedly with age. This paper describes the pathology and aetiology of the condition; DISH seems to be related to obesity and type II diabetes and is probably a multisystem hormonal disorder. DISH occurs frequently in human skeletal remains, particularly in those recovered from monastic sites. Evidence is presented to confirm this association and the causes are discussed. We also present criteria for the diagnosis of DISH in human remains, which we suggest would permit valid inter‐study comparisons. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lingual cortical mandibular defects (Stafne's defect): an anthropological approach based on prehistoric skeletons from the Canary Islands

While posterior lingual mandibular depressions (Stafne's defect) are often discussed in clinical reports, they are rarely the subject of anthropological research. This situation is paradoxical since osteologists and skeletal biologists are in a position to enhance understanding of the trait's aetiology by systematically recording the trait in recent and prehistoric skeletal collections. This report reviews anthropological studies of cortical defects of the mandible, recommends a protocol for recording observations in trait variation, and presents new data for the prevalence of Stafne's defect—lingual cortical defects of the mandibular corpus. Among the Guanches of Tenerife in the Canary Islands (Spain), the prevalence of lingual cortical defects is 3.32% (15/452), males are more frequently affected than females, and there is a tendency for individuals with antemortem tooth loss to display larger lesions than individuals without antemortem loss of teeth. Defects of the left side are somewhat more variable in position than defects located on the right. In comparative perspective, prevalence of lingual cortical defects among the Guanches is high, given the overall 1.07% prevalence reported for archaeological series (Finnegan & Marcsik,1980), but is similar to figures reported for the Avar period sample from Hungary 3.73%. Prospects for the use of lingual cortical defects as non‐metric traits of value in population distance studies remain uncertain since variation in trait expression may have a high environmental component. However, if human osteologists routinely include observations of lingual mandibular cortical defects in their analysis of skeletal collections, the data required to elucidate factors responsible for the trait's cultural, ecological, temporal and geographical patterning will more rapidly become established. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Puzzle of Group Ranch Subdivision in Kenya's Maasailand

This article explores the motivations underlying Maasai pastoralists' support for the subdivision and parcellization of their collectively held group ranches, an outcome that is inconsistent with theoretical expectation. Examining four group ranches that formed part of the wave of subdivisions that occurred in the 1980s, it finds that Maasai herders were inclined to support subdivision in order to capture gains in a new property assignment or to reduce distributional disadvantages within the status quo. Importantly, however, subdivision also emerged as a critical defensive strategy against internal and external threats to Maasai land claims. Incorporating this defensive strategy (aimed at securing individual claims) within the individual's calculus for seeking exclusive rights provides insights into why a theoretically unexpected property rights transformation took place.     

INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANTS,BRIDGING SOCIAL CAPITAL,ETHNICITY, AND LOCALITY

This paper analyses a uniquely detailed data set of social integration characteristics of immigrants belonging to four non‐native ethnic groups (i.e., Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, and Antilleans) living in Dutch neighborhoods. It is well known that an individual's level of social integration is related to the ethnic composition and economic development of an immigrant's residential locality, as well as the generation of the immigrant. Yet, what is not known is whether the social and economic characteristics of adjacent or neighboring localities also influence an individual's level of social integration. Using a multilevel hierarchical analysis with spatial interaction effects, we examine the extent to which four social integration aspects of the bridging social capital of these immigrant groups are related to their ethnicity, their generation, their immediate locality, and the effects of the neighboring localities. Our findings regarding the effects of the ethnic concentration and economic development of the immediate locality along with the immigrant's generation broadly concur with existing studies. At the same time, however, we also find that the features of neighboring localities exert an additional influence on an individual's social integration over and above those related to the immigrant's generation and immediate locality. These additional spatial spillover effects are broadly in line with those associated with the immediate locality, but they are also sensitive to particular proxies for social integration which are employed. These spatial spillover effects on social capital and social integration have not been observed before.     

Ancient injury recidivism: an example from the Kerma period of ancient Nubia

A topical trend in clinical research has been the study of repeat trauma, referred to by clinicians as “injury recidivism,” which lends itself to the assessment of accumulated injuries among ancient people. The present investigation examined the healed injuries among two archaeological skeletal samples from the Kerma period (ca. 2500–1500 BC) of Sudanese Nubia. Both groups were known to have a high prevalence of multiple trauma—80% of 54 adults from the rural sites (O16 and P37) located near Dongola and 42% of 212 adults from the urban site of Kerma sustained nonfatal injuries. It was observed that a higher frequency of multi‐injured adults displayed one or more violence‐associated injury (cranial trauma, parry fracture). When all injuries were considered 38% of individuals with violence‐related injuries had other traumatic lesions in contrast to 22% of individuals who experienced injuries associated with accidental falls (e.g., Colles', Smiths', Galeazzi, and paired forearm fractures), although this difference was not significant. When only the skulls and long bones were evaluated 81% of adults with multiple injuries to these major bones bore one or more violence‐related injuries, while 60% of adults with single injuries sustained violence‐related injuries. Most individuals with multiple injuries were male and less than 35 years of age; there was no significant difference in the frequency of violence‐ or accident‐related multiple injury between the rural and urban communities. Although it cannot be established whether or not some of an individual's injuries were experienced during simultaneous or independent incidents, the pattern of multiple injury among these two ancient Nubian skeletal samples reflected the profile of injury recidivism observed by modern clinicians cross‐culturally. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nested or exclusive? The role of identities on blame attribution during the Great Recession

