Mummy studies and the bioarchaeology of care

Nystrom, Kenneth C.; Tilley, Lorna

doi:10.1016/j.ijpp.2018.06.004

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…The physical deformity of the external ear may result in negative social outcomes in childhood (Friedman, 2009;Lipan & Eshraghi, 2011;Stanley, 2014), requiring social, financial, and emotional support networks (Ear Community, 2020). Archaeologically, ancient social attitudes towards affected individuals may be ascertained by considering pathology, demography, burial location, burial style and lifeway contextualisation (Keenleyside, 2011;Nystrom & Tilley, 2018). As it is not a life-threatening condition, the 'Bioarchaeology of Care' concept (Tilley, 2012;Tilley & Oxenham, 2011) -used to determine the strength of social and caring networks in antiquity -would not seem to apply.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia from an Ychsma Group Burial at the Site of Pachacamac, Peruvian Central Coast

Owens

Service²,

Davies-Barrett

2022

J. bioanthropol. (Online)

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Congenital malformations of the human skeleton are a major area of palaeopathological and bioarchaeological interest, although our understanding of such conditions in the ancient world is hampered by their often extreme rarity, and inconsistent reporting in the field. A cranium from a group burial at the Peruvian site of Pachacamac was found to display almost complete absence of the right external auditory meatus, styloid process, vaginal process and tympanic plate of the right temporal bone. Following a differential diagnosis, it was determined that the skeletal pathology likely represents an instance of congenital aural atresia, a developmental anomaly resulting in the partial or complete aplasia of the external acoustic meatus. This condition is often associated with other congenital abnormalities and syndromes. However, as the postcranial remains of this individual could not be distinguished from other remains in the group burial, no further associated skeletal anomalies could be detected. This is the first instance of congenital aural atresia recovered from a defined funerary context in Peru, complementing other bioarchaeological reports of this rare congenital anomaly. The pathology of the condition is described, and compared with clinical and bioarchaeological data. The potential social implications concerning social attitudes of the Pachacamac population towards this individual are also considered, in reference to both historical and archaeological contexts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia from an Ychsma Group Burial at the Site of Pachacamac, Peruvian Central Coast

Owens

Service²,

Davies-Barrett

2022

J. bioanthropol. (Online)

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“…After extensive discussion among team members, eight (n = 8) seed articles were identified (Lynnerup, 2007(Lynnerup, , 2009(Lynnerup, , 2010O'Brien et al, 2009;Cox, 2015;Monge and Rühli, 2015;Nystrom and Tilley, 2019;Nystrom, 2020). Moreover, 30 missing abstracts were automatically removed by the tool.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discover the anatomy of the mummies: how imaging techniques contribute to understanding disease in the past

Papa,

Vaccarezza,

Galassi

et al. 2023

Ital J Anat Embryol

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Mummies are the well-preserved remains of humans or animals in which non-bony tissue has been maintained naturally or artificially. Their significance lies in their contribution to paleopathological research, which involves understanding the history and evolution of diseases and providing insights into past populations’ cultural and social practices. In recent years, mummies studies used nondestructive methods, including modern imaging techniques, to assess the main pathological features of these unique human remains. This mini-review focuses on the role of paleoradiology in mummies’ studies and describes the history of mummy radiography and CT scanning over the last fifteen years. The search strategy was conducted between January and April 2023. One thousand one hundred twenty-four records (1124) were initially identified, and 52 studies were assessed for qualitative synthesis. Three main themes and four subthemes were identified, providing a general overview of the role of paleoradiology or offering methodological guidelines. Also, subthemes assessed the role that the use of radiology has in the diagnosis of specific pathologies. Therefore, imaging techniques in ancient human remains might help understand the history and evolution of past and present diseases and their risk factors.

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“…Archeological analyses of the remains of a single human can provide remarkable insights, particularly when atypical burial conditions allow for non-skeletal body tissues to preserve (c.f., Müller et al 2003;Nystrom and Tilley 2019;Richards et al 2007). Such insights can in turn be used to make inferences about broader patterns of behavior and the environment in which these persons participated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Storing fish?: a dog’s isotopic biography provides insight into Iron Age food preservation strategies in the Russian Arctic

Losey

Guiry

Nomokonova

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Analysis of individual animal bodies can provide numerous useful insights in archeology, including how humans provisioned such animals, which in turn informs on a variety of other past behaviors such as human dietary patterns. In this study, we conducted stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analysis of collagen and keratin from four types of tissues from a dog burial at the Ust'-Polui site in the Iamal region of Arctic Russia. Ust'-Polui is an Iron Age site located on the Lower Ob River, a major northern fishery characterized by extreme seasonal shifts in fish presence. During a 6-month period stretching over the coldest months of the year, fish are nearly entirely absent in the Lower Ob River. Despite this, the stable isotope compositions of the dog's bone and dentine collagen and hair and nail keratin all indicate a monotonous diet focusing on local fish. This pattern indicates the dog was provisioned year-round with fish. This was likely accomplished by mass harvesting of fish using nets or traps. Such fish were then processed and frozen for consumption during the non-fishing season. These findings suggest that people in the Ust'-Polui region also relied to some extent on fish throughout the year. Stored fish likely provided a dietary buffer for uneven returns from reindeer and bird hunting, both of which also are well-evidenced at the site.

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Mummy studies and the bioarchaeology of care

Cited by 11 publications

References 92 publications

Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia from an Ychsma Group Burial at the Site of Pachacamac, Peruvian Central Coast

Unilateral Congenital Aural Atresia from an Ychsma Group Burial at the Site of Pachacamac, Peruvian Central Coast

Discover the anatomy of the mummies: how imaging techniques contribute to understanding disease in the past

Storing fish?: a dog’s isotopic biography provides insight into Iron Age food preservation strategies in the Russian Arctic

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