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Austin RM, Honap TP, Mann AE, Hübner A, DeGaglia CMS, Warinner C, Zuckerman MK, Hofman CA. Metagenomic and paleopathological analyses of a historic documented collection explore ancient dental calculus as a diagnostic tool. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14720. [PMID: 38926415 PMCID: PMC11208530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64818-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Dental calculus is a microbial biofilm that contains biomolecules from oral commensals and pathogens, including those potentially related to cause of death (CoD). To assess the utility of calculus as a diagnostically informative substrate, in conjunction with paleopathological analysis, calculus samples from 39 individuals in the Smithsonian Institution's Robert J. Terry Collection with CoDs of either syphilis or tuberculosis were assessed via shotgun metagenomic sequencing for the presence of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) DNA. Paleopathological analysis revealed that frequencies of skeletal lesions associated with these diseases were partially inconsistent with diagnostic criteria. Although recovery of T. p. pallidum DNA from individuals with a syphilis CoD was elusive, MTBC DNA was identified in at least one individual with a tuberculosis CoD. The authenticity of MTBC DNA was confirmed using targeted quantitative PCR assays, MTBC genome enrichment, and in silico bioinformatic analyses; however, the lineage of the MTBC strain present could not be determined. Overall, our study highlights the utility of dental calculus for molecular detection of tuberculosis in the archaeological record and underscores the effect of museum preparation techniques and extensive handling on pathogen DNA preservation in skeletal collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita M Austin
- Frontiers in Evolutionary Zoology Research Group, Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0562, Norway.
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
| | - Tanvi P Honap
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Allison E Mann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Alexander Hübner
- Department Archaeogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | | | - Christina Warinner
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Molly K Zuckerman
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
| | - Courtney A Hofman
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA.
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
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2
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Spekker O, Kiss P. A, Kis L, Király K, Varga S, Marcsik A, Schütz O, Török T, Hunt DR, Tihanyi B. White plague among the "forgotten people" from the Barbaricum of the Carpathian Basin-Cases with tuberculosis from the Sarmatian-period (3rd-4th centuries CE) archaeological site of Hódmezővásárhely-Kenyere-ér, Bereczki-tanya (Hungary). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294762. [PMID: 38198442 PMCID: PMC10781108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that is well-known in the palaeopathological record because it can affect the skeleton and consequently leaves readily identifiable macroscopic alterations. Palaeopathological case studies provide invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of TB in the past. This is true for those archaeological periods and geographical regions from when and where no or very few TB cases have been published until now-as in the Sarmatian period (1st-5th centuries CE) in the Barbaricum of the Carpathian Basin. The aim of our paper is to discuss five newly discovered TB cases (HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309) from the Sarmatian-period archaeological site of Hódmezővásárhely-Kenyere-ér, Bereczki-tanya (Csongrád-Csanád county, Hungary). Detailed macromorphological evaluation of the skeletons focused on the detection of bony changes likely associated with different forms of TB. In all five cases, the presence of endocranial alterations (especially TB-specific granular impressions) suggests that these individuals suffered from TB meningitis. Furthermore, the skeletal lesions observed in the spine and both hip joints of HK225 indicate that this juvenile also had multifocal osteoarticular TB. Thanks to the discovery of HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309, the number of TB cases known from the Sarmatian-period Carpathian Basin doubled, implying that the disease was likely more frequent in the Barbaricum than previously thought. Without the application of granular impressions, the diagnosis of TB could not have been established in these five cases. Thus, the identification of TB in these individuals highlights the importance of diagnostics development, especially the refinement of diagnostic criteria. Based on the above, the systematic macromorphological (re-)evaluation of osteoarchaeological series from the Sarmatian-period Carpathian Basin would be advantageous to provide a more accurate picture of how TB may have impacted the ancestral human communities of the Barbaricum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Kiss P.
