A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / The ‘Makapan Mummy’ (A1081), the Makapan Child and human and animal remains with desiccated tissue attached indicate that the environment inside Historic Cave was dry enough to cause mummification. Environmental studies conducted in 1992 and 2011 suggest that dry air in the well-ventilated cave preserved the soft tissue and mummified the corpse. The aim of this study is to examine desiccated tissue sampled from the ‘Makapan Mummy’ (A1081) and from the human remains excavated at Historic Cave using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and light microscopy. The morphological features of the naturally desiccated tissue from Historic Cave were recorded and described using the microscopic analyses and were then compared to normal and mummified human tissue. Mummified tissue is hard and dry and often embedded with dust and debris. In its hard and dry state, mummified tissue needs to be prepared differently to normal human tissue. In this study, various methods used to clean, rehydrate and stain the desiccated tissue were investigated and compared. Through this comparative analysis it was possible to determine the most suitable method for examining desiccated tissue from Historic Cave. In the SEM analysis, epidermal keratinocytes and vellus hairs were observed on the surface of the skin tissue. Histological analyses demonstrated the exclusive preservation of collagen fibres in the muscle tissue, the connective tissue and the skin tissue. This suggests that the collagen fibres play an integral part in preserving the structure of desiccated tissue that is devoid of cellular elements. The results are consistent with the histology of desiccated tissue remains from the Republic of Korea, Egypt and the Americas.

The West Kendall Tree Island site (8DA1081) is a black dirt midden situated on the northeast end of an everglades tree island. The site has been intensely disturbed by excavation pits, particularly on the highest elevations of the site, and becomes increasingly disturbed by a growing Kendall population. Faunal remains recovered in 2008 are examined to reconstruct past ecological habitats, comparing the faunal composition to tree island sites within the Florida Everglades. Based upon identifications, the composition of the site is similar to those of the region, being comprised primarily of freshwater aquatic species and aquatic reptiles, with minimal selection of terrestrial faunal resources. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This thesis attempts to analyze the osteological material of Markham Parks I and II, two sites from Broward County, Florida from a bioarchaeological perspective in order to understand the possible presence of social stratification that existed between both populations at Markham Park and in line with other Florida populations. The analysis includes a look at the average stature of both populations through the use of estimation formulas, as well as taking note of any features on long bones that could denote the possible presence of injury or nutritional maladies which could be indications of social hardships. It also includes a close look at dentition for the presence of possible nutritional deficiencies such as enamel hypoplasias, as well as an analysis to corroborate findings made in initial reports regarding the cataloging of the remains, particularly in the areas of MNI and ancestry. Such analysis can hopefully bring further insight into the lifestyles of those that occupied Florida before contact. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The study involved the investigation of ancient dental enamel derived from former inhabitants of Pacific Islands: a population whose movements were necessarily more restricted than their mainland counterparts. Lead and strontium isotope analysis of human teeth were undertaken using TIMS and MC-LAM-ICPMS. Exposure information was obtained from elemental concentrations of lead and strontium using LAM-ICPMS, GFAAS and ASV. Isotopic measurements of lead within the dental enamel of these individuals suggest that the dominant source of biogenic lead exposure in these and other pre-metallurgical societies derived from the local water supply. Data from these ancient populations are compared with measurements made on ‘moderns’ based at Broken Hill, NSW, as well as from other UK-based post Iron Age populations. Results of this study indicate that the concentration of ancient lead within crystalline dental enamel in both ancient and modern populations can in certain circumstances be approximately the same, even when the degree of lead exposure is very high. The study proposes reasons for the discrepancies between these results and those obtained in previous studies, as well as discusses the implications of these analytical results for future studies in lead exposure in human populations. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Bibliography: leaves 332-354. / 480 leaves : ill., map, photos (col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis provides the results of osteological analyses of skeletal remains, archaeologically exhumed from a discrete section of the St Mary's Anglican Church cemetery located in Adelaide, South Australia, and a comprehensive survey of related historical records and documents. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences, 2004

<p>By examine cremated remains from graves dated to late Iron Age I wanted to find out what sorts of animals were placed in the graves. But also to see if the animal sacrifices had any connection to the Old Norse religion. The osteological material that were analysed were from both cremated humans and animals and had been dated to Viking Age. The material is from burial ground 59 at Laxare, Boge parish on Gotland. In addition to the human remains, the material contains bones from horse, cattle, sheep/goat, pig, dog, cat, bear, birds and fish. The combination between the species seems to be common all over Scandinavia during the late Iron Age. Except from analysing the material from Laxare I also studied litterature written by other scientist on the subject of animals in Old Norse religion. This was made to understand as much as possible about the religion and how people looked upon animals before Christianity.</p><p>It seemed that animals were very important in religion during the Viking Age in this area on Gotland. Some of the species that were sacrifices in the graves had big importance in peoples daily life but also in myths. The world needed humans, animals and gods to survive and everything were depending on the harmony between them. The horse was clearly a religious animal, and it shows both in the archaeological material and in the written stories from this time. Even cattle, goat and pig are other animals that describe to be important for the religion. The dog seems to be important in the archaeological material but is not mentioned very much in the written myths.</p><p>It is rather clear that the animal sacrificed in graves from the late Iron Age in Sweden is not only for food in the afterlife but also has a very important meaning for the religion and peoples understanding about Cosmos.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the structural variation of the proximal femur in human skeletal samples. The goal was to investigate and further describe the morphology of the proximal femur through quantitative observation. Subsets of measurements were used to calculate platymeric indices, which demonstrate the presence or absence of platymeria in a population. Metric analyses of the femur were also used to study size and shape differences in populations for indications of sexual dimorphism or asymmetry. Finally, selected platymeric index measurements were observed for intraobserver error, to test the validity of the measures and how well the researcher performed them. Data examining the morphology of the proximal femur were collected from a prehistoric Albanian site, a late 18th century Albanian site, and from a documented modern, industrial skeletal collection. In this study, platymeria was identified in the proximal femur in the two pre-industrial Albanian samples for both sexes and side. The results varied when compared to the industrial collection, which was eurymeric in both sexes and side. The proximal femoral differences in side and sex of the preindustrial and industrial remains shed light on biomechanical investigations. Overall, results conclude that the use of platymeric indices allowed the researcher to successfully distinguish variations in the proximal femur among three populations. / Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology / "May 2006." / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 73-77).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 18, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-97).

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (Dept. of Archaeology) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-247). Also available on the Internet.