The Origins of Biocultural Dimensions in Bioarchaeology

Zuckerman, Molly K.; Armelagos, George J.

doi:10.1002/9781444390537.ch2

Cited by 36 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 163 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The development of the biocultural approach in biological anthropology has greatly benefitted bioarchaeology by providing an integrating framework for inclusion of cultural and environmental context (see Martin et al, for an in depth review of the biocultural framework applied to bioarchaeological studies). The study of human remains (largely in the form of skeletonized bodies and body parts) is of value because it provides time depth on morbidity and mortality as well as information on biocultural interactions that complements other subdisciplines (Zuckerman and Armelagos, ). [This review only deals with skeletonized human remains.…”

Section: The Study Of Human Skeletal Remains – Bioarchaeology Paleopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioarchaeological contributions to the study of violence

Martin

Harrod

2014

American J Phys Anthropol

135

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The bioarchaeological record has an abundance of scientific evidence based on skeletal indicators of trauma to argue for a long history of internal and external group conflict. However, the findings also suggest variability, nuance, and unevenness in the type, use, and meaning of violence across time and space and therefore defy generalizations or easy quantification. Documenting violence-related behaviors provides an overview of the often unique and sometimes patterned cultural use of violence. Violence (lethal and nonlethal) is often associated with social spheres of influence and power connected to daily life such as subsistence intensification, specialization, competition for scarce resources, climate, population density, territorial protection and presence of immigrants, to name just a few. By using fine-grained biocultural analyses that interrogate trauma data in particular places at particular times in reconstructed archaeological contexts, a more comprehensive view into the histories and experiences of violence emerges. Moreover, identifying culturally specific patterns related to age, sex, and social status provide an increasingly complex picture of early small-scale groups. Some forms of ritual violence also have restorative and regenerative aspects that strengthen community identity. Bioarchaeological data can shed light on the ways that violence becomes part of a given cultural landscape. Viewed in a biocultural context, evidence of osteological trauma provides rich insights into social relationships and the many ways that violence is embedded within those relation- This review provides a broad perspective on violence from studies looking at human skeletal remains (e.g., bioarchaeology, paleopathology, and forensic anthropology). Violence is a phenomenon that is found in varying expressions in all cultures stretching back to the Paleolithic (Bocquentin and Bar-Yosef, 2004;Estabrook and Frayer, 2014) and possibly farther (Ant on, 2003;Kimbel and Delezene, 2009). Having worked in the area of ancient violence for a number of years we approached this review as a way to offer new frameworks for thinking about violence in the past from the perspective of biological or physical anthropology, which like all other fields of study in anthropology, is scientific, comparative, and cross-cultural in approach.Many researchers use a variety of terms interchangeably such as violence, conflict, and aggression. Our own personal preference is to avoid using the term aggression for humans because it is often used in animal studies and does not imply a connection to culture or to meaning. This is an important distinction because aggression does not always translate into violent behavior. Definitions of violence often imply intentionality, motivation, and culturally defined meaning. What is considered violence in one culture may not be in others. Violence is often socially sanctioned and organized but aggression need not be. Violence can be individual or collective but aggression more often is analyzed at the indi...

show abstract

Section: The Study Of Human Skeletal Remains – Bioarchaeology Paleopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioarchaeological contributions to the study of violence

Martin

Harrod

2014

American J Phys Anthropol

135

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The study of skeletons from archaeological sites, or bioarchaeology, provides an opportunity to explore human health and disease in the past using direct evidence (e.g., Buikstra 1977Buikstra , 1991Larsen 1997;Zuckerman and Armelagos 2011). The field focuses on excavated human remains from funerary contexts such as cemeteries and crypts ranging in date from prehistory to the early modern period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and Dental Caries in Post-Medieval London

Mant

Roberts

2014

Int J Histor Archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Additional information:Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Abstract: This paper explores the dentition of individuals excavated from two post-medieval London cemeteries. Individuals from Chelsea Old Church, a middle-class group, and St. Bride's lower churchyard, a working-class group, were selected and studied. The relative dental status of each group was explored by determining the prevalence of individuals and teeth affected by dental caries. The overall dental status of both class groups was found to be poor; diet was the most likely causative factor. Access to cariogenic foods such as sugar and refined flour likely affected individuals' dental status regardless of their social class.

show abstract

“…Molleson 1989) and palaeopathology (Lallo, Armelagos, and Mensforth 1977;Mensforth et al 1978;Cook and Buikstra 1979). The biocultural approach continues to be the dominant model for understanding the past through human remains (Zuckerman and Armelagos 2011). Despite this approach's emphasis on human interaction with the sociocultural as well as the physical environment, until the last decade there has been a tendency for bioarchaeological research to operate largely divorced from developments within social theory.…”

Section: The Social Bioarchaeology Of the Childmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Bioarchaeology: Perspectives on the Past 10 Years

Mays

Gowland

Halcrow

et al. 2017

Childhood in the Past

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. This article aims to provide an overview of some of the more important developments in the bioarchaeology of childhood over the past decade. Analysis of publication trends in the major osteoarchaeology and physical anthropology journals demonstrated a rise in research papers dealing with skeletal remains of children, with dietary and palaeopathological studies especially predominant. Innovations in these areas are discussed in more detail, together with some important developments in theoretical frameworks for using skeletal evidence to situate children in past societies. Among these latter is the life course approach, in which childhood is considered within the context of the trajectory of the entire life course. The integration of studies of child skeletal remains with those of adults helps to provide a more complete picture of communities in the past.

show abstract

The Origins of Biocultural Dimensions in Bioarchaeology

Cited by 36 publications

References 163 publications

Bioarchaeological contributions to the study of violence

Bioarchaeological contributions to the study of violence

Diet and Dental Caries in Post-Medieval London

Child Bioarchaeology: Perspectives on the Past 10 Years

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About