- Department of Early Hungarian and Migration Period Archaeology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kitty Király
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeology, Móra Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Varga
- Department of Archaeology, Móra Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Antónia Marcsik
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Oszkár Schütz
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Török
- Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - David R. Hunt
- Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Northern District, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Balázs Tihanyi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
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3
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Buzhilova A. Probable cases of tuberculosis in Early Medieval pastoralists of Eastern Europe. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102365. [PMID: 38012917 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Two anthropological collections of the 8-9th century AD from the forest-steppe area of the southern Eastern Europe has been the subject of analysis of the osteo-articular alterations concerning tuberculosis related lesions. According to archaeological data, the Mayaki and Dmitrievka groups are from the territory of Khazar Khaganate, which is well-known by historical data. It was a traditional population with settled pastoral farming. There were studied 292 adult human remains by macroscopic morphological and radiological methods. The completeness of the skeletons could have been better due to the intentional selection of their parts for the museum funds, so there were limitations for the differential diagnosis of TB by morphological criteria. In general, 31 individuals (20 men, 11 women) were marked as possible candidates with skeletal TB. The number of skeletons with possible specific infections from the two series is comparable, but according to sex distribution, there are some significant differences. If in the Dmitrievka group, there was approximately the same distribution of the number of cases of possible infected men and women; in the Mayaki group then there was a significant difference in the prevalence of the male sample. Various reasons can explain the observed differences. Firstly, we cannot rule out an error in the diagnosis of tuberculosis only by morphological methods since the preservation of the skeletons leaves much to be desired. Secondly, as it is known, only a few percent of tuberculosis patients show skeletal alterations, so the direct quantitative comparison cannot be adequate in paleopathological studies. The ambiguity of morphological criteria, particularly for destructive lesions of bone other than vertebrae, does not allow asserting that all identified cases result from TB. However, the results of differential diagnosis can underline that at least half of the skeletons have skeletal alterations most likely related to TB. The final analysis of the remains by aDNA methods will permit more certain confirmation of the diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Buzhilova
- Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
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Kiss K, Bálint M, Gémes A, Marcsik A, Dávid Á, Évinger S, Gróf P, Gróh D, Gyenesei KÉ, János I, Kolozsi B, Kovács LO, Mateovics-László O, Líbor C, Merczi M, Molnár E, Németh CE, Pálfi G, Perémi Á, Rácz Z, Spekker O, Szőke BM, Tóth IZ, Tóth Z, Hajdu T, Szeniczey T. More than one millennium (2nd-16th century CE) of the White Plague in the Carpathian Basin - New cases, expanding knowledge. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102387. [PMID: 38012922 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The causative agent of tuberculosis is still a widespread pathogen, which caused the death of ca. 1.6 million people globally in 2021. The paleopathological study of human remains revealed the antiquity of the disease and its continuous presence throughout the history of humankind. The Carpathian Basin has always been a biocultural melting pot, since it has seen several migrations over the centuries, and served as a location of admixture and interaction for numerous populations of different cultures. Thus, this geographical territory is ideal for the examination of the coevolutionary processes of hosts and their pathogens. We aimed to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis cases excavated inside the borders of Hungary between the 2nd and 16th centuries CE. We established a comprehensive database by collecting 114 already published cases and introducing 39 new cases. The involved cases include those that have been confirmed by different molecular methods, as well as possible infections that were identified based on the presence of macromorphological and radiological alterations. The progress of future molecular and paleopathological studies can be facilitated by our dataset, as it presents spatial and temporal information concerning the spread of the disease in the Carpathian Basin, as well as the biological profile and detailed paleopathological description of lesions illustrated by photo- and radiographs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztián Kiss
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, 1083, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Miskolc, 3515 Miskolc-Egyetemváros B3-B4 épület, Hungary.
| | - Marianna Bálint
- Hajdúsági Museum, Kossuth Lajos u. 1, 4220, Hajdúböszörmény, Hungary.
| | - Anett Gémes
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Antónia Marcsik
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Áron Dávid
- Salisbury Kft., Sánc utca 7., 1016, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Sándor Évinger
- Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, 1083, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Péter Gróf
- Mátyás Király Museum, Hungarian National Museum, Fő utca 29., 2025, Visegrád, Hungary.
| | - Dániel Gróh
- Mátyás Király Museum, Hungarian National Museum, Fő utca 29., 2025, Visegrád, Hungary.
| | - Katalin Éva Gyenesei
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - István János
- Institute of Environmental Science, University of Nyíregyháza, Sóstói út 31/B, 4400, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.
