PALEOPATHOLOGIES OF THE MINE CANYON SITE:
A PUEBLO III COMMUNITY ON THE
B-SQUARE RANCH, FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO
Elizabeth Morgan Adams
Please be advised that this presentation contains images of human skeletal remains.
THE SAMPLE:MINE CANYON SITE
PUEBLO III (AD 1100-1300)
• Total Skeletal Sample: 44
• Number identifiable to sex:– Females (n=9)–Males (n=6)–Unknown Sex (n=29)
TRAUMA AND ACTIVITY RELATED ANOMALIES
• Impact trauma
• Anomalies related to repetitive lifting/carrying motions