Despite an increasing number of studies assessing the importance of institutions as regards to accountability, it still remains to be known whether and how an individual's national and regional identity shapes the attribution of responsibilities in multi‐level settings. By focusing on the economic crisis that affected Europe since 2008, we argue that identity‐based assessments of responsibility for the crisis will occur solely among individuals who hold exclusively national or regional identities and who live in regions that have nationalist aspirations. This will be in contrast to individuals that have exclusively identities who live in regions that lack nationalist aspirations, as well as dual‐identity individuals, irrespective of where they live. We test our arguments by using data from Catalonia and Madrid (Spain) and Bavaria and Lower Saxony (Germany). In line with our expectations, our results show that, in minority nationalist regions such as Catalonia, an individual's identity will crucially determine which level of government is blamed for the economic crisis, while this will not occur in regions with no nationalist aspirations. The article reveals the existence of an additional determinant of blame attribution in some specific multi‐level arrangements and contributes to the understanding of the tensions between identity politics and blame avoidance.     

“Bamboo Spine” in a Migration Period Horse from Hungary

Intervertebral ankylosis in protohistoric horses, commonly attributed to excessive riding, is well known in Central Europe. The single block fusion of 11 thoracic and 6 lumbar vertebrae was briefly reported by Bökönyi (1974) from an ad 7th century, Avar Period cemetery in western Hungary. Recently, the dating of this animal has been revised. The horse has been documented in detail and reevaluated within its broader sacrificial context (Vörös, 1999). Our paper tackles the yet unexplored pathological aspects of this extreme disorder, similar to Bekhterev's disease in humans, a phenomenon previously not considered in horse. Differential diagnoses and aetiology are discussed.     

The prevalence of,and the relationship between some spinal diseases in a human skeletal population from London

The prevalence of osteoarthritis, osteophytosis, intervertebral disc disease and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) was determined in a group of skeletons excavated from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields. Age-specific prevalence rates were calculated from the group of skeletons for which age at death was known from intact coffin plates. Osteoarthritis of the facet joints occurred most frequently in the cervical and upper thoracic regions and was also common in the lower lumbar spine. The disease was more frequently bilateral in the lumbar spine than in upper regions. Osteophytes were common in the thoracic and lumbar spines, whereas intervertebral disc disease was confined almost completely to the cervical region. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis seemed to be underrepresented in this group, but was more common in males than in females. Age correlated significantly with all the conditions except DISH. Multiple regression analysis was carried out using each of the conditions as the dependent variable in turn. Age accounted for more of the variance than any of the other conditions added as independent variables.     

Degrees of Engagement: Using Cultural Worldviews to Explain Variations in Public Preferences for Engagement in the Policy Process

Scholars have been studying the concept of public engagement and its role in the policy process for some time. Scholars have argued that understanding the interests and motivations of the public and engaging them in the decision‐making process can lead to better policy designs and, ultimately, better policy outcomes. However, studies of public engagement often assume that people have a desire to get involved in the policy process. This paper tests this key assumption using the case of nuclear facility siting in the United States to ask: what factors influence an individual's stated willingness to want to engage in the policy process? Using data from a national web survey fielded in 2013, we ask the public if and to what extent they would likely engage in the siting process if given the opportunity. Findings indicate that the likelihood of engagement varies rather substantially across individuals. We find that an individual's cultural belief system and existing level of political activity account for some of this variation. These findings suggest that public engagement programs may vary across groups and communities. In other words, the prospects of engagement are likely to appeal to some members of the population and not others.     

A case of Madelung's deformity in a skeleton from Nuragic Sardinia

The case reported here refers to the skeletal remains of a mature adult male found in a collective grave known as ‘Giant's tomb’ located near Donori (Sardinia) and dating to the end of the Bronze Age. The skeleton showed bilateral shortening of the forearm associated to radial bowing, marked deformations at the radio‐ulnar distal joints and subsequent posterior dislocation of both ulnae. The whole alterations fit well with a diagnosis of Madelung's deformity, a rare form of mesomelic dysplasia. At present, this case is the most ancient evidence of Madelung's deformity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multicentric osteosarcoma associated with DISH,in a 19th century burial from England

Osteosarcoma is a rare type of malignant neoplasm that is most frequent in adolescents and young adults although it can develop at any age. It can metastasize from a primary site in bone to other bones and soft tissues. Usually the disorder causes a single bone‐forming lesion (unicentric) but some cases have multicentric, bone‐forming lesions. Some of these lesions develop at different sites at different times. In a second variant of multicentric osteosarcoma, synchronous bone‐forming lesions develop at multiple sites. Distinguishing between these two types of multicentric osteosarcoma is challenging in a clinical context and the criteria for doing so are unlikely to be met in an archaeological burial. Wolverhampton burial HB 39 was excavated from an early‐nineteenth century cemetery site in England. It consists of the incomplete skeleton of an adult male of at least 45 years of age with multicentric osteosarcoma. The individual represented by this burial also had diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). Three of the bone‐forming lesions associated with osteosarcoma developed on the bony outgrowths related to DISH. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Antikythera Mechanism reconsidered