| | | | | | - Orsolya Mateovics-László
- National Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum krt. 14-16, 1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Csilla Líbor
- Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum krt. 14-16, 1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Mónika Merczi
- Bálint Balassa Museum, Hungarian National Museum, Mindszenty hercegprímás tere 5, 2500, Esztergom, Hungary.
| | - Erika Molnár
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Csilla Emese Németh
- Department of Molecular Biology, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, 1085, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - György Pálfi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Ágota Perémi
- Laczkó Dezső Múzeum, Török Ignác u. 7., 8200, Veszprém, Hungary.
| | - Zsófia Rácz
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum krt. 4/b, 1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary; Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum krt. 4/b, 1088, Budapest, Hungary; Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Béla Miklós Szőke
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for Humanities, Hungarian Research Network, Tóth Kálmán u. 4, 1097, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Zoltán Tóth
- Archaeological Collection, István Dobó Castle Museum, Vár 1, 3300, Eger, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Hajdu
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Szeniczey
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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5
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Libor C, Hajdu T, Szeniczey T, Kovács LO, Kunos L, Mateovics-László O. "Tuberculosis on the spot" - Discussion of a probable sternal tuberculosis from a late medieval cemetery from Hungary. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102410. [PMID: 38012916 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of non-adult remains are particularly suitable for finding epidemic periods in past populations. This study presents a probable unique example of osseous manifestation of tuberculosis on a child's skeletal remains from medieval Hungary. Between 2009 and 2011 the Field Service for Cultural Heritage excavated the exceptional cemetery of Perkáta - Nyúli-dűlő in Hungary, with around 5000+ graves. The analysed skeleton (SNR 948) was located in the medieval (10-16th century) part of the cemetery. Besides the standard macroscopic pathological observation, we also performed radiographic analysis. The remains of the child (13-14 year-old) showed numerous skeletal lesions: the ribs have proliferative lesions (dense nodules) on the visceral surface of the shaft, lytic lesions with rounded edges occurred on the thoracic and lumbar vertebral bodies, and on the facies auricularis of the left ilium we can see pitting and new bone formation. What makes this pathological case exceptional is the significant change in the manubrium. It shows extensive osteolytic lesions, probably due to tuberculous osteomyelitis, which is a unique phenomenon in an archaeological context. This rare type of extra-spinal tuberculous osteomyelitis appears in less than 1% of cases with skeletal TB, and even less in case of children, according to modern medical literature. Although some cases of slight lesions on the manubrium have been described from an archaeological context, no such cases showing advanced lesions have been published so far. In the future, biomolecular analyses should be conducted as well, in order to confirm the presence of TB in this individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csilla Libor
- Hungarian National Museum, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Hajdu
- Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Spekker O, Kis L, Lukács N, Patyi E, Tihanyi B. The first probable case with tuberculous meningitis from the Hun period of the Carpathian Basin - How diagnostics development can contribute to increase knowledge and understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution of tuberculosis in the past. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102372. [PMID: 38012930 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The aim of our paper is to demonstrate and discuss in detail the endocranial bony changes suggestive of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) that were recorded in an adult female's (SPF15) skeleton. The bone remains were uncovered from a solitary grave from the Hun period (5th-century-CE) archaeological site of Solt-Polya-fok (Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary). During the macromorphological examination of the very incomplete and poorly preserved skeleton of SPF15, the inner surface of the skull displayed abnormally pronounced digital impressions (APDIs) and granular impressions (GIs). Recently, it was confirmed that endocranial GIs can be considered as specific signs of TBM; and thus, they are sufficient enough on their own to make a definitive diagnosis of the disease in the palaeopathological practice. On the other hand, APDIs are not specific to TBM but can be tuberculous in origin; their concomitant presence with GIs in SPF15 makes their tuberculous origin very likely. Based on the above, it seems that the adult female from the 5th-century-CE archaeological site of Solt-Polya-fok suffered from TBM. SPF15 is the first reported probable case with tuberculosis (TB) from the Hun period of the present-day territory of Hungary, who gives us invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of the disease in the past. Furthermore, it highlights the paramount importance of diagnostics development, especially the identification and refinement of diagnostic criteria, as without the application of APDIs and GIs, the diagnosis of TB could not have been established in SPF15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum körút 4/B, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary; Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Úri utca 54-56, H-1014, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Nikoletta Lukács
- National Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum körút 14-16, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Eszter Patyi
- Kecskeméti Katona József Museum, Bethlen körút 1, H-6000, Kecskemét, Hungary.
| | - Balázs Tihanyi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Úri utca 54-56, H-1014, Budapest, Hungary.
