| 1. |
- Álvarez-Fernández, Noemi, et al.
(author)
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Approaching mercury distribution in burial environment using PLS-R modelling
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mercury environmental cycle and toxicology have been widely researched. Given the long history of mercury pollution, researching mercury trends in the past can help to understand its behaviour in the present. Archaeological skeletons have been found to be useful sources of information regarding mercury loads in the past. In our study we applied a soil multi-sampling approach in two burials dated to the 5th to 6th centuries AD. PLRS modelling was used to elucidate the factors controlling mercury distribution. The model explains 72% of mercury variance and suggests that mercury accumulation in the burial soils is the result of complex interactions. The decomposition of the bodies not only was the primary source of mercury to the soil but also responsible for the pedogenetic transformation of the sediments and the formation of soil components with the ability to retain mercury. The amount of soft tissues and bone mass also resulted in differences between burials, indicating that the skeletons were a primary/secondary source of mercury to the soil (i.e. temporary sink). Within burial variability seems to depend on the proximity of the soil to the thoracic area, where the main mercury target organs were located. We also conclude that, in coarse textured soils, as the ones studied in this investigation, the finer fraction (i.e. silt + clay) should be analysed, as it is the most reactive and the one with the higher potential to provide information on metal cycling and incipient soil processes. Finally, our study stresses the need to characterise the burial soil environment in order to fully understand the role of the interactions between soil and skeleton in mercury cycling in burial contexts.
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| 2. |
- Fjellström, Markus, et al.
(author)
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Food, Mobility, and Health in a 17th and 18th Century Arctic Mining Population in Silbojokk, Swedish Sapmi
- 2021
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In: Arctic. - : The Arctic Institute of North America. - 0004-0843 .- 1923-1245. ; 74:2, s. 113-238
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Established in 1635, the silver mine of Nasafjall and the smeltery site in Silbojokk in Swedish Sapmi were used during several phases until the late 19th century. Excavations in Silbojokk, c. 40 km from Nasafjall, have revealed buildings such as a smeltery, living houses, a bakery, and a church with a churchyard. From the beginning, both local and non-local individuals worked at the mine and the smeltery. Non-locals were recruited to work in the mine and at the smeltery, and the local Semi population was recruited to transport the silver down to the Swedish coast. Females, males, and children of different ages were represented among the individuals buried at the churchyard in Silbojokk, which was used between c. 1635 and 1770. Here we study diet, mobility, and exposure to lead (Pb) in the smeltery workers, the miners, and the local population. By employing isotopic analysis, delta C-13, delta N-15, delta S-34, Sr-87/Sr-86 and elemental analysis, we demonstrate that individuals in Silbojokk had a homogenous diet, except for two individuals. In addition, both local and non-local individuals were all exposed to Pb, which in some cases could have been harmful to their health.
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| 3. |
- López-Costas, Olalla, et al.
(author)
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Biological histories of an elite : Skeletons from the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral (NW Spain)
- 2021
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In: International journal of osteoarchaeology. - : Wiley. - 1047-482X .- 1099-1212. ; 31:5, s. 941-956
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aims to reconstruct the biological histories of the people buried at the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral, an important religious center of NW Spain, by using anthropological, geochemical, and historical perspectives. We conducted a macroscopic and radiographic study on 955 skeletal elements, a multi-isotope (delta C-13(col), delta N-15, delta S-34(col), delta C-13(ap), delta O-18(ap)) analysis of human (n = 12) and animal (n = 4) samples, and the study of 1407 documents from the cathedral archives. There was a minimum of 15 individuals, including six subadults (<7 years), seven mature males, and one possible female. Several traumatic healed injuries, a pelvis osteochondroma, and a case of DISH have been detected. Males were enriched in N-15 (up to 15.7 parts per thousand, Delta(human-animal avg) = 5.1 parts per thousand) suggesting consumption of animal protein including freshwater fish. Cathedral documents reflect fora payments in the form of rye, eggs, poultry, sheep, pigs, and eels as well as the hiring of two physicians. All individuals, except one, lived between the 14(th) and the early 15(th) centuries and show characteristics of high standard of living. Males were likely members of the cathedral-chaplains, administrators, sacristans, but not bishops-or noblemen relatives of the former according to preserved documents. Isotopic and paleopathological study suggest that they had an active and traveling life and at least one of them had connections with Central Spain. Children were local and possibly connected to the nobility. Lugo Cathedral is a prime example about the possibilities of transdisciplinary research in the identification of lifestyle in past populations.
