Dental disease evidence for agricultural intensification in the Nubian C-Group

The results of this study reveal significantly greater frequencies of caries, periapical abscesses and ante-mortem tooth loss in the Lower Nubian C-Group (ca. 2000–1500 BC) compared with the preceding Classic/Terminal A-Group (ca. 3100–2500 BC). More severe tooth wear in the C-Group, which traditionally would be interpreted as consistent with a hunting-gathering subsistence base, can instead be attributed to grit in the diet resulting from the processing of agricultural produce with sandstone and quartzite mortars and grinding stones, and perhaps also to the intentional addition of grit to grain in order to facilitate grinding. The results of this study, when evaluated in the context of complementary archaeological and osteological evidence, indicate that both groups practised a mixed economy but that the C-Group relied more heavily on cereal cultivation.     

PAUL RABINOW (1944–2021): A MEMOIR

In this narrative, the author reminisces over her collaboration on AIDS-HIV initiatives with recently deceased Paul Rabinow.     

Geochemical characterization of ochre from central coastal British Columbia,Canada

The use of ochre and its presence in archaeological contexts is well documented archaeologically, ethnographically and historically. Elemental analysis of ochre is becoming increasingly common as a method for identifying ancient quarrying and mining practices, and for identifying patterns of resource use, trade and exchange. As this type of work has become more common it has become apparent that two critical issues need to be considered: (1) the need for systematic identification of trends and patterns in ochre geochemistry using appropriate statistical analyses, and, (2) consideration of geographic and geologic scale in relation to ochre chemistry. Because ochre is a heterogeneous material relative to other raw material types, it is necessary to apply multivariate and discriminant statistics to differentiate geochemical groups within a sample set. However, caution must be taken when interpreting statistical results at face value. Local geologic and geomorphologic conditions play a significant role in ochre chemistry and need to be taken into account when interpreting analytical results. The purpose of this project was to determine if geochemically distinct groups of ochre could be distinguished through neutron activation analysis (NAA) of archaeological and geological ochres from the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. The results show that it is possible to satisfy the provenance postulate and to differentiate chemical groups through elemental characterization and using multivariate statistical methods.