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7
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Gémes A, Mateovics-László O, Anders A, Raczky P, Szabó G, Somogyi K, Keszi T, Gyenesei KÉ, Kovács LO, Marcsik A, Szabó LD, Kiss K, Köhler K, Zoffmann ZK, Szeniczey T, Hajdu T. Tuberculosis in prehistory in Eastern Central Europe (Hungary) - Chronological and geographical distribution. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 143S:102396. [PMID: 38012936 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) has long been a major scourge of humankind. Paleopathological and paleomicrobiological studies have revealed the past presence of the disease on a large spatial and temporal scale. The antiquity of the disease has extensively been studied in the Carpathian Basin, given its dynamic population and cultural changes since prehistory. These studies, however, have mainly focused on the populations living during the Common Era. The aim of this paper is to present the published and the recently discovered cases of prehistoric TB, from the Neolithic (6000-4500/4400 BCE) to the Bronze Age (2600/2500-800 BCE) Central Carpathian Basin (Hungary). We summarize 18 published cases and present new cases dating to the Neolithic period and introduce 3 newly discovered Bronze Age cases of TB. Despite extensive research, TB has not yet been identified from the Copper and Iron Ages in the Carpathian Basin. Considering the state of TB research, and supplemented by our prehistoric dataset, the spatio-temporal pattern of the disease can be further elucidated, thus advancing future molecular and paleopathological studies. Our dataset offers comprehensive spatial and temporal information on the spread of the disease in the Carpathian Basin, along with a detailed biological profile of the demonstrated cases and extensive paleopathological descriptions of the observed lesions, complemented by photographic evidence. This invaluable resource paves the way for enhanced understanding and progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anett Gémes
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Alexandra Anders
- Institute of Archeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pál Raczky
- Institute of Archeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | - Katalin Éva Gyenesei
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Antónia Marcsik
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Krisztián Kiss
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary
| | - Kitti Köhler
- Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Tamás Szeniczey
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Hajdu
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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8
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Casna M, Schats R, Hoogland MLP, Schrader SA. A distant city: Assessing the impact of Dutch socioeconomic developments on urban and rural health using respiratory disease as a proxy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 42:34-45. [PMID: 37542760 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the prevalence of respiratory disease in several populations from the Netherlands across different time periods and socioeconomic conditions. MATERIALS We analyzed 695 adult individuals from six different Dutch contexts of urban and rural settlements dating to different time periods (i.e., early-medieval, late-medieval, post-medieval). METHODS For each individual, the presence/absence of chronic maxillary sinusitis, otitis media, and inflammatory periosteal reaction on ribs was recorded macroscopically according to accepted methods. RESULTS Statistically significant associations were found in the presence of sinusitis diachronically (early-medieval to late-medieval period, and early-medieval to post-medieval period) both in rural and urban environments. Differences in prevalence rates of otitis media were found statistically significant when comparing rural to urban environments in the early-medieval and late-medieval periods. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that factors such as increased contact between towns and countryside, higher population densities, and intensification of agricultural production impacted the respiratory health of past populations both in rural and urban settings. SIGNIFICANCE Our study provides new insights into the impact of environmental changes and urbanization on respiratory disease prevalence, shedding light on the relationship between health and changing social and environmental contexts. LIMITATIONS Research limitations included the complex etiology of respiratory diseases, and the impact of uncontrollable factors such as hidden heterogeneity, selective mortality, and rural-to-urban migration. FUTURE RESEARCH Further research in different contexts is advised in order to continue exploring urbanization and its impact on human health across both time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maia Casna
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Rachel Schats
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Menno L P Hoogland
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sarah A Schrader
- Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
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9