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| 4. |
- López-Costas, Olalla
(author)
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Lifestyle during Priscillianism : Bioarchaeological Approaches
- 2021
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In: Gerión. Revista de Historia Antigua. - : Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). - 0213-0181 .- 1988-3080. ; 39:2, s. 775-800
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- By analyzing bioarchaeological proxies -from evidence provided by peat records, plant and animal remains, to human skeletons- I aim to reconstruct the main features sketching lifestyle during Priscillianism (AD 4th to 6th centuries) as compared to the previous period by reviewing published literature. A sudden climate deterioration, increase in soil erosion, forest decline and a possible modification in diet, which became more dependent on marine resources and millets, are the main observed findings. Based on this information, I try to understand if some of these characteristics responded to, directly or indirectly, the new religious way of life in Nonwestem Iberia, or at least to understand better the everyday life of these societies.
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| 5. |
- Mangas-Carrasco, Elvira, et al.
(author)
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Porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, femoralis and humeralis in Medieval NW Spain
- 2021
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In: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1866-9557 .- 1866-9565. ; 13:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis are amongst of the most commonly palaeopathological features recorded in archaeological individuals and are useful to test the general health status in ancient human population, particularly in non-adults (infants, children and adolescents). Despite of the relatively large amount of debate papers about this topic, their aetiology is still under debate and their recording is not standardised. In contrast, postcranial cribrae (femoralis and humeralis) are infrequently addressed. This paper aims to analyse cranial and postcranial porotic lesions, and their relationship with living conditions and dietary patterns, in all available Medieval collections from NW Spain (Pontevedra necropoleis, Adro Vello and Capela do Pilar). Presence/absence, severity, healing grade and co-occurrence of lesions were recorded, and a new photographic scale to determine the severity and healing degrees in postcranial cribrae is advocated as well. Cribra orbitalia (78%) and cribra femoralis (70%) are the most frequent lesions, with porotic hyperostosis (42%) and cribra humeralis less common (38%). Adults display higher grades of severity in cribra orbitalia than non-adults. A healing age pattern was documented in all lesions. No obvious trend/pattern with δ13C and δ15N—used as proxies for diet—was observed. High rates of porotic lesions in NW Spain have been attributed to interactions between several phenomena, as a multifactorial response to a possible dietary influence from high consumption of marine resources and/or infection by fish parasites. Our results highlight the importance of registering postcranial porotic lesions and healing degrees along with diet. In addition, photographic scales are useful to guide and standardise the recording process.
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| 6. |
- Martínez Cortizas, Antonio, et al.
