Field paleoradiography of skeletal material from the early classic period of Copan, Honduras.

Objective: To perform a radiographic evaluation of the skeletal remains of 2 elite individuals from the Early Classic Period of Copan, namely, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' (Hunal Burial 95-2), founder of the Early Classic Dynasty, and the primary female interment from the Motmot tomb (Burial 37-8). Our aims were to document pathologies and subsequent changes in long-bone density resulting from physiologic or functional adaptations, such as disuse atrophy.

Methods: Standardized anteroposterior and mediolateral radiographs were obtained using a portable veterinary x-ray unit and Polaroid film.