No description available.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in North American and has major economic consequences for society. People with knee OA experience the worst quality of life, among musculoskeletal conditions, with function and mobility being influenced by symptoms such as pain and stiffness. However, the impact of OA symptoms varies due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, leading many researchers to employ biopsychosocial and other population health frameworks to study the disease. These population health approaches have not been adopted when studying knee OA outcomes in bioarchaeology, where a limited biological lens prevails due to the sole reliance on skeletal remains. The purpose of this research was to explore methods for identifying the impairment potential of knee OA in archaeological populations using a clinical sample and population health approaches. Clinical studies have the advantage of assessing not only the biological implications of knee OA but also the functional outcomes. By creating a knee OA grading system applicable for both MRI and dry bone femora samples (Clinical Archaeological Osteoarthritis Score) a link between clinical and archaeological populations was proposed. Using this link to infer functional deficits onto archaeological populations using population health frameworks, a theoretical analysis was performed with two populations; the 17th century Huron and the 19th century Inuit from the Igloolik region of Nunavut. The results demonstrated the increased impairment potential of knee OA in the Inuit population versus the Huron population, produced by contrasting factors captured by the determinants of health, including social and physical environments.

Quatre-vingt-quinze squelettes humains issus des fouilles archéologiques du cimetière protestant Saint-Matthew (ville de Québec, 1771-1860) ont été étudiés en associant deux aspects de la paléonutrition : la paléochimie et la paléopathologie. Le but de cette recherche est d’explorer la relation entre nutrition et état de santé pour cette population préindustrielle. Des informations directes sur l’alimentation ont été recueillies par l’analyse des isotopes stables du carbone et de l’azote du collagène des os, et des informations indirectes ont été obtenues par une quantification de l’état de santé des individus. Les méthodes paléopathologiques utilisées sont celles de l’« indice de santé » (Steckel et al., 2002) pour la comparaison interpopulationnelle, puis des méthodes comprenant des degrés de sévérité plus précis afin d’étudier les variations intrapopulationnelles. L’analyse de ces données atteste d’un état de santé relativement mauvais par comparaison avec d’autres groupes nord-américains contemporains, malgré une alimentation similaire. Des différences alimentaires ont été observées en fonction des données paléodémographiques (âge, sexe), mettant notamment en évidence une variabilité temporelle dans la réalisation du processus de sevrage. De plus, un régime alimentaire moins riche en ressources C4 (maïs, sucre de canne) et en ressources animales (viande, poissons, produits laitiers) a été constaté pour les enfants entre 2 et 7 ans par rapport aux individus plus vieux. Enfin, une relation possible entre la sévérité de certaines pathologies (cribra orbitalia et périostite) et la consommation des ressources alimentaires en C4 et/ou marines et riches en protéines a été observée. / Ninety-five human skeletons from archaeological excavations at the protestant Saint-Matthew burial ground (Quebec City, 1771-1860) were studied with respect to two major aspects of palaeonutrition: palaeochemistry and palaeopathology. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between nutrition and health in this preindustrial population. Direct information on the types of food consumed was obtained from stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen, and indirect information was acquired by quantifying health status. Palaeopathological methods used are the “health index” method (Steckel et al.,2002) for interpopulational comparison, and then quantifications using more precise severity degrees for assessing intrapopulational variation. Data analysis revealed a relatively bad health status compared to other contemporary North-American groups despite a relatively similar nutrition. Food differences in relation to palaeodemographical data (age, sex) were noted, in particular about the variability of weaning process achievement. Furthermore, a diet depleted in C4 (corn, sugarcane) and in animal resources (meat, fish, dairy products) was noted for children between two and seven years old in comparison to older individuals. Finally, a possible relationship between pathologies severity (cribra orbitalia, periostitis) and the consumption of C4 and/or marine resources and animal products rich in protein was highlighted while comparing all the data.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in North American and has major economic consequences for society. People with knee OA experience the worst quality of life, among musculoskeletal conditions, with function and mobility being influenced by symptoms such as pain and stiffness. However, the impact of OA symptoms varies due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, leading many researchers to employ biopsychosocial and other population health frameworks to study the disease. These population health approaches have not been adopted when studying knee OA outcomes in bioarchaeology, where a limited biological lens prevails due to the sole reliance on skeletal remains. The purpose of this research was to explore methods for identifying the impairment potential of knee OA in archaeological populations using a clinical sample and population health approaches. Clinical studies have the advantage of assessing not only the biological implications of knee OA but also the functional outcomes. By creating a knee OA grading system applicable for both MRI and dry bone femora samples (Clinical Archaeological Osteoarthritis Score) a link between clinical and archaeological populations was proposed. Using this link to infer functional deficits onto archaeological populations using population health frameworks, a theoretical analysis was performed with two populations; the 17th century Huron and the 19th century Inuit from the Igloolik region of Nunavut. The results demonstrated the increased impairment potential of knee OA in the Inuit population versus the Huron population, produced by contrasting factors captured by the determinants of health, including social and physical environments.

No description available.

