Study and restudy of curated skeletal collections in bioarchaeology: A perspective on the UK and the implications for future curation of human remains

This paper considers the bioarchaeological study and restudy of human skeletal remains in museums and other institutions that curate human remains from archaeological sites. Papers published from 1990 to 2009 in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Journal of Paleopathology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology and International Journal of Osteoarchaeology were considered and contributions dealing with skeletal remains from UK archaeological sites were assessed. There were 258 papers published that matched these criteria and 352 instances when a skeletal collection had been analysed. Seventy‐nine per cent of the papers were based on skeletal samples curated in five geographic areas, London, Bradford, Portsmouth, Canterbury and York; the two sites that were most used were those of Wharram Percy, North Yorkshire, curated in Portmouth at English Heritage, and Christ Church, Spitalfields, curated at the Natural History Museum, London. Reasons for this concentration of research are suggested. It is recommended that the ‘use load’ should be better and more evenly spread around skeletal samples in other geographic areas of the UK in order that knowledge is not limited just to a few skeletal collections, and that a centralised database of skeletal collections curated by different institutions would contribute to this aim. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Age-dependent bone loss in the femur in a medieval population

Age-dependent bone loss in femurs in a medieval skeletal assemblage from Wharram Percy, England was studied. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the proximal femur; radiogrammetry was used to measure cortical index (FEMCI) at the femur mid-shaft. Age-related loss of BMD was found in the proximal femur in both sexes. Females but not males showed loss of FEMCI. Patterning in bone loss with respect to age, sex and site in the skeleton resembled that seen in recent subjects. In this respect the results are similar to those of a previous study of metacarpal cortical bone in the same archaeological assemblage. Given the large difference in lifestyles, and that lifestyle factors are widely held to influence the severity of bone loss in osteoporosis, the similarities between the medieval and modern populations in the patterns of bone loss are surprising. These findings support those from an earlier study of these skeletons in calling into question the role of lifestyle factors in influencing the severity of bone loss in osteoporosis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope variations in tooth dentine serial sections from Wharram Percy

Here we report δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements of serial sections of human deciduous and permanent tooth dentine from archaeological samples taken from the medieval village site of Wharram Percy, Yorkshire, UK. We found a pattern of enrichment, for both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, where the tooth crown was greater than the cervical part of the root, which in turn was greater than the apical portion of the root and the associated rib collagen values. This pattern reflects a decrease in the consumption of isotopically enriched breast milk and the introduction of less enriched weaning foods in the diet. The (mean±SD) difference between the deciduous second molar crowns and corresponding rib samples from the same individuals after 2 years of age was 1.2±0.4‰ for δ¹³C and 3.2±0.8‰ for δ¹⁵N. The δ¹⁵N values are as predicted, but as there were no C₄plants at Wharram Percy, this 1.2‰ enrichment in δ¹³C represents clear evidence of a carbon trophic level effect in collagen from breastfeeding infants. Carbon and nitrogen results also show that the infant diet among those who died in infancy did not differ from those who survived into childhood. This study demonstrates the promise of using dentine serial sections to study the temporal relationships of breastfeeding, weaning, and dietary patterns of single individuals.     

Human osteoarchaeology in the UK 2001–2007: a bibliometric perspective

Bibliometric analysis of osteoarchaeology publications covering the period 2001–2007 in leading journals was carried out. The aims were two‐fold: firstly, to characterise research in this field in the UK and make comparisons with selected other countries, and secondly, to shed light on the use of skeletal collections. It was found that, since a previous survey of this type,covering the period 1991–1995, isotopic and DNA studies have increased. In the UK, work on biodistance studies is minor compared with other countries, and the proportion of palaeopathology work is high. In palaeopathology, substantial effort continues to be devoted to case studies, particularly in the UK where the frequency of problem‐orientated work directed at understanding earlier populations has not increased since the early 1990s. Although it is argued that the case study still has a place in osteoarchaeology, the balance of work needs to shift further in favour of population studies, particularly in the UK. Skeletal collections are vital for primary osteoarchaeological work, and there was little evidence for any great use of skeletal databases such as the Standard Osteological Database. Skeletal collections from the UK were the most used for the research papers analysed, demonstrating the importance of UK‐held collections for research that leads to high profile publication in the international scientific literature. These observations are pertinent since legal, ethical and practical issues in the treatment of human remains, particularly those connected with retention of skeletal collections, are now coming under closer scrutiny in the UK. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ancient DNA (aDNA) studies of man and microbes: general similarities,specific differences