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Vlok M. Technical note: The use and misuse of threshold diagnostic criteria in paleopathology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:326-335. [PMID: 36866523 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Weighted threshold diagnostic criteria approaches have emerged for diseases that involve skeletal/bony tissue that are readily diagnosed in the field of paleopathology such as Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), Vitamin D deficiency (rickets) and treponemal disease. These criteria differ from traditional differential diagnosis in that they involve standardized inclusion criteria based on the lesion's specificity to the disease. Here I discuss the limitations and benefits of threshold criteria. I argue that while these criteria will benefit from further revision such as inclusion of lesion severity, and the incorporation of exclusion criteria, threshold diagnostic approaches have considerable value in the future of diagnosis in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melandri Vlok
- Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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10
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Masiu R, Pedersen DD, Hill L, Steyn M. The association between skeletal lesions and tuberculosis in a pre-antibiotic South African sample. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2023; 40:20-32. [PMID: 36444782 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of skeletal lesions to accurately diagnose TB in a pre-antibiotic South African skeletal sample. MATERIALS A total of 435 skeletons of individuals who died before 1950 from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons. 176 died of TB, 109 died of other pulmonary diseases, and 150 died of other causes. METHODS The presence / absence of 23 skeletal lesions were assessed for differences in frequency between groups. Sensitivities and specificities were calculated and compared to Dangvard Pedersen et al. (2019). RESULTS Lesions on the ventral surface of thoracic and lumbar vertebral bodies were observed significantly more often in TB and pulmonary cases than in other cause of death group and yielded a 55% probability of a true TB diagnosis, if observed. An association between skeletal lesions and TB was found for rib and vertebral lesions. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that even when not documented to have died of TB, TB-related changes are observed in many individuals in a South African skeletal sample, indicating that they may have been infected with the disease. SIGNIFICANCE The study provides information that can assist palaeopathologists in making inferences about the prevalence of TB in past populations. LIMITATIONS Sample sizes were small, and the inclusion of a pulmonary disease group may have confounded the results. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH The selection of a control group without any possible contact with TB may improve the results and should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rethabile Masiu
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
| | - Dorthe Dangvard Pedersen
- Unit of Anthropology (ADBOU), Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lawrence Hill
- Department of Forensic Medicine & Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maryna Steyn
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Spekker O, Hunt DR, Király K, Kis L, Madai Á, Szalontai C, Molnár E, Pálfi G. Lumbosacral tuberculosis, a rare manifestation of Pott's disease - How identified human skeletons from the pre-antibiotic era can be used as reference cases to establish a palaeopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 138:102287. [PMID: 36450192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2022.102287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The macromorphological examination of identified human osteological collections from the pre-antibiotic era (e.g., Terry Collection) can provide invaluable information about the skeletal manifestations of tuberculosis (TB) in individuals who did not receive pharmaceutical therapy. With analysis of such collections, new diagnostic criteria for TB can be recognised which can be used in palaeopathological interpretation. The aim of our paper is to provide a reference and aid for the identification of TB in past populations by demonstrating and discussing in detail the vertebral alterations indicative of one of its rare skeletal manifestations, lumbosacral TB. These changes were detected in two individuals from the Terry Collection (Terry No. 760 and Terry No. 1093). These two case studies furnish palaeopathologists with a stronger basis for diagnosing lumbosacral TB in skeletons which exhibit similar vertebral lesions from osteoarchaeological series. To illustrate this, an archaeological case from Hungary (KK146) is also presented, displaying vertebral alterations resembling that of the two cases from the Terry Collection. Through the demonstrated case studies, we can derive a better insight into the disease experience of people who lived in the past and suffered from TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum körút 4/B, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - David R Hunt
- Northern Virginia District Office of the Chief Medical Examiners, 10850 Pyramid Place, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.
| | - Kitty Király
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Móra Ferenc Museum, Roosevelt tér 1-3, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Úri utca 54-56, H-1014, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Ágota Madai
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Anthropology, Hungarian National History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Csaba Szalontai
- National Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum körút 14-16, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Erika Molnár
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - György Pálfi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary.