La région du Cap, en Afrique du Sud, reflète une diversité biologique incontestée, tant actuelle que passée. Ce phénomène trouve son origine durant la période coloniale, alors que la main-d’oeuvre était puisée sur trois continents : Afrique, Asie et Europe. La population capétonienne s’est ainsi formée à travers la rencontre et le métissage de communautés diverses (esclaves, colons, groupes locaux). Le cimetière historique de Cobern Street (1750-1827), à Cape Town, représente une rare opportunité bioarchéologique d’étudier une population marquée par l’esclavage en contexte africain. La question des origines diverses des individus inhumés sur ce site a déjà été explorée avec l’archéologie funéraire, les analyses isotopiques, la morphologie dentaire ainsi que la craniométrie dite traditionnelle. Comme la morphométrie géométrique, jugée plus précise, n’a pas encore été utilisée pour approfondir cette question, ce projet propose de réévaluer les affinités biologiques de 21 individus issus de la collection de Cobern Street à l’aide de cette approche 3D et de points de repère cranio-faciaux. Cet échantillon a été comparé à un corpus de 479 individus provenant de divers groupes régionaux et/ou ethniques d’Afrique (Ouest, centre et Est; Coloured et Khoisan), de Madagascar, d’Asie (Est, Sud-Est et sous-continent indien) et d’Europe. Trois types d’analyse multivariée ont été effectués à l’échelle intra- et inter-populationnelle : l’analyse en composantes principales (PCA), l’analyse discriminante multiple (MDA) et l’analyse des variables canoniques (CVA). Tous les résultats confirment la grande hétérogénéité phénotypique présente au sein de la collection de Cobern Street. Conformément aux sources historiques, on retrouve des affinités avec des groupes d’Afrique (n = 8), d’Asie (n = 4), de Madagascar (n = 2) et du sous-continent indien (n = 2). Les influences africaines semblent prédominantes, ce qui concorde avec les résultats de la craniométrie traditionnelle (Ribot et al. 2017), mais pas avec ceux de la morphologie dentaire ayant décelé une présence asiatique plus élevée (Manyaapelo 2007). De plus, grâce à la morphométrie géométrique, combinée aux données isotopiques antérieures (Cox 1999), au moins cinq individus ont pu être identifiés comme étant possiblement métissés en raison de leurs affinités très diverses. Ce fait supporte ainsi la présence à Cape Town, dès le XVIIIe siècle, d’une mosaïque ethnique déjà complexe. / The Cape region in South Africa shows unique and high levels of biological diversity, through past and present times. This phenomenon dates back to the colonial period when labour forces came, willingly or not, from three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. The capetonian population was hence shaped by the encounter and admixture of various groups (slaves, settlers, locals). The Cobern Street historic burial ground (1750-1827) in Cape Town provides a rare bioarchaeological opportunity to study a population affected by slavery in an African context. The diverse origins of the individuals buried there were already explored through funerary archaeology, isotopic analyses, dental morphology and "traditional" craniometry. However, geometric morphometrics, considered as a more precise approach, has not been applied to this population. This project thereby aims to reevaluate the biological affinities of 21 individuals from Cobern Street using a 3D method based on a series of craniofacial landmarks. They were compared to a sample of 479 individuals originating from numerous regions and/or ethnic groups from Africa (West, Central and East Africa; Coloured and Khoisan), Madagascar, Asia (East, Southeast and the Indian subcontinent) and Europe. Three types of multivariate analyses were performed on an intra- and interpopulational scale: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multivariate Discriminant Analysis (MDA) and Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA). All the results confirm the high levels of phenotypic diversity present in the Cobern Street sample. In agreement with historical sources, affinities were observed with groups from Africa (n = 8), Asia (n = 4), Madagascar (n = 2) and the Indian subcontinent (n = 2). The African component was predominant. This fact agrees with traditional craniometry (Ribot et al. 2017), but not with dental morphology which indicated more Asian input (Manyaapelo 2007). Furthermore, by comparing the various data from both geometric morphometrics and isotopic analyses (Cox 1999), at least five individuals were possibly identified as of mixed ancestry because of their very diverse affinities. This study supports the presence in Cape Town, since the 18th century, of an ethnic mosaic already rather complex.

