Evaluating osteological ageing from digital data.

Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biological profile both in forensic and archaeological contexts. The traditional adult osteological methods evaluate macroscopically the morphological changes that occur with increasing age of specific skeletal indicators, such as the cranial sutures, the pubic bone, the auricular surface of the ilium and the sternal end of the ribs. Technologies such as computed tomography and laser scanning are becoming more widely used in anthropology, and several new methods have been developed. This review focuses on how the osteological age-related changes have been evaluated in digital data. First, the 3D virtual copies of the bones have been used to mimic the appearance of the dry bones and the application of the traditional methods. Secondly, the information directly extrapolated from CT scans has been used to assess qualitatively or quantitatively the changes of the trabecular bones, the thickness of the cortical bones, and to perform morphometric analyses. Lastly, the most innovative approach has been the mathematical quantification of the changes of the pelvic joints, calculating the complexity of the surface. The importance of new updated reference datasets, created thanks to the use of CT scanning in forensic settings, is also discussed.

Comparing apples and oranges: Why infant bone collagen may not reflect dietary intake in the same way as dentine collagen.

OBJECTIVES: Recent developments in incremental dentine analysis allowing increased temporal resolution for tissues formed during the first 1,000 days of life have cast doubt on the veracity of weaning studies using bone collagen carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N) isotope ratio data from infants. Here, we compare published bone data from the well-preserved Anglo-Saxon site of Raunds Furnells, England, with co-forming dentine from the same individuals, and investigate the relationship of these with juvenile stature. The high-resolution isotope data recorded in dentine allow us to investigate the relationship of diet with juvenile stature during this critical period of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compare incremental dentine collagen δ13 C and δ15 N data to published bone collagen data for 18 juveniles and 5 female adults from Anglo Saxon Raunds Furnells alongside new data for juvenile skeletal and dental age. An improvement in the method by sampling the first 0.5 mm of the sub-cuspal or sub-incisal dentine allows the isotopic measurement of dentine formed in utero. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: δ13 C profiles for both dentine and bone are similar and more robust than δ15 N for estimating the age at which weaning foods are introduced. Our results suggest δ15 N values from dentine can be used to evaluate the maternal/in utero diet and physiology during pregnancy, and that infant dentine profiles may reflect diet PLUS an element of physiological stress. In particular, bone collagen fails to record the same range of δ15 N as co-forming dentine, especially where growth is stunted, suggesting that infant bone collagen is unreliable for weaning studies.

Infant mortality and isotopic complexity: New approaches to stress, maternal health, and weaning.

OBJECTIVES: Studies of the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ(13) C and δ(15) N) of modern tissues with a fast turnover, such as hair and fingernails, have established the relationship between these values in mothers and their infants during breastfeeding and weaning. Using collagen from high-resolution dentine sections of teeth, which form in the perinatal period we investigate the relationship between diet and physiology in this pivotal stage of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Childhood dentine collagen δ(13) C and δ(15) N profiles were produced from horizontal sections of permanent and deciduous teeth following the direction of development. These were from two 19th-century sites (n = 24) and a small number (n = 5) of prehistoric samples from Great Britain and Ireland. RESULTS: These high-resolution data exhibit marked differences between those who survived childhood and those who did not, the former varying little and the latter fluctuating widely. DISCUSSION: Breastfeeding and weaning behavior have a significant impact on the morbidity and mortality of infants and the adults they become. In the absence of documentary evidence, archaeological studies of bone collagen of adults and juveniles have been used to infer the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding. These interpretations rely on certain assumptions about the relationship between isotope ratios in the bone collagen of the adult females and the infants who have died. The data from this study suggest a more complex situation than previously proposed and the potential for a new approach to the study of maternal and infant health in past populations.

The (mis)use of adult age estimates in osteology.

CONTEXT: Adult age-at-death is presented in a number of different ways by anthropologists. Ordinal categories predominate in osteoarchaeology, but do not reflect individual variation in ageing, with too many adults being classified as "middle adults". In addition, mean ages (derived from reference samples) are overly-relied upon when developing and testing methods. In both cases, "age mimicry" is not adequately accounted for. OBJECTIVES: To highlight the many inherent biases created when developing, testing and applying age-estimation methods without fully considering the impact of "age mimicry" and individual variation. METHODS: The paper draws on previously published research (Web of Science, Pub Med, Google Scholar) on age estimation methods and their use in anthropology. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of consistency in the methods used to estimate age and for the mode of combining them. Ordinal categories are frequently used in osteoarchaeology, whereas forensic anthropologists are more likely to produce case-specific age ranges. Mean ages reflect the age structure of reference samples and should not be used to estimate age for individuals from populations with a different age-at-death structure. Individual-specific age ranges and/or probability densities should be used to report individual age. Further research should be undertaken on how to create unbiased, combined method age estimates.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as a means of assessing the presence of uric acid in archeological human remains: Challenges and future directions.