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Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology in Denmark. SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/sjfs-2022-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the status of forensic anthropology and forensic archeology in Denmark, as well as related information about education, research, and skeletal collections. Forensic anthropologists mainly deal with the examination of unidentified skeletal remains. Some special tasks include cranial trauma analysis of the recently deceased, advanced 3D visualization from CT scanning of homicide cases, and stature estimation of perpetrators using surveillance videos. Forensic anthropologists are employed at one of Denmark’s three departments of forensic medicine (in Copenhagen, Odense, and Aarhus) and have access to advanced imaging equipment (e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanners, and 3D printers) for use in both their requisitioned work and their research. Extensive research is conducted on different topics, such as the health and diseases of past populations, age estimation, and human morphology. Research is based on skeletal material from the archeological collections housed in Copenhagen and Odense or on CT data from the recently deceased. There is no full degree in forensic anthropology in Denmark, but elective courses and lectures are offered to students at different levels and to people from different professional backgrounds.
Forensic archaeology is a relatively new field of expertise in Denmark, and relevant cases are rare, with only one or two cases per year. No forensic archeologists are officially employed in any of the departments of forensic medicine. Until recently, the Special Crime Unit of the police handled crime scene investigations involving excavations, but with the option of enlisting the help of outside specialists, such as archaeologists, anthropologists, and pathologists. An official excavation work group was established in 2015 under the lead of the Special Crime Unit of the police with the aim of refining the methods and procedures used in relevant criminal investigations. The group is represented by five police officers from the Special Crime Scene Unit, a police officer from the National Police Dog Training center, the two archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum, a forensic anthropologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Copenhagen), and a forensic pathologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Aarhus).
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van Doren TP. Biocultural perspectives of infectious diseases and demographic evolution: Tuberculosis and its comorbidities through history. Evol Anthropol 2022; 32:100-117. [PMID: 36436141 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthropologists recognize the importance of conceptualizing health in the context of the mutually evolving nature of biology and culture through the biocultural approach, but biocultural anthropological perspectives of infectious diseases and their impacts on humans (and vice versa) through time are relatively underrepresented. Tuberculosis (TB) has been a constant companion of humans for thousands of years and has heavily influenced population health in almost every phase of cultural and demographic evolution. TB in human populations has been dramatically influenced by behavior, demographic and epidemiological shifts, and other comorbidities through history. This paper critically discusses TB and some of its major comorbidities through history within a biocultural framework to show how transitions in human demography and culture affected the disease-scape of TB. In doing so, I address the potential synthesis of biocultural and epidemiological transition theory to better comprehend the mutual evolution of infectious diseases and humans.
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Remembering St. Louis individual-structural violence and acute bacterial infections in a historical anatomical collection. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1050. [PMID: 36192528 PMCID: PMC9527723 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03890-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Incomplete documentary evidence, variable biomolecular preservation, and limited skeletal responses have hindered assessment of acute infections in the past. This study was initially developed to explore the diagnostic potential of dental calculus to identify infectious diseases, however, the breadth and depth of information gained from a particular individual, St. Louis Individual (St.LI), enabled an individualized assessment and demanded broader disciplinary introspection of ethical research conduct. Here, we document the embodiment of structural violence in a 23-year-old Black and/or African American male, who died of lobar pneumonia in 1930s St. Louis, Missouri. St.LI exhibits evidence of systemic poor health, including chronic oral infections and a probable tuberculosis infection. Metagenomic sequencing of dental calculus recovered three pre-antibiotic era pathogen genomes, which likely contributed to the lobar pneumonia cause of death (CoD): Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.8X); Acinetobacter nosocomialis (28.4X); and Acinetobacter junii (30.1X). Ante- and perimortem evidence of St.LI’s lived experiences chronicle the poverty, systemic racism, and race-based structural violence experienced by marginalized communities in St. Louis, which contributed to St.LI’s poor health, CoD, anatomization, and inclusion in the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection. These same embodied inequalities continue to manifest as health disparities affecting many contemporary communities in the United States. An investigation into the cause of death of St. Louis Individual, a 23-year old Black or African American male who died in the 1930s, reveals evidence of structural violence and the impact of systemic racism in historically marginalized communities.