The study of ancient DNA (aDNA) using molecular methods is an increasingly valuable tactic in bioarchaeology. While this method must be carefully undertaken to ensure that the molecules detected are representative of the ancient sample and not modern contaminates, there is a danger that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to validation will lead to misinterpretation and/or missed opportunities of valuable findings. When comparing human and pathogen aDNA, there are many shared technical means that can ensure best practice. However, there are a number of assumptions that should not be used for both scenarios. We discuss these aspects in reference to a recent article published by this journal and highlight some of the latest advances in molecular detection of ancient pathogen DNA that can further improve this endeavour. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A scapula deformity in two burials from medieval England

A scapula malformation is described in two burials from the site of the late medieval Dominican friary at Ipswich, UK. The changes appear most consistent with primary scapular neck dysplasia. One of the burials also showed clear signs of leprosy. The burials are of lay benefactors of the friary. The Ipswich Dominican friary had no known function as a leprosy hospital. Finding of burials of lepers other than in burial grounds of leprosaria is highly unusual for medieval England. Scapular neck dysplasia has a strong genetic component in its aetiology. This, coupled with its rarity, suggests a close genetic link between the two burials. The findings suggest that in this case, family ties with the friary overrode the normal medieval custom of interring lepers in leprosy hospitals. This illustrates that even rare skeletal variants may convey useful biocultural information about past populations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A possible case of treponemal disease from England dating to the 11th–12th century AD

This short report describes a human skeleton from an archaeological site in England showing signs of treponemal disease. A radiocarbon determination indicates that it is firmly pre‐Columbian in date. The implications for recent debates concerning the origin of treponemal disease in Europe are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Skeletal evidence for hyperparathyroidism in a 19th century child with rickets

The skeletal remains of a child aged 2.5–3.5 years, recovered during archaeological excavations at the churchyard of St Martin's Church, Birmingham, UK, were examined using gross observation, radiography and scanning electron microscopy. Lesions suggestive of the presence of rickets and of secondary hyperparathyroidism were found. This appears to be a first report of secondary hyperparathyroidism in response to rickets in a palaeopathological specimen. The potential of microscopic examination of bone for interpreting disease processes is emphasised. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lysis at the anterior vertebral body margin: evidence for brucellar spondylitis?

Recently, palaeopathologists have begun to diagnose brucellosis in skeletal remains from minor lytic lesions located on the anterior margins of one or some few vertebral bodies, taking these lesions to represent brucellar epiphysitis. However, review of the literature indicates that these lesions have been sporadically noted for some time by palaeopathologists and various different interpretations have been placed upon them. In view of this, a study of these vertebral marginal lesions (VML) was undertaken in a large series of archaeological skeletons from England, with the aim of characterising their morphology and frequency and shedding light upon their causes. In the study material, VML were found only in the lumbar spine, where they occurred with a prevalence of approximately 4%. It was argued that VML are consistent with two principal alternative diagnoses: brucellosis and traumatic anterior disc herniation. Differentiating these possibilities for the VML in the study material was difficult, but the balance of the evidence seemed to favour traumatic anterior disc herniation as the more likely cause. It is concluded that VML should not be used to identify the presence of brucellosis in skeletal remains unless there is further evidence, in the form of additional skeletal lesions or biomolecular evidence for residual brucella bacterial DNA, to support such a diagnosis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.