Implications of the prevalence of Ascaris sp. in the funerary context of a Late Antique population (5th-7th c.) in Granada (Spain).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites in human remains from Late Antiquity (5th - 7th c.) Granada (Spain). MATERIALS: The study included pelvic and cranial control samples from 17 skeletons from the archaeological sites of Los Mondragones (n = 13) and Rafael Guillén (n = 4). METHODS: In the paleoparasitological study, soil samples from pelvic area and cranium were analyzed using the rehydration, homogenization, and micro-sieving method and visualization under brightfield microscopy. RESULTS: Ascaris sp. eggs were detected in pelvic samples from seven individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may indicate that this parasite was endemic. Its detection frequency is one of the highest reported at group level in an osteological series from Late Antiquity. SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of Ascaris sp. associated with skeletal remains has implications for assessing the lifestyle and health of populations in southern Spain during the Late Antique period. LIMITATIONS: The number of individuals is small and taphonomic processes could have limited paleoparasitological findings SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Future interdisciplinary studies of this type are warranted in larger osteological series to improve knowledge of parasitosis in the past.

Age estimation in infant and prenatal individuals through the metric development of the pars petrosa and squamosal portion of the temporal bone.

This study proposes an assessment of the accuracy of the Fazekas and Kósa and Nagaoka methods by measuring the squamosal and petrous portions of the temporal bone, whose application in the Mediterranean population is not recommended. Therefore, our proposal is a new formula to estimate the age of skeletal remains from individuals at 5 months gestational age to 1.5 postnatal years with the temporal bone. The proposed equation was calculated on a Mediterranean sample identified from the cemetery of San José, Granada (n = 109). The mathematical model used is the exponential regression of the estimated age for each measure and sex, and both in combination, using an inverse calibration and cross-validation model. In addition, the estimation errors and the percentage of individuals within a 95% confidence interval were calculated. The lateral development of the skull, especially the growth of the length of the petrous portion, showed the greatest accuracy, while its counterpart, the width of the pars petrosa, showed the lowest accuracy, so its use is discouraged. The positive results from this paper should be useful in both forensic and bioarchaeological contexts.

Validation of discriminant functions from the rib necks in two Portuguese adult identified populations.

Sexual dimorphism is the basis for sex estimation research in skeletal remains, helping the positive identification of individuals in forensic backgrounds. In this regard, it has been proved that the metrical analysis of the costal neck of the first four ribs in Spanish contemporary adult skeletons shows high sexual dimorphism, especially in the first rib. However, the validation of any method developed in identified skeletal collections must be compulsorily reproduced in other skeletonized sets to verify either its potential application in individuals from other locations, or the existence of possible biases associated with inter-population variation. Due to the geographical and socioeconomic proximity between Spain and Portugal, this paper aims to check the utility of the discriminant functions designed by Partido-Navadijo et al. (2021) in the two skeletal collections of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Results show the utility of these discriminant functions in Portuguese population, with frequencies of cases correctly assigned reaching up to 93.6% in the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection (CISC); and up to 92.6% in the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection (CEI/XXI). However, two particularities between the Spanish and Portuguese osteological assemblages can be highlighted: the possible existence of secular changes in relation to the CISC collection (1904-1938); and a reversal in the degree of costal dimorphism, being the third and fourth ribs of the CEI/XXI collection more dimorphic than the first ones.