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Boldsen JL, Milner GR, Ousley SD. Paleodemography: From archaeology and skeletal age estimation to life in the past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 178 Suppl 74:115-150. [PMID: 36787786 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Much of paleodemography, an interdisciplinary field with strong ties to archaeology, among other disciplines, is oriented toward clarifying the life experiences of past people and why they changed over time. We focus on how human skeletons contribute to our understanding of preindustrial demographic regimes, including when changes took place that led to the world as we know it today. Problems with existing paleodemographic practices are highlighted, as are promising directions for future work. The latter requires both better age estimates and innovative methods to handle data appropriately. Age-at-death estimates for adult skeletons are a particular problem, especially for adults over 50 years that undoubtedly are mistakenly underrepresented in published studies of archaeological skeletons. Better age estimates for the entirety of the lifespan are essential to generate realistic distributions of age at death. There are currently encouraging signs that after about a half-century of intensive, and sometimes contentious, research, paleodemography is poised to contribute much to understandings of evolutionary processes, the structure of past populations, and human-disease interaction, among other topics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper L Boldsen
- ADBOU, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense M, Denmark
| | - George R Milner
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stephen D Ousley
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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16
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An ancient cranium from Dmanisi: Evidence for interpersonal violence, disease, and possible predation by carnivores on Early Pleistocene Homo. J Hum Evol 2022; 166:103180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Steyn M, van der Merwe AE, Meyer A. Infectious disease and nutritional deficiencies in early industrialized South Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 33:128-136. [PMID: 33901884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Real industrialization was late to arrive in South Africa and was associated with the development of mining in its northern regions. This paper explores the development and spread of infectious diseases (particularly tuberculosis), against the backdrop of metabolic disease. MATERIALS Published data regarding skeletons from various mining sites and historical information are collated, including information from the early accessions into the Raymond A. Dart Collection. METHODS While findings from several sites (e.g., Gladstone at Kimberley, Koffiefontein, Witwatersrand Deep Mine and Lancaster Mine) have been described individually, they have not been assessed collectively. This paper provides a broad overview by collating information from these sites, in comparison with a rural, pre-industrialized population. RESULTS Malnutrition, including scurvy, was common in most mining groups. Tuberculosis was rare in earlier mining groups, and the first possible skeletal cases only occurred after the establishment of closed housing compounds. From there it spread rapidly across the subcontinent. CONCLUSIONS Nutritional insufficiencies / metabolic disease and high death rates, due to trauma and infectious diseases, were common. Tuberculosis in South Africa is closely associated with development of the mining industry. SIGNIFICANCE This research highlights the development of tuberculosis in South Africa and its association with the mining industry. The role of migrant labor and the associated housing practices is elucidated. LIMITATIONS Sample sizes are limited, but the findings of this study are supported by documentary evidence. FUTURE RESEARCH Sample sizes should be increased, and the association between closed compound living and the development of disease further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Steyn
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
| | - A E van der Merwe
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Meyer
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
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18
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Spekker O, Hunt DR, Berthon W, Paja L, Molnár E, Pálfi G, Schultz M. Tracking down the White Plague. Chapter three: Revision of endocranial abnormally pronounced digital impressions as paleopathological diagnostic criteria for tuberculous meningitis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249020. [PMID: 33740029 PMCID: PMC7978373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormally pronounced digital impressions (APDIs) on the endocranial surface develop secondary to a prolonged rise in the intracranial pressure. This can result from a number of pathological conditions, including hydrocephalus due to tuberculous meningitis (TBM). APDIs have been described with relation to TBM not only in the modern medical literature but also in several paleopathological studies. However, APDIs are not pathognomonic for TBM and their diagnostic value for identifying TBM in past human populations has not been evaluated in identified pre-antibiotic era skeletons. To assess the diagnostic value of APDIs for the first time, a macroscopic investigation was performed on skeletons from the Terry Collection (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA). Our material consisted of 234 skeletons with tuberculosis (TB) as the cause of death (TB group) and 193 skeletons with non-tuberculous (NTB) causes of death (NTB group). The macroscopic examination focused on the stage of the prominence and frequency of APDIs in the TB group and NTB group. To determine the significance of difference (if any) in the frequency of APDIs between the two groups, χ2 testing of our data was conducted. We found that APDIs were twice as common in the TB group than in the NTB group. The χ2 comparison of the frequencies of APDIs revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups. In addition, APDIs with more pronounced stages were recorded more frequently in the TB group. Our results indicate that APDIs can be considered as diagnostic criteria for TBM in the paleopathological practice. With suitable circumspection, their utilization provides paleopathologists with a stronger basis for identifying TB and consequently, with a more sensitive means of assessing TB frequency in past human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - David R. Hunt