OBJECTIVES: This research aimed to replicate the Swinson, D., Snaith, J., Buckberry, J., & Brickley, M. (2010). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the investigation of gout in paleopathology. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 20, 135-143. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.1009 method for detecting uric acid in archeological human remains to investigate gout in past populations and to improve the original High Performance Liquid Chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method by using HPLC-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), a more sensitive, compound-specific detection method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used reference samples of uric acid to create a dilution series to assess the limits of quantification and detection. Samples from individuals with and without gout lesions were taken from foot bones and ribs from the English cemeteries of Tanyard, Hickleton, Gloucester, and Lincoln. RESULTS: We could not replicate the results of Swinson and colleagues using HPLC-UV. Tests using a dilution series of uric acid showed HPLC-MS was approximately 100× more sensitive than HPLC-UV, with the additional benefit of being compound specific. A newly developed hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) method improved retention characteristics. Fourteen samples from eight individuals, five with skeletal lesions consistent with gout, were analyzed with the final method. None showed evidence of uric acid despite the newly developed method's improved sensitivity and specificity. DISCUSSION: The lack of detectable uric acid extracted from these samples suggests that (1) urate crystals were not present in any of the bone samples, regardless of gout status; (2) urate crystals did not survive these specific archeological conditions; or (3) the concentration of uric acid in our bone extracts was low, and thus larger samples would be required.

Detection of chromosomal aneuploidy in ancient genomes.

Ancient DNA is a valuable tool for investigating genetic and evolutionary history that can also provide detailed profiles of the lives of ancient individuals. In this study, we develop a generalised computational approach to detect aneuploidies (atypical autosomal and sex chromosome karyotypes) in the ancient genetic record and distinguish such karyotypes from contamination. We confirm that aneuploidies can be detected even in low-coverage genomes ( ~ 0.0001-fold), common in ancient DNA. We apply this method to ancient skeletal remains from Britain to document the first instance of mosaic Turner syndrome (45,X0/46,XX) in the ancient genetic record in an Iron Age individual sequenced to average 9-fold coverage, the earliest known incidence of an individual with a 47,XYY karyotype from the Early Medieval period, as well as individuals with Klinefelter (47,XXY) and Down syndrome (47,XY, + 21). Overall, our approach provides an accessible and automated framework allowing for the detection of individuals with aneuploidies, which extends previous binary approaches. This tool can facilitate the interpretation of burial context and living conditions, as well as elucidate past perceptions of biological sex and people with diverse biological traits.

Technical note: Reliability of Suchey-Brooks and Buckberry-Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations from CT and laser scans.

Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey-Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry-Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT-scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey-Brooks and the Buckberry-Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT-scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We examined how the bone features can be evaluated on 3D visualizations and whether the different modalities (direct observations of bones, 3D visualization from CT-scan and from laser scans) are alike to different observers. We found the best inter-observer agreement for the bones versus 3D visualizations, with the highest values for the auricular surface. Between the 3D modalities, less variability was obtained for the 3D laser visualizations. Fair inter-observer agreement was obtained in the evaluation of the pubic bone in all modalities. In 3D visualizations of the auricular surfaces, transverse organization and apical changes could be evaluated, although with high inter-observer variability; micro-, macroporosity and surface texture were very difficult to score. In conclusion, these methods were developed for dry bones, where they perform best. The Suchey-Brooks method can be applied on 3D visualizations from CT or laser, but with less accuracy than on dry bone. The Buckberry-Chamberlain method should be modified before application on 3D visualizations. Future investigation should focus on a different approach and different features: 3D laser scans could be analyzed with mathematical approaches and sub-surface features should be explored on CT-scans.

Weaning at Anglo-Saxon Raunds: Implications for changing breastfeeding practice in Britain over two millennia.

