Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Anthropology, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 20, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 240-294). Also issued in print.

The main intent of this thesis is to review the history and roots of the Cossack assembly, and to analyze its connection to western civilization. In terms of the roots of the Cossack assembly, this thesis will explore the Scytho-Sarmatian, the early Slavic, the Novgorodian, as well as the Turkic-Mongol influences that led to its creation. While the Zaporozhian Cossack assembly will be discussed, the primary focus of the history of the Cossack assembly section will deal with the Don Cossacks’ assembly, since the practices and traditions inherent in this structure are representative of most Cossack groups. In addition to reviewing the Sarmatian Hypothesis, this thesis will also examine the connections and parallels between the Arthurian legends, the ancient Iranian governing practices, and the Cossack assembly. It is thus hoped that this multileveled analysis will generate a comprehensive portrait of the Cossack assembly and, through its ancient Iranian predecessor’s connection to the Arthurian Round Table, prompt a reconsideration of analytical approaches to both the foundations of Cossack and western democracy. / text

Human osteological and dental remains are important for reconstruction of health and disease patterns in the past, preserving information in the form of abnormal changes on bones and teeth. These changes can reflect the spread of numerous diseases and the consequences they had on the health of various historical populations and groups. Systematic investigation performed within the present thesis explored pathologies in skeletal collections from six archaeological sites from across Slovakia and Hungary, dating to the 1st and 5th centuries AP. The total sample consisted of 300 individuals that were divided among three populations: the Germanic (GS), the Roman (RS) and the Sarmatian series (SS). Pathologies were assessed macroscopically and discussed on population and individual levels. Overall, sex, age and lesion distribution frequencies were used to determine a disease pattern characteristic for a corresponding group and then compared between the series. Conditions identified during the analysis were arranged into nine main categories. The analysis revealed that the health status of GS, RS and SS was generally good, though adults from GS and RS had experienced poorer dental health. The most common lesions observed in all series, particularly in GS, were due to degenerative and dental diseases,...