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - William Berthon
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Chaire d’Anthropologie Biologique Paul Broca, École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), PSL University, Paris, France
| | - László Paja
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Erika Molnár
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - György Pálfi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Michael Schultz
- Institut für Anatomie und Embryologie, Zentrum Anatomie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Betsinger TK, DeWitte SN. Toward a bioarchaeology of urbanization: Demography, health, and behavior in cities in the past. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175 Suppl 72:79-118. [PMID: 33619721 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the most important settlement shifts in human history and has been the focus of research within bioarchaeology for decades. However, there have been limited attempts to synthesize the results of these studies in order to gain a broader perspective on whether or how urbanization affects the biology, demography, and behavior of humans, and how these potential effects are embodied in the human skeleton. This paper outlines how bioarchaeology is well-suited to examine urbanization in the past, and we provide an overview and examples of three main ways in which urbanization is studied in bioarchaeological research: comparison of (often contemporaneous) urban and rural sites, synchronic studies of the variation that exists within and between urban sites, and investigations of changes that occur within urban sites over time. Studies of urbanization, both within bioarchaeology and in other fields of study, face a number of limitations, including a lack of a consensus regarding what urban and urbanization mean, the assumed dichotomous nature of urban versus rural settlements, the supposition that urbanization is universally bad for people, and the assumption (at least in practice) of homogeneity within urban and rural populations. Bioarchaeologists can address these limitations by utilizing a wide array of data and methods, and the studies described here collectively demonstrate the complex, nuanced, and highly variable effects of urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharon N DeWitte
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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Baker BJ, Crane-Kramer G, Dee MW, Gregoricka LA, Henneberg M, Lee C, Lukehart SA, Mabey DC, Roberts CA, Stodder ALW, Stone AC, Winingear S. Advancing the understanding of treponemal disease in the past and present. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171 Suppl 70:5-41. [PMID: 31956996 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Syphilis was perceived to be a new disease in Europe in the late 15th century, igniting a debate about its origin that continues today in anthropological, historical, and medical circles. We move beyond this age-old debate using an interdisciplinary approach that tackles broader questions to advance the understanding of treponemal infection (syphilis, yaws, bejel, and pinta). How did the causative organism(s) and humans co-evolve? How did the related diseases caused by Treponema pallidum emerge in different parts of the world and affect people across both time and space? How are T. pallidum subspecies related to the treponeme causing pinta? The current state of scholarship in specific areas is reviewed with recommendations made to stimulate future work. Understanding treponemal biology, genetic relationships, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations is crucial for vaccine development today and for investigating the distribution of infection in both modern and past populations. Paleopathologists must improve diagnostic criteria and use a standard approach for recording skeletal lesions on archaeological human remains. Adequate contextualization of cultural and environmental conditions is necessary, including site dating and justification for any corrections made for marine or freshwater reservoir effects. Biogeochemical analyses may assess aquatic contributions to diet, physiological changes arising from treponemal disease and its treatments (e.g., mercury), or residential mobility of those affected. Shifting the focus from point of origin to investigating who is affected (e.g., by age/sex or socioeconomic status) and disease distribution (e.g., coastal/ inland, rural/urban) will advance our understanding of the treponemal disease and its impact on people through time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda J Baker
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Gillian Crane-Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, New York
| | - Michael W Dee
- Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Lesley A Gregoricka
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
| | - Maciej Henneberg
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Unit, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Lee
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sheila A Lukehart
- Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - David C Mabey
- Communicable Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Ann L W Stodder
- Office of Archaeological Studies, The Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico
| | - Anne C Stone
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Stevie Winingear
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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Markets and Mycobacteria – A Comprehensive Analysis of the Infuence of Urbanization on Leprosy and Tuberculosis Prevalence in Denmark (AD 1200–1536). BIOARCHAEOLOGY AND SOCIAL THEORY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-53417-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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