This study investigated stable-isotope ratio evidence of weaning for the late Anglo-Saxon population of Raunds Furnells, Northamptonshire, UK. δ(15)N and δ(13)C values in rib collagen were obtained for individuals of different ages to assess the weaning age of infants within the population. A peak in δ(15) N values at about 2-year-old, followed by a decline in δ(15) N values until age three, indicates a change in diet at that age. This change in nitrogen isotope ratios corresponds with the mortality profile from the site, as well as with archaeological and documentary evidence on attitudes towards juveniles in the Anglo-Saxon period. The pattern of δ(13) C values was less clear. Comparison of the predicted age of weaning to published data from sites dating from the Iron Age to the 19th century in Britain reveals a pattern of changing weaning practices over time, with increasingly earlier commencement and shorter periods of complementary feeding in more recent periods. Such a change has implications for the interpretation of socioeconomic changes during this period of British history, since earlier weaning is associated with decreased birth spacing, and could thus have contributed to population growth.

Changes in health with the rise of industry.

Since the publication of the Christ Church Spitalfields crypt, London, in 1993, archaeologists and paleopathologists have increasingly recognized the importance of post-medieval burial assemblages. Increasingly paleopathologists have explored the impact industrialization and urbanization had on disease. This virtual special issue focuses upon a global examination of the transition to industry commencing in the mid-18th century. The objectives are to identify commonalities and disparities in general health during the development of industry within a global context, and to examine, and in some cases challenge, long-held assumptions about health during this period of dramatic social change. It gathers together papers from international scholars in order to examine patterns in health experience throughout the transition to industry. The individual papers address this transition in terms of the unique chronological, political, economic, and social parameters of their specific region. This introduction identifies long held assumptions about the impact the industrial revolution had on health and outlines the specific environmental and social conditions of industry that influenced human disease.

The impact of industrialization on malignant neoplastic disease of bone in England: A study of medieval and industrial samples.

OBJECTIVE: The increasing prevalence of malignant disease has been associated with shifts in environmental, socioeconomic, and lifestyle risk factors as well as increased adult lifespan. We examine the relationship between malignant neoplasms affecting bone, age and industrialization. MATERIALS: Pre-existing skeletal data from 11 medieval (1066-1547, n = 8973) and 14 industrial (1700-1890, n = 4748) cemeteries (N = 13,721) from England. METHODS: Context number, sex, age-at-death, evidence of skeletal malignancy, and diagnosis were collated. The data were compared using chi square, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and logistic regression (α = 0.01). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in skeletal malignancy from 0.06 % in the medieval sample to 0.36 in the industrial sample (p < 0.001). Age had a strong relationship with malignancy (p = 0.003), sex did not (p = 0.464). Logistic regression revealed that time-period (p < 0.001) was a stronger predictor of skeletal malignancy than age-at-death (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that even with the temporal increase in adult human lifespan the increase of malignant neoplasms of bone between the medieval and industrial time periods is still statistically significant. SIGNIFICANCE: The augmented exposure to carcinogens and pollution during the Industrial Revolution had a strong effect on an individual's susceptibility to developing malignant disease of bone. LIMITATIONS: This meta-analysis relies upon previously gathered data and diagnosis from a large number of researchers and did not include radiographic or CT screening. Only malignant neoplasms that affected bone could be included. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Increasing excavation and analysis of post-medieval cemeteries will provide more data. Multimethod approaches (radiography, CT, Micro-CT and histology) are encouraged.

The dark satanic mills: Evaluating patterns of health in England during the industrial revolution.

OBJECTIVE: this research seeks to investigate the impact the industrial revolution had on the population of England. MATERIALS: Pre-existing skeletal data from 1154 pre-Industrial (1066-1700 CE) and 4157 industrial (1700-1905) skeletons from 21 cemeteries (N = 5411). METHODS: Context number, sex, age-at-death, stature and presence/absence of selected pathological conditions were collated. The data were compared using chi square, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, t-tests and logistic regression (α = 0.01). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in cribra orbitalia, periosteal reactions, rib lesions, fractures, rickets, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, enamel hypoplasia, dental caries and periapical lesions in the industrial period. Osteomyelitis decreased from the pre-industrial to industrial period. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the industrial revolution had a significant negative impact on human health, however the prevalence of TB, treponemal disease, maxillary sinusitis, osteomalacia, scurvy, gout and DISH did not change, suggesting these diseases were not impacted by the change in environmental conditions. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the largest study of health in the industrial revolution that includes non-adults and adults and considers age-at-death alongside disease status to date. This data supports the hypothesis that the rise of industry was associated with a significant decline in general health, but not an increase in all pathological conditions.

The prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in England and Catalonia from the Roman to the post-medieval periods.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the prevalence of DISH through time from the Roman to the post-Medieval period in England and Catalonia. MATERIAL: 281 individuals from England and 247 from Catalonia were analyzed. METHODS: Adult individuals with at least three well-preserved lower thoracic vertebral bodies were analyzed. DISH was assessed considering the early stages of development. Diachronic and geographical dietary shifts were investigated using reported light isotope data, archaeological reports and historical documentation. RESULTS: Males and older individuals showed consistently higher prevalence of DISH, however, only the English sample showed a significant difference between males and females in the prevalence of DISH. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of DISH though time (from Roman to post medieval periods) nor across regions (England and Catalonia). CONCLUSION: The development of DISH is probably influenced by a combination of factors including increasing age and sex. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first exhaustive analysis of DISH in ancient Catalan populations and the first that considers the early stages of DISH. LIMITATIONS: Reduced sample size, particularly in post-medieval samples, as a result of the available excavated samples and the inclusion criteria adopted. FUTURE RESEARCH: Include rural, religious and high-status samples in the analysis of DISH. Re-assess the prevalence of DISH in post-medieval populations.

The Bioarchaeology of Disability: A population-scale approach to investigating disability, physical impairment, and care in archaeological communities.

OBJECTIVE: This research introduces 'The Bioarchaeology of Disability' (BoD), a population-scale approach which allows for a comprehensive understanding of physical impairment and disability in past communities through a combination of palaeopathological, funerary, and documentary analyses. METHODS: The BoD consists of three phases: 1) Contextualisation includes period-specific literature review; 2) Data collection consists of palaeopathological re-analysis of all individuals with physical impairment and collation of mortuary treatment data; and 3) Analysis integrates the gathered data, literature review, and theoretical frameworks to explore contemporary perceptions of disability. MATERIALS: The BoD is demonstrated through an investigation of physical impairment and disability in later Anglo-Saxon England (c.8th-11th centuries AD) which includes four burial populations (Ntotal=1543; Nimpaired=28). RESULTS: Individuals with physical impairment could be buried with normative or non-normative treatment (e.g., stone/clay inclusions, non-normative body positioning), and in marginal, non-marginal, and central locations. CONCLUSIONS: The overall funerary variation for individuals with physical impairment was relatively slight, which may suggest that religious factors were influencing normative funerary treatment of impaired and potentially disabled individuals. The funerary variability that was observed for individuals with physical impairment was probably influenced by individual and community-specific beliefs. SIGNIFICANCE: This research describes a population-scale approach to archaeological disability studies that can be replicated in other archaeological contexts. LIMITATIONS: Individuals with non-skeletal physical impairment (e.g., soft tissue, mental) are not considered by the BoD. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: The BoD should be applied to different archaeological communities around the world to better understand disability and physical impairment in the past.

An isotope signature for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis?

OBJECTIVES: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) has recurrently been associated with a rich diet (high in protein and higher trophic level foods); however, very few studies have investigated this link using carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) stable isotope analysis. This paper explores the relationship between DISH and diet in two Roman urban communities by analyzing individuals with and without DISH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: δ13C and δ15N analysis carried out on collagen from 33 rib samples (No DISH: 27; early DISH: 4; DISH: 2) selected from individuals buried at the Romano-British site of Baldock (UK), 41 rib samples (No DISH: 38; early DISH: 3) from individuals from the Catalan Roman site of Santa Caterina (Barcelona, Spain). Additionally, six faunal samples from Baldock and seven from Santa Caterina were analyzed. RESULTS: Standardized human isotope data from Santa Caterina show high δ15N probably associated to a diet combining terrestrial resources and freshwater fish. In contrast, isotope results from Baldock suggest a terrestrial-based diet. Individuals with DISH do not show isotopic ratios indicative of rich diet and there is no correlation between stage of DISH development and δ13C and δ15N. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that individuals with DISH followed a similar or isotopically similar diet as those individuals without DISH in Baldock and in Santa Caterina and therefore, while DISH may have been influenced by individual's dietary habits, this is not reflected in their isotopic signature.