(author)
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9000 years of changes in peat organic matter composition in Store Mosse (Sweden) traced using FTIR-ATR
- 2021
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In: Boreas. - : Wiley. - 0300-9483 .- 1502-3885. ; 50:4, s. 1161-1178
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Store Mosse (the ‘Great Bog’ in Swedish) is one of the most extensive bog complexes in southern Sweden (~77 km2), where pioneering palaeoenvironmental research has been carried out since the early 20th century. This includes, for example, vegetation changes, carbon and nitrogen dynamics, peat decomposition, atmospheric metal pollution, mineral dust deposition, dendrochronology, and tephrochronology. Even though organic matter (OM) represents the bulk of the peat mass and its compositional change has the potential to provide crucial ecological information on bog responses to environmental factors, peat OM molecular composition has not been addressed in detail. Here, a 568-cm-deep peat sequence was studied at high resolution, by attenuated reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) in the mid-infrared region (4000–400 cm–1). Principal components analysis was performed on selected absorbances and change-point modelling was applied to the records to determine the timing of changes. Four components accounted for peat composition: (i) depletion/accumulation of labile (i.e. carbohydrates) and recalcitrant (i.e. lignin and other aromatics, aliphatics, organic acids and some N compounds) compounds, due to peat decomposition; (ii) variations in N compounds and carbohydrates; (iii) residual variation of lignin and organic acids; and (iv) residual variation of aliphatic structures. Peat decomposition showed two main patterns: a long-term trend highly correlated to peat age (r = 0.87), and a short-term trend, which showed five main phases of increased decomposition (at ~8.4–8.1, ~7.0–5.6, ~3.5–3.1, ~2.7–2.1 and ~1.6–1.3 ka) – mostly corresponding to drier climate and its effect on bog hydrology. The high peat accumulation event (~5.6–3.9 ka), described in earlier studies, is characterized by the lowest degree of peat decomposition of the whole record. Given that FTIR-ATR is a quick, non-destructive, cost-effective technique, our results indicate that it can be applied in a systematic way (including multicore studies) to peat research and provide relevant information on the evolution of peatlands.
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| 7. |
- Olivé-Busom, Júlia, et al.
(author)
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Estudio antropológico de las alquerías de Benizahat y Zeneta (Vall d´Uixó, Castellón). Una ventana a la vida rural andalusí : [Anthropological study of Benizahat and Zeneta hamlets. A window into Andalusian rural life]
- 2021
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In: Saguntum: Papeles del Laboratorio de Arqueología de Valencia. - 0210-3729 .- 2174-517X. ; 53, s. 193-212
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the Andalusi period, modern day Vall d'Uixo (Castellon, Spain) was formed by a series of hamlets that were inhabited by Islamic population until the 16th century. Through the anthropological analysis of 99 skeletons from two of these hamlets, Benizahat and Zeneta, this study explores the possible existence of differences in the lifestyle of males and females and occupational stress related to the rural economy of this population. In addition, their living conditions and stress levels during growth are assessed through the confrontation with other peninsular Islamic populations. Although the studied sample is not clearly distinguishable from other Andalusian populations in terms of physiological and occupational stress, the significant differences in the distribution of Sclunorrs nodes between males and females and the high frequencies of dental caries in the population should be highlighted.
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| 8. |
- Olivé-Busom, Júlia, et al.
(author)
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Evidence of otitis media and mastoiditis in a Medieval Islamic skeleton from Spain and possible implications for ancient surgical treatment of the condition
- 2021
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In: International Journal of Paleopathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-9817 .- 1879-9825. ; 32, s. 17-22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To evaluate lesions on a cranium from the Iberian Peninsula and assess its medico-historical and paleopathological significance.Materials: The skeletal remains of a juvenile individual found in a Medieval Islamic grave (10th -16th century) in Eastern Spain.Methods: Macroscopic examination of the left and right temporal bones, binocular microscopy, X-ray, and Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were performed.Results: A sub-oval perforation superior to the right mastoid process and pathological changes on the right temporal bone were identified. SEM-EDS confirmed the presence of copper in the surrounding area of the perforation.Conclusions: The observed pathological changes are most likely compatible with otitis media and subsequent mastoiditis. The sub-oval perforation could be interpreted either as an abscess or as evidence of a surgical procedure (mastoidectomy) or a combination of both; and the Cu traces may be the result of an associated object or, possibly, the application of a plaster with copper acetate used as medical treatment.Significance: This case contributes to the paleopathological record and the interpretation of similar cases, and also helps in the understanding of medical care and treatment in Medieval Islam.Limitations: The lack of similar pre-modern cases of surgical intervention limits comparability to clinical cases. Suggestion for further research: Exploration into indicators of health care in past populations.
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