Palaeodemography of the Nasca valley: reconstruction of the human ecology in the southern Peruvian coast

An introduction to advances in Andean South American paleopathology

In the 20 years since the publication of John Verano's foundational paper "Advances in Paleopathology of Andean South America," paleopathological and bioarchaeological investigations of human skeletal remains in the region have increased dramatically. Today, primary foci have grown to span the identification of disease, detailed reconstructions of biocultural interactions, embodied social experiences, and ancient living worlds. In this special issue, more than a dozen scholars reflect on the state of developments in the scientific analyses of ancient disease, life, and society across the region. For this introductory article, we frame the current state of Andean paleopathology by reviewing key historical contributions beginning in the last century. More recent trends since 1997 are defined via a meta-analysis of the literature. We then highlight current innovations and consider future directions of study. We then close with an overview of the papers comprising this special issue. Each article explores major theoretical, topical, and methodological advances that have transpired since 1997 and charts the course for the next two decades of work - with implications and insights that transcend the Andes and speak to key paleopathological issues around the world.

Anthropological analysis and paleo-demographic study of human skeletal remains from the late ancient necropolis of Biverone (4th-5th c.AD), San Stino Di Livenza (Venice, Italy)

The study of the osteological collections preserved at the Museum of Anthropology – University of Padua coming from archaeological excavations dated to the end of 19th and 20th century, is a great opportunity to disseminate still unpublished anthropological data. The aim of this work was the analysis through modern anthropological methodology of the human skeletal remains brought to light in 1983 at the necropolis of Biverone, municipality of San Stino di Livenza (Venice, Northeast Italy). The site, close to Livenza River, began its decadence in the Late Ancient period (4th-5th c. AD) as a result of regional morphological variations and barbarian invasions, that caused an important local depopulation. The study focused on the anthropological analysis of 121 skeletal individuals, trying to better understand the paleodemographic profile, the state of health and the way of life of the ancient population of Biverone. A preliminary identification of the ancestry was attempted, considering the general lack of information about the Late Ancient Venetian populations.

Life expectancy of the 20th century Venda: a compilation of skeletal and cemetery data

Little information is available on the 20th century mortality rates of rural black South African groups, such as the Venda. The purpose of this study was to apply abridged life tables in order to estimate life expectancy from both skeletal remains and death registry information of modern South African communities. Comparisons were also made with prehistoric and contemporary groups as a means to better evaluate life expectancy for this time period. The sample consisted of 160 skeletons of known Venda origin and burial registry information for 1364 black South Africans from the Rebecca Street and Mamelodi Cemeteries in Pretoria, South Africa. Standard anthropological techniques were applied to determine sex and estimate age from the skeletal remains. The stationary and non-stationary life table models were used to analyse the data. A high rate of child mortality, low juvenile and adult mortality with a steady increase in mortality after the age of 30 years was observed for both the Venda and the cemetery samples. Throughout the 20th century, life expectancy was shown to increase for black South Africans. However, due to the widespread HIV infection/AIDS of the 21st century, infant and young adult mortality rates continue to rise at such a speed that the decline in mortality seen for South Africans in the last 50 years will most likely to be lost in the next decade due to this disease.

Paleodemography of a medieval population in Japan: analysis of human skeletal remains from the Yuigahama-minami site

The purpose of this study is to obtain demographic data regarding the medieval population buried at the Yuigahama-minami site in Kamakura, Japan, and to detect a secular trend in the life expectancy of Japanese population over the last several thousand years. The Yuigahama-minami skeletal sample consists of 260 individuals, including 98 subadults (under 20 years old) and 162 adults. A Yuigahama-minami abridged life-table analysis yielded a life expectancy at birth (e0) of 24.0 years for both sexes, a life expectancy at age 15 years (e15) of 15.8 years for males, and an e15 of 18.0 years for females. The reliability of the estimated e0 was confirmed by analysis of the juvenility index. Demographic profiles comparing the Yuigahama-minami series with other skeletal series indicated that both the survivorship curve and life expectancy of the Yuigahama-minami sample are similar to those of the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon population, but are far lower than those of the early modern Edo population. These comparisons strongly suggest that life expectancy changed little over the thousands of years between the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon and medieval periods, but then improved remarkably during the few hundred years between the medieval period and early modern Edo period. The short-lived tendency of the Yuigahama-minami sample does not contradict the archaeological hypothesis of unsanitary living conditions in medieval Kamakura. This is the first investigation to address the demographic features of a medieval population in Japan, and will help refine our understanding of long-term trends in the demographic profiles of inhabitants of Japan.