Back to the beginning: Identifying lesions of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis prior to vertebral ankylosis.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the pathogenesis of DISH, identifying early or pre-DISH lesions in the spine and investigating the relationship between spinal and extra-spinal manifestations of DISH. MATERIAL: 44 skeletonized individuals with DISH from the WM Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. METHODS: For each vertebra, location, extension, point of origin and appearance of vertebral outgrowths were recorded. The size of the enthesophytes at the olecranon process, patella and calcaneal tuberosity was measured with digital callipers. RESULTS: At either end of the DISH-ankylosed segment, isolated vertical outgrowths arising from the central third of the anterior aspect of the vertebral body can usually be observed. These bone outgrowths show a well-organized external cortical layer, an internal structure of trabecular bone and usually are unaccompanied by or show minimal associated endplate degeneration. Analysis of the relationship between spinal and extra-spinal manifestations (ESM) suggests great inter-individual variability. No correlation between any ESM and the stage of spinal DISH was found. CONCLUSIONS: Small isolated outgrowths represent the earliest stages of the spinal manifestations of DISH. The use of ESM as an indicator of DISH should be undertaken with great caution until the relationship between these two features is understood. SIGNIFICANCE: Improved accuracy of paleopathological diagnostic criteria of DISH. LIMITATIONS: Small sample comprised of only individuals with DISH. FUTURE RESEARCH: micro-CT analysis to investigate the internal structure of the spinal lesions. Analysis of extra-spinal enthesophytes in individuals with and without DISH to understand their pathogenesis and association with the spinal lesions in individuals with DISH.

Basics in paleodemography: a comparison of age indicators applied to the early medieval skeletal sample of Lauchheim.

Recent advances in the methods of skeletal age estimation have rekindled interest in their applicability to paleodemography. The current study contributes to the discussion by applying several long established as well as recently developed or refined aging methods to a subsample of 121 adult skeletons from the early medieval cemetery of Lauchheim. The skeletal remains were analyzed by 13 independent observers using a variety of aging techniques (complex method and other multimethod approaches, Transition Analysis, cranial suture closure, auricular surface method, osteon density method, tooth root translucency measurement, and tooth cementum annulation counting). The age ranges and mean age estimations were compared and results indicate that all methods showed smaller age ranges for the younger individuals, but broader age ranges for the older age groups.

Radiographically recognizable? An investigation into the appearance of osteomalacic pseudofractures.

Pseudofractures, lucent bands that occur due to a build-up of osteoid, are a key feature of osteomalacia. In paleopathology, pseudofractures are often marked by small, linear cracks in the cortex of the bone surrounded by irregular, bony spicule formation. Radiography can be used to help diagnose pseudofractures, both clinically and in paleopathology. A detailed understanding of the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures and their development is, therefore, necessary to aid a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency. The present study examined the clinical literature to determine current ideas on the appearance of pseudofractures with the aim of applying this knowledge to paleopathology. A radiographic study of the characteristics of pseudofractures was performed on five individuals with clear skeletal features of osteomalacia from archaeological sites in Canada and the United Kingdom dating to the medieval period (5th to 15th centuries) and the 18th to 19th century. Results show that the radiographic appearance of pseudofractures could potentially reveal information about the cause of the deficiency and the chronicity of pseudofractures. This type of information has the potential to further our understanding of the lived experiences of archaeological individuals with osteomalacia.

The use of corsetry to treat Pott's disease of the spine from 19th century Wolverhampton, England.

Corsets have been used both to create a fashionable silhouette and as an orthopaedic treatment for spinal conditions, but skeletal changes associated with the use of corsetry are rarely reported on in the palaeopathological literature. Here, we report on a 19th-century adult male with Pott's disease of the vertebral column and related vertebral compression deformities. Wolverhampton HB40 presented destruction of the vertebral bodies of T6 to L4, ankylosis of the apophyseal joints of L1 and L2 and an angular kyphosis of the lumbar region, the result of tuberculosis. The presence of flattened spinous processes and bilateral acute angulation of multiple ribs in the lower thoracic region is indicative of plastic deformation caused by the use of the corset. The presence of both of these changes in an adult male, at a time when the use of cosmetic corsets by men was in decline, suggests that the compression trauma was the result of an orthopaedic corset used to correct the defective posture resulting from tubercular kyphosis, although corset use to obtain a fashionable silhouette cannot be ruled out.