External auditory exostoses and early Neolithic aquatic resource procurement in Cyprus: Results from Cypro-PPNB Kissonerga-Mylouthkia in regional context.

Int J Paleopathol

Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Konstantinou Kavafi St, 2121, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus. Electronic address:

Published: September 2020

Objective: This research is designed to evaluate the occurrence of external auditory exostoses (EAEs) in skeletal remains from the oldest known water wells in the world (Kissonerga-Mylouthkia, Cyprus, 8,200-7,200 BCE).

Materials: Six individuals (MNI = 6), five fragmentary temporalia, two preserved auditory canals.

Methods: Macroscopic and microscopic (up to x30) observation, with illumination; presence, type, side, severity, occlusion, number, and position of bony growths recorded.

Results: Bony growths within two auditory canals were discovered. Differential diagnosis includes osteomata and external auditory exostoses, with the latter consistent with the bony growths (Grade 1 EAEs, two adult males, one with single, another with two EAEs).

Conclusions: The emergence of the Neolithic in Southwest Asia is thought to involve increases in dietary breadth among foraging societies (Broad-Spectrum Revolution). EAEs likely indicate maritime activity in this context, given the lack of freshwater bodies, and zooarchaeological evidence points to dietary and other uses of maritime organisms.

Significance: This EAE evidence is the oldest known in maritime contexts in Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, and first in Cyprus. It contributes towards understanding the initial colonization events by Neolithic farming communities in the 9th millennium BC, and the emergence of broad-spectrum economies at the dawn of the Neolithic in Southwest Asia, crucial for re-considerations of paradigms on the transition to the Neolithic way of life in the Near East.

Limitations: Only a few skeletal remains from these prehistoric contexts were available for observation.

Suggestions For Further Research: Further intensive review of Cypriot skeletal collections for EAEs is advised.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.06.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

external auditory
12
auditory exostoses
12
bony growths
12
skeletal remains
8
neolithic southwest
8
southwest asia
8
neolithic
5
exostoses early
4
early neolithic
4
neolithic aquatic
4

Similar Publications

The brain faces the challenging task of preserving a consistent portrayal of the external world in the face of disruptive sensory inputs. What alterations occur in sensory representation amidst noise, and how does brain activity adapt to it? Although it has previously been shown that background white noise (WN) decreases responses to salient sounds, a mechanistic understanding of the brain processes responsible for such changes is lacking. We investigated the effect of background WN on neuronal spiking activity, membrane potential, and network oscillations in the mouse central auditory system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The sense of hearing originates in the cochlea, which detects sounds across dynamic sensory environments. Like other peripheral organs, the cochlea is subjected to environmental insults, including loud, damage-inducing sounds. In response to internal and external stimuli, the central nervous system directly modulates cochlear function through olivocochlear neurons (OCNs), which are located in the brainstem and innervate the cochlear sensory epithelium.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Scleroma is a chronic, specific granulomatous disease that affects the head and neck mucosa. Its common sites are the nose and larynx; however, it might affect other areas. One of the rare sites to be affected is the middle ear and mastoid cavity, for which the term otoscleroma was coined.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inner speech refers to the silent production of language in one's mind. As a purely mental action without obvious physical manifestations, inner speech has been notoriously difficult to quantify. Inner speech is thought to be closely related to overt speech.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neuronal processing of external sensory input is shaped by internally generated top-down information. In the neocortex, top-down projections primarily target layer 1, which contains NDNF (neuron-derived neurotrophic factor)-expressing interneurons and the dendrites of pyramidal cells. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that NDNF interneurons shape cortical computations in an unconventional, layer-specific way, by exerting presynaptic inhibition on synapses in layer 1 while leaving synapses in deeper layers unaffected.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want 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!