An essential part of bioarchaeology is the study of diet and nutrition and its effects on the general health of a person. Interpretation of nutritional and metabolic disease related pathologies often provide additional insight into the daily social and cultural practices of people. It is therefore also an essential part of understanding differences amongst past populations from archaeological contexts and provides an alternative means for cross referencing historical accounts. In this study the skeletal remains of 36 Chinese indentured mine labourers, who worked and died on the Witwatersrand mines during the period AD 1904-1910, were assessed for any signs of metabolic or nutritionally related signs of disease. Historical information suggests that these indentured Chinese labourers came from poverty stricken communities in China where disease and malnutrition were often encountered. Once in South Africa they were again subjected to the harsh living and working conditions associated with mining. Analyses suggest that all 36 individuals were males between the ages of 16 and 45 years, with the majority being of young adult age (20-34 years). Pathology that could be observed included a high prevalence of nutrition-related changes and linear enamel hypoplasia which suggests that the Chinese miners had been subjected to long periods of malnutrition and illness throughout childhood continuing into adulthood. Nevertheless, a large proportion of lesions associated with malnutrition showed some degree of healing. A high frequency of traumatic lesions, specifically peri-mortem fractures, was observed and may have contributed to the death of many of the Chinese miners. It therefore seems that even though the healing of pathological lesions associated with malnutrition indicated a period of improved nutritional intake, possibly during their time on the Witwatersrand mines, the high prevalence of peri-mortem fractures attests to the hazardous working conditions associated with deep-level mining. In order to aid in the interpretation of skeletal pathology associated with metabolic and nutritional diseases non-specific signs of disease observed in a cadaver skeletal sample with known causes of death (related to specific metabolic or nutritional diseases) were compared to pathology observed in the Chinese miners. This provided pathological patterns which enabled a better interpretation of the pathology observed in the Chinese skeletal remains. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / am2014 / Anatomy / unrestricted

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in North American and has major economic consequences for society. People with knee OA experience the worst quality of life, among musculoskeletal conditions, with function and mobility being influenced by symptoms such as pain and stiffness. However, the impact of OA symptoms varies due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, leading many researchers to employ biopsychosocial and other population health frameworks to study the disease. These population health approaches have not been adopted when studying knee OA outcomes in bioarchaeology, where a limited biological lens prevails due to the sole reliance on skeletal remains. The purpose of this research was to explore methods for identifying the impairment potential of knee OA in archaeological populations using a clinical sample and population health approaches. Clinical studies have the advantage of assessing not only the biological implications of knee OA but also the functional outcomes. By creating a knee OA grading system applicable for both MRI and dry bone femora samples (Clinical Archaeological Osteoarthritis Score) a link between clinical and archaeological populations was proposed. Using this link to infer functional deficits onto archaeological populations using population health frameworks, a theoretical analysis was performed with two populations; the 17th century Huron and the 19th century Inuit from the Igloolik region of Nunavut. The results demonstrated the increased impairment potential of knee OA in the Inuit population versus the Huron population, produced by contrasting factors captured by the determinants of health, including social and physical environments.

L’industrie osseuse dans la région maya demeure peu comprise à cause de la mauvaise préservation des os. Les fouilles de la structure J-2 et de la place adjacente au site d’Ucanal, situé dans la province de Petén au Guatemala, ont permis de mettre au jour un dépôt daté Classique récent (700-810 DNÈ) contenant des déchets de production osseux. La concentration de déchets produits à Ucanal est l’une des plus élevées de l’aire maya, précédée seulement du dépôt L4-3 à Dos Pilas au Guatemala. Les débris regroupent une quantité importante de restes humains (~20%) mélangés aux restes d’animaux. Le travail des os humains dans la région maya est peu documenté et est principalement connue à travers les représentations artistiques ainsi que par les objets finis découverts dans les tombes de l’élite. Ce mémoire examine les restes humains retrouvés dans le dépôt de déchets de production d’Ucanal. Dans un premier temps, l’analyse des processus de réduction, utilisant le principe de chaîne opératoire, a documenté peu de différences entre le traitement des os humains et des os de mammifères non humains. Dans un second temps, l’organisation de la production semble indiquer que l’élite prenait part au travail de l’os puisque l’ensemble des stades de production ont été retrouvés au sein de leur résidence. Finalement, les isotopes de strontium et d’oxygène montrent que les individus, dont les os ont possiblement été transformés en outils, présentaient des valeurs locales impliquant qu’ils n’aient pas été originaires d’une région suffisamment éloignée du site contrairement à ce qui pourrait être attendu de captifs ou d’étrangers. / The ancient bone industry in the Maya region is currently not well understood due to the poor preservation of bones in the area. The excavations conducted of Structure J-2 and the plaza nearby at the site of Ucanal in Petén, Guatemala unearthed a large deposit dated to the Late Classic period (700-810 AD) containing primarily bone production debris. The number of bone fragments from the production debris deposit at Ucanal is among the highest recorded in the Maya area, second only to the L4-3 deposit found at Dos Pilas, Guatemala. The bone debris included a large quantity of worked human bones (ca. 20%) that were mixed with animal bones. The crafting of bone objects from human remains in the Maya area is poorly documented and primarily identified through artistic representations and finished objects found in elite tombs. This thesis specifically examined the human remains found in the bone production deposit from Ucanal. Firstly, analysis of the production process, using the principle of la chaîne opératoire, documented only small differences between the treatment of human bone and non-human mammal bone. Secondly, analyses of the organization of production indicated that bone working occurred within an elite residence where all stages of production were undertaken in the same context. Finally, strontium and oxygen isotope analyses of human teeth from the deposit revealed that the individuals whose bones may have been worked into tools possessed isotopic values local to the region, suggesting that they were not born at significant distances from the site as one might expect for war captives or foreigners.

No description available.