Abstract

The Antikythera Mechanism, the world's oldest known geared mechanism, became widely known through the work of Derek Price who, concluding that its dials yielded astronomical and calendrical information, called it a 'calendar computer'. Price rightly drew attention to its importance as direct evidence for a high level of mechanical accomplishment in ancient times, but his account of the instrument itself is deficient. I have developed a new reconstruction on the basis of an independent survey of the original, drawing on my knowledge of early mechanism and of the history of craft techniques, and on my experience as a practical mechanic. This reconstruction follows the observed detail far more closely than does Price's. It displays somewhat different astronomical information, according closely with the contemporary literary evidence of interest in the making of planetaria. The main features of the new reconstruction, previously described elsewhere in a series of papers, are here brought together so as to convey a better impression of the whole. A model, made to the same scale as the original, demonstrates that the reconstruction is workable.     

Elder Abuse: Evaluating the Potentials and Problems of Diagnosis in the Archaeological Record

The elderly are the most neglected demographic in archaeology. In today's youth‐obsessed society, the elderly are consistently denigrated, particularly those perceived to be physically or mentally frail. A related and growing concern in contemporary populations is the physical abuse of the elderly, believed to be an escalating phenomenon. This study is the first to examine the risk factors, social context and patterns of trauma associated with elder abuse in the present, with the aim of providing diagnostic criteria to apply to past societies. The utility of skeletal evidence in the identification of violent trauma has been detailed in cases of child and intimate partner abuse, both modern and archaeological. Investigating the skeletal evidence for elder abuse is potentially more complex because of the confounding physiological effects of the ageing process, lack of clinical research and contemporary ageist attitudes towards older people. Within the clinical and bioarchaeological literature, there has been a tendency to dismiss injuries in older individuals as the product of accident or opportunistic violence. A proportion of elder members of past societies is likely to have been victims of abuse and family violence. While there are no pathognomonic skeletal features of elder abuse, multiple injuries to the bones of the following are indicative: cranium, maxilla‐facial region, dentition, cervical vertebrae, clavicles, ribs and spiral fractures to the humeri. Attention is also drawn to decubiti as indirect skeletal indicators of immobility and possibly neglect. Archaeological context is important to consider, including non‐normative burials or those indicating social marginalisation. Bioarchaeological evidence has the potential to provide a long‐term perspective on the care and treatment of past elders. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis in a Greek colonial population (5th to 3rd centuries BC) from the Black Sea

Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis in Greek skeletal remains have typically been attributed to a genetic anaemia, most notably thalassemia due to the presence of endemic malaria in the Mediterranean region. This paper reports the results of an analysis of cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis in a Greek colonial population (5th to 3rd centuries BC) from the Black Sea. Archaeological evidence, stable isotopic data, and other skeletal indicators of physiological stress are examined to determine the most likely cause(s) of these lesions. While the possibility that some of the colonists of Apollonia suffered from thalassemia cannot be entirely discounted, the skeletal evidence examined in this study is not consistent with a diagnosis of thalassemia. We must therefore be cautious in assuming that cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis in Greek skeletal remains, and indeed skeletal remains from any region where malaria was endemic in the past, is always indicative of this condition. Nutritional deficiencies and exposure to infectious diseases probably played an equally, if not more, important role in the development of these lesions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A palaeopathological investigation of the third intercondylar tubercle of Parsons

The third intercondylar tubercle of Parsons (TITP) is a bony protuberance which is sometimes present on the tibial plateau. It corresponds to the insertion of the anterior fibres of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Reasons why TITP is present in some knees and not others are at present unclear. TITP is studied in knee joints from 68 adult individuals from a medieval cemetery. Associations are investigated with age, sex, knee osteoarthritis, clinical and subclinical DISH, and skeletal signs of trauma, with the aim of evaluating existing ideas on the causation of TITP. Only trauma showed an association with the presence of TITP. The results offer support for the aetiology of trauma to the ACL in the formation of TITP. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Osteobiography of a 19th‐Century Dog from Toronto,Canada

A 19^th‐century dog burial uncovered from a historical homelot in Toronto, Canada, provided a unique opportunity to reconstruct the individual's osteobiography. Of particular interest are the dog's very large size and a suite of skeletal pathologies. Recovery of a nearly complete skeleton combined with the use of X‐rays and micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) allowed for a discriminating differential diagnoses. Stable isotope analyses were applied to investigate questions of diet. Results reveal an individual who suffered greatly from disease towards the end of his life and hint at its owners attitudes towards dogs. The interdisciplinary approach applied to this case study highlights the potential information obtainable from pet burials. We argue that better analyses and reporting of pet burials will help address research questions targeting broader themes related to human–animal relationships. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.