Two cases of pelvic trauma with survival in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Egypt).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of a trauma that results in pelvic ring disruption and its clinical implications in two individuals from ancient Egypt. MATERIALS: Two complete skeletons of adult women, dated to the Middle Kingdom (c. 1980-1760 BCE), from two tombs in the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt). METHODS: The anatomical elements were examined macroscopically in Egypt. RESULTS: Unilateral sacroiliac luxation with disruption of the pubic symphysis was detected in both individuals. The presence of an overlapped symphysis was evident in female QH34aa. A healed fracture of the iliopubic ramus are present in female QH122. Antemortem bone alterations in the pelvis demonstrate that they survived the trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic trauma due to a lateral compression was detected in the os coxae. Both women survived but probably had severe sequelae that impaired their quality of life. At least one of them might have received some type of medical treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: Both cases shed light on pelvic fractures, their mechanisms of production, and their effects on bone and its functionality, as well as revealing possible associated lesions of soft tissues and vital organs. LIMITATIONS: The pelvis, or at least the pubic symphysis, must be well preserved to allow the correct diagnosis of this type of lesion. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Studies are warranted on the detection of this type of fracture, focusing on the subtle bone changes that indicate its presence. There is also a need to develop methodologies that combine the study of bone and soft tissue alterations.

Age estimation in infant skeletal remains by measurements of the pars lateralis.

The objectives of this work were to validate two published methods for subadult age estimation based on measurements of the pars lateralis, and to develop a new method based on a wider set of measurements using the Granada Osteological Collection. The pars lateralis of 127 individuals from 6 months prenatal to 4 years of age were measured, taking 6 measurements of the body, the anterior synchondrosis and the condyle. Length and width were used to validate the published methods. Regression functions using age as the independent variable were calculated using each of the six measurements taken, and functions for age estimation were obtained through classical calibration. Functions for calculation of the 95% confidence interval of the estimates were obtained through linear regression using the estimation errors. In the validation of the previous methods, one method showed a linear tendency of the differences, which can be attributed to a circularity in reasoning in the original work. In the other method, a tendency towards overestimation was found, which can be attributed to the limitations of the method itself. The new functions have a consistency rate of 92.2% to 97.1%; the functions derived from all measurements are useful from 6 months prenatal to 2 years of age. Moreover, the functions obtained are applicable to incomplete pars lateralis, allowing for age estimation in a wide set of contexts and providing straightforward age estimates with their respective margin of error.

Utility of the sternal synostosis for age-at-death estimation in a Mediterranean population.

Age estimation is essential for the identification of skeletal remains in Forensic Anthropology. Numerous studies have been performed on diverse regions of the skeleton, including the synostosis of the sternal segments. In this sense, the fusion of the different sternal segments was assessed to analyze whether it had a correlation with age-at-death in a Mediterranean population. A total of 189 sternums which belonged to individuals between the ages of 20 and 98 from both sexes (56.6% males; 43.4% females), from the San José's Cemetery of Granada Contemporary Collection (Spain), were selected. Scores ranging from 1 to 3 were assigned in accordance with the degree of manubrio-sternal fusion and sterno-xyphoidal fusion. Cohen's kappa coefficient for intra- and inter-observer error was performed and then chi-square test was run to analyze any correlation between the stage of synostosis and the skeletal age. Only the sterno-xyphoidal fusion, which starts between 30 and 39 years old, provided a predictable result, as the manubrium and the sternal body usually remain without fusion. This study demonstrates a direct correlation between fusion of the xyphoid process and chronological age.

At the beginnings of the funerary Megalithism in Iberia at Campo de Hockey necropolis.

The excavations undertaken at the Campo de Hockey site in 2008 led to the identification of a major Neolithic necropolis in the former Island of San Fernando (Bay of Cádiz). This work presents the results of the latest studies, which indicate that the site stands as one of the oldest megalithic necropolises in the Iberian Peninsula. The main aim of this work is to present with precision the chronology of this necropolis through a Bayesian statistical model that confirms that the necropolis was in use from c. 4300 to 3800 cal BC. The presence of prestige grave goods in the earliest and most monumental graves suggest that the Megalithism phenomenon emerged in relation to maritime routes linked to the distribution of exotic products. We also aim to examine funerary practices in these early megalithic communities, and especially their way of life and the social reproduction system. As such, in addition to the chronological information and the Bayesian statistics, we provide the results of a comprehensive interdisciplinary study, including anthropological, archaeometric and genetic data.

Ontogeny of morphological variations in the vertebral column: Prevalence and bony variability in young Spanish children.

