Ancient Egyptians experienced a vast increase in population size following the Neolithic Revolution. Nomadic hunter-gatherer groups gradually adopted agriculture as their primary food subsistence strategy. Analyses of human societies shifting from foragers to farmers have provided evidence which suggests this transition is linked with an increase in disease and allostatic load. This paper presents an examination of cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis prevalence in Predynastic and Dynastic Egyptians using public health evidence as a means to interpret the skeletal findings. The sample included 219 individuals from the regions of Naga-ed-Dêr, Mesheikh, Giza, and potentially El-Ahaiwah. The aim of this study was to identify significant differences of cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis across time and sex. Application of a Fisher-Freeman-Halton's test indicated there were no differences in prevalence of cribra orbitalia or porotic hyperostosis between the Predynastic and Dynastic, nor were there differences between the sexes. The results of this study did not produce any evidence for an epidemiological shift to have occurred in post-agricultural Egypt. Further, the most likely explanation of the pattern of disease stems from a parasitic model of infection.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/homo/2019/1089 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Analyzing Patterns of Skeletal Indicators of Developmental Stress Through the Double Lens of Ontogeny and the Life Course Approach in a Contemporary Reference Sample.
Am J Biol Anthropol
January 2025
College of Population Health, University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Objectives: Skeletal indicators of developmental stress are commonly used to assess health, disease, and patterns of morbidity and mortality in past populations. Incorporating information about individual life history, such as adverse life events, allows for a more thorough understanding of their etiology. This paper adopts the double lens of ontogeny and the life course to analyze indicators of developmental stress in relation to known individual pathologies and developmental patterns of the cranium, vertebrae, and long bones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTracking of Infectious Diseases in Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) during the Bronze Age (ca. 3200-2200 BCE) through Anemic Signs Observed in Excavated Human Skeletons.
Iran J Public Health
June 2024
Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background: The intriguing area of paleopathology merges the disciplines of archeology and biological studies. Using this line of research, it is possible to identify diseases that have left skeletal traces in the past. In addition, diseases such as various anemia that occur in childhood, when bone tissue is soft and retains evidence, can be identified in ancient bones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHow Does Social Inequality Alter Relationships Between Porous Cranial Lesions and Mortality? Examining the Relationship Between Skeletal Indicators of Stress, Socioeconomic Status, and Survivorship in a Pediatric Autopsy Sample.
Am J Hum Biol
January 2025
College of Population Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how socioeconomic status (SES) impacts survivorship in a modern pediatric population, particularly examining the relationship between porous cranial lesions (PCLs) and age at death while controlling for SES factors like housing type.
- Results reveal that low SES is linked to lower survivorship and that individuals with PCLs from disadvantaged backgrounds experience worse outcomes compared to those with higher SES, despite the presence of lesions.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering the sociocultural context of SES in research on health outcomes, suggesting that it significantly influences mortality risks in both current and historical populations.
Cranial fluctuating asymmetry and its relationship with non-specific physiological stress indicators in a contemporary South African cadaveric skeletal sample.
Int J Paleopathol
September 2024
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x323, Gezina, Pretoria 0031, South Africa. Electronic address:
Objectives: Biological anthropologists frequently explore skeletal asymmetry, together with population health and disease. Given the conflicting findings in existing literature, this study aimed to clarify whether an association exists in a South African sample.
Materials: Dry bone and cranial micro-focus X-ray Computed Tomography (micro-XCT) scans of 115 South African individuals were assessed.
High-resolution three-dimensional micro-computed tomography assessment of micro-architectural patterns in non-adults with cribra orbitalia: Correlation between macro- and micro-scale bone features.
Microsc Res Tech
December 2024
Center of Bone Biology, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Skeletal porous lesions such as cribra orbitalia (CO) have long been of interest to bioanthropologists worldwide, mainly due to their high prevalence in osteological material. Previous studies considered CO as an external morphological manifestation, and therefore, research has mainly focused on visible (macroscopic) CO patterns. However, the understanding of CO-induced micro-scale bone changes is still scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!