Pre- and postnatal development and variability in discrete vertebral traits have been poorly described in embryonic studies. Numerous authors have reported that these variations are observable only from adolescence; scientific publications on the vertebrae of fetuses and infants are scarce. Thus, the aims of this study were to (1) describe the ontogeny and variability of anatomical variations in the vertebral column of a Spanish infant population and (2) analyze the frequency and relationship between sex, age, and intertrait variables. A total of 4728 vertebrae from 197 skeletons were studied. The age at death ranged from 22 intrauterine weeks to 8 years. Twenty morphological traits related to vertebral column development were analyzed. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, and the chi-square test was used to measure the relationship between sex, age, and intertrait variables. We observed that 88.32% of skeletons expressed discrete traits along the spine. In fetuses, the double transverse foramen and unclosed transverse process of the axis were the most prevalent traits. In infants older than one year, the appearance of the L5 cleft neural arch, unclosed transverse process of the atlas, and craniocaudal shifts were frequent. A significant result was found between sex and the unclosed transverse process in the axis. The intertrait relationship was significant for all traits that shared the same embryonic structure. Morphological variations became visible following the appearance of ossification centers during the pre- and postnatal periods, and their etiology was associated with embryonic development.

Correlation of the human pubic symphysis surface with age-at-death: a novel quantitative method based on a bandpass filter.

Age-at-death estimation from skeletal remains typically utilizes the roughness of pubic symphysis articular surfaces. This study presents a new quantitative method adapting a tool from geometric morphometrics, bandpass filtering of partial warp bending energy to extract only age-related changes of the surfaces. The study sample consisted of 440 surface-scanned symphyseal pubic bones from men between 14 and 82 years of age, which were landmarked with 102 fixed and surface semilandmarks. From the original sample, 371 specimens within Procrustes distance of 0.05 of the side-specific average were selected. For this subsample, age was correlated with total bending energy (calculated as summed squared partial warps amplitudes) for a wide range of plausible bandpass filters. For our subsample's 188 right-side surfaces, the correlation between age and bandpass filtered versions of bending energy peaks relatively sharply at r = -0.648 for ages up through 49 years against the first seven partial warp amplitudes only. The finding for left symphyses is similar. The results demonstrate that below the age 50, the symphyseal surface form changes most systematically related to age may be best detected by a lowpass-filtered version of bending energy: signals at the largest geometric scales of roughness rather than its full spectrum. Combining this method with information from other skeletal features could further improve age-at-death estimation based on the symphyseal pubic surface.

Discriminant functions for sex estimation using the rib necks in a Spanish population.

One of the first steps in the identification of human remains is sex estimation. Discriminant functions are very useful for this purpose, as they are based on the fundamental premise of the sexual dimorphism in osseous remains. However, the absence of studies of this kind in the thoracic cage is visible, and adequate cause to justify this work. To this purpose, we analysed and measured a set of ribs, R1 to R4, belonging to skeletons of contemporary chronology (1970-2010), in order to obtain discriminant functions enabling sex estimation through equations applied to the rib neck. The sample comes from the Cemetery of San José, which is located at the Laboratory of Anthropology at the University of Granada. All data from this sample was known: ancestry, sex, age-at-death and cause of death. Results showed a percentage of success of approximately 80-88% in ribs R2 to R4, and approximately 85-90% in R1, reaching up to 93.2%. Results from intra-/inter-observer error tests show excellent reproducibility of the method. The data confirms that it is possible to estimate sex from the rib neck.

Metodología de Binford para la categorización tafonómica de marcas de dientes animales en superficies óseas: una revisión con búsqueda sistemática / Binford methodology for taphonomic classification of animal tooth marks on bone surfaces: a systematic search review

La Tafonomía, concepto reconocido en paleontología y antropología, permite estimar tiempo y circunstancias de muerte mediante el estudio de condiciones post-mortem y factores relativos a la supervivencia de restos óseos. Entre las diferentes variables tafonómicas, Binford (1981) propuso una categorización de marcas de mordedura, hoy reconocido estándar para estos estudios. Sin embargo, su diseño original en inglés podría llevar a malinterpretaciones o informes erróneos por no poseer una traducción validada. Se realizó una revisión con búsqueda sistemática de artículos en español, sin límite temporal, que citaran a Binford ("Bones: Ancient Men and Modern Myths") en Google Scholar. Fueron incluidos aquellos que mencionaran esta metodología para categorizar marcas de mordedura como agente tafonómico. Se excluyeron tesis, libros, pósters y resúmenes de congresos. Se identificaron 349 documentos y se seleccionaron 83 según criterios. El 65,12 % refirió sólo a huellas de mordedura animal sin especificar categorías; el 26,51 % mostró traducciones libres o categorizaciones parciales, y el 8,43 % realizó categorizaciones sin traducción. La mayor cantidad de citas fueron realizadas por autores de Argentina y España (54,22 % y 24,10 % respectivamente, como única filiación). Las categorías con más traducciones libres fueron "pitting" y "puncture" (11 y 8 términos diferentes respectivamente). Si bien la categorización de Binford es citada profusamente en países de habla hispana para definir las marcas de mordedura animal en hueso, la ausencia de transculturización conlleva falta de consenso para la comunidad científica. Más allá de una traducción literal, la adaptación y estandarización de estos términos es necesaria para validar esta metodología.

Taphonomy, a concept recognized in paleontology and anthropology, allows the estimation of time and circumstances of death by studying post-mortem conditions and factors related to the survival of bone remains. Among the different taphonomic variables, Binford (1981) proposed a categorization of bite marks, now recognized as standard for these studies. However, its original design in English could lead to misinterpretations or erroneous reports for not having a validated translation. A scoping review was conducted for articles in Spanish, without a time limit, that cited Binford ("Bones: Ancient Men and Modern Myths") in Google Scholar. Those who mentioned this methodology to categorize bite marks as taphonomic agent were included. Theses, books, posters and conference proceedings were excluded. We identified 349 documents, and 83 were selected according to criteria. 65.12 % referred only to animal bite marks without specifying categories; 26.51 % showed free translations or partial categorizations, and 8.43 % made categorizations without translation. The largest number of citations were made by authors from Argentina and Spain (54.22 % and 24.10 % respectively, as the only affiliation). The categories with the most free translations were "pitting" and "puncture" (11 and 8 different terms respectively). While Binford's categorization is widely cited in Spanish-speaking countries to define animal bite marks in bone, the absence of transculturation implies a lack of consensus for the scientific community. Beyond a literal translation, the adaptation and standardization of these terms is necessary to validate this methodology.

Morphometric research and sex estimation of lumbar vertebrae in a contemporary Spanish population.

In the identification and reconstruction of the biological profile of skeletal remains in physical and forensic anthropology, sex estimation is a fundamental step, and is essential to achieve methods that allow the highest allocation accuracy. This study proposes a method to estimate the sex of skeletal remains using lumbar vertebrae. A total of 33 linear measurements for each lumbar vertebra were taken in 94 identified, contemporary, and adult skeletal remains (46 male and 48 female) from the cemetery of San José in Granada. The sexual dimorphism of each variable was analyzed, an intra- and interobserver error analysis was developed to assess the variables with best concordance, and the discriminant equations were obtained through a binary logistic regression analysis. All lumbar vertebrae show statistically significant sexual dimorphism with higher values in males than in females. Equations with an allocation accuracy of between 80% and 94.5% were obtained, showing that the lumbar vertebrae are a useful alternative for sex estimation when other skeletal elements are not well-preserved or available. The differences of biogeographic history between populations could translate into morphometric differences, which means that it is not advisable to use discriminant equations in a universal way. In spite of the high allocation accuracy of the equations developed, they should be applied in adults from populations similar to the present study to obtain reliable results of sexual estimation, until its validation in other populations.

Possible interpersonal violence in the Neolithic necropolis of Campo de Hockey (San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain).

OBJECTIVE: To interpret traumatic cranial lesions on two individuals buried at the Neolithic necropolis of Campo de Hockey, Spain. MATERIALS: Skeletal remains and grave goods associated with two individuals recovered in good condition from a single grave. METHODS: Crania were macroscopically and radiographically analysed. RESULTS: Of all the individuals recovered from this site, only two present perimortem skull injuries. Fractures were located on the right side of the skulls, one on the frontal bone and the other on the parietal bone. CONCLUSIONS: The individuals present signs of interpersonal violence. In both cases, the injuries are perimortem and may have contributed to the deaths of the individuals. SIGNIFICANCE: The identification of interpersonal violence in the two individuals buried in the tomb, alongside the archaeological context of the burials, provides unique insight into Neolithic burial practices in the Iberian Peninsula and the role that paleopathology can play in the recognition of social complexity. LIMITATIONS: The skeletal remains of the two individuals were fragmented, rendering the identification of perimortem lesions difficult. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: New imaging techniques, including CT-scan, will provide more detailed analyses.

Sex determination in a Spanish population based on sacrum.

Sex determination is one of the essential steps when it comes to establishing an individual's biological profile. It is important in both archaeology and forensic studies. The sacrum is not generally conserved, but in cases where it is, it can be used for determination of the sex of skeletal remains. Furthermore, the sacrum is not a commonly studied bone and has not been studied in a Spanish population. For this study, measurements of 170 sacra of individuals from the contemporary osteological collection of San José from Granada including only the adults were taken. Measurements based on the anatomical regions of the sacra were established in order to obtain some regression formulas to determine sex. Our results show that the Superior Transverse Line and Right Lateral Sacral Crest are the most dimorphic structures, achieving a 74% rate of correct classification of sex in a univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, when the mentioned variables were combined, an 81.41% rate of correct classification was achieved. Our results show that our method can be applied with other methods at the same time to determine the sex of individuals in forensic and archaeological contexts.

Specific-age group sex estimation of infants through geometric morphometrics analysis of pubis and ischium.

Sex determination of unknown individuals is one of the primary goals of Physical and Forensic Anthropology. The adult skeleton can be sexed using both morphological and metric traits on a large number of bones. The human pelvis is often used as an important element of adult sex determination. However, studies carried out about the pelvic bone in subadult individuals present several limitations due the absence of sexually dimorphic characteristics. In this study, we analyse the sexual dimorphism of the immature pubis and ischium bones, attending to their shape (Procrustes residuals) and size (centroid size), using an identified sample of subadult individuals composed of 58 individuals for the pubis and 83 for the ischium, aged between birth and 1year of life, from the Granada osteological collection of identified infants (Granada, Spain). Geometric morphometric methods and discriminant analysis were applied to this study. The results of intra- and inter-observer error showed good and excellent agreement in the location of coordinates of landmarks and semilandmarks, respectively. Principal component analysis performed on shape and size variables showed superposition of the two sexes, suggesting a low degree of sexual dimorphism. Canonical variable analysis did not show significant changes between the male and female shapes. As a consequence, discriminant analysis with leave-one-out cross validation provided low classification accuracy. The results suggested a low degree of sexual dimorphism supported by significant sexual dimorphism in the subadult sample and poor cross-validated classification accuracy. The inclusion of centroid size as a discriminant variable does not imply a significant improvement in the results of the analysis. The similarities found between the sexes prevent consideration of pubic and ischial morphology as a sex estimator in early stages of development. The authors suggest extending this study by analysing the different trajectories of shape and size in later ontogeny between males and females.

Proposal of new regression formulae for the estimation of age in infant skeletal remains from the metric study of the pars basilaris.

In the context of physical and forensic anthropology, when a child's skeleton is damaged or in poor condition, which is common, many of the metric methods for the estimation of skeletal age cannot be used. In these circumstances, those more resistant bones, such as the pars basilaris, will be most useful. The aims of this study were to test existing methods for estimating skeletal age from the metric study of the pars basilaris and to propose new regression formulae. One hundred fourteen individuals aged between 5 months of gestation and 6 years were analyzed; seven measures were taken from each pars basilaris using a digital caliper. The chronological age was compared with the estimated age using the methods published by Fazekas and Kósa in 1978 and by Scheuer and MacLaughlin in 1994. New regression formulae are proposed, obtained by classical calibration, which include confidence intervals at 50 and 97.5 % to express the error. With both methods, significant differences were observed; the method of Fazekas and Kósa shows a tendency to underestimate the age, and the method of Scheuer and MacLaughlin tends to overestimate it. The proposed formulae represent a good tool for estimating age in many different contexts because they are relatively easy to apply, although other analysis systems, such as Bayesian approach or geometric morphometry, offer more robust and effective results.

Validation of the sex estimation method elaborated by Schutkowski in the Granada Osteological Collection of identified infant and young children: Analysis of the controversy between the different ways of analyzing and interpreting the results.

Sex estimation of juveniles in the Physical and Forensic Anthropology context is currently a task with serious difficulties because the discriminatory bone characteristics are minimal until puberty. Also, the small number of osteological collections of children available for research has made it difficult to develop effective methodologies in this regard. This study tested the characteristics of the ilium and jaw proposed by Schutkowski in 1993 for estimation of sex in subadults. The study sample consisted of 109 boys and 76 girls, ranging in age from 5 months of gestation to 6 years, from the identified osteological collection of Granada (Spain). For the analysis and interpretation of the results, we have proposed changes from previous studies because we believe they raised methodological errors relating to the calculation of probabilities of success and sex distribution in the sample. The results showed correct assignment probabilities much lower than those obtained by Schutkowski as well as by other authors. The best results were obtained with the angle and depth of the sciatic notch, with 0.73 and 0.80 probability of correct assignment respectively if the male trait was observed. The results obtained with the other criteria were too small to be valid in the context of Physical or Forensic Anthropology. From our results, we concluded that Schutkowski method should not be used in forensic context, and that the sciatic notch is the most dimorphic trait in subadults and, therefore, the most appropriate to develop more effective methods for estimating sex.

Evaluation of the maximum length of deciduous teeth for estimation of the age of infants and young children: proposal of new regression formulas.

The methodology used to identify individuals in forensic anthropology requires a minimum degree of precision and accuracy and should be based on identified and representative samples. Achievement of these objectives in infant skeletons is hampered by the scarcity of appropriate samples. The dental age estimation methods of Liversidge et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 90: 307-313, 1993) and Deutsch et al. (Growth 49: 207-17, 1985) were applied to the Granada osteological collection of identified infants (Granada, Spain) in order to evaluate its applicability in a Mediterranean population. Significant differences were found between the estimated and real ages in both cases. Based on the measurements obtained in 140 fetuses and infants, new regression formulas were developed to estimate age from the metric study on deciduous teeth. Independent functions are provided for each deciduous maxillary and mandibular tooth in each sex, along with the margin of error (95% confidence interval). These formulas appear to offer one of the best methods available for estimating the age of Mediterranean infants in forensic anthropology settings.

Image analysis of pubic bone for sex determination in a computed tomography sample.

Radiology has demonstrated great utility for sex determination, but most studies are based in metrical and morphological methods in order to perform an identification profile. It is presented an easy image analysis-based method aimed to demonstrate the relationship between the bony tissue ultrastructure and sex by using several grey level histogram variables obtained from computed tomography images using sagittal sections of the pubic symphysis surface and the body of the pubis. The CT sample consisted of 169 hospital DICOM archives of known sex and age. The multivariate binary logistic regression models calculated showed reliabilities for sex determination between 87.4 and 95.8 %, with a high intra and inter-observer agreement. The suggested method is not only considered useful to perform an identification profile during Virtopsy, but even for application in further studies in order to attach a quantitative correlation for tissue ultrastructure characteristics without complex and expensive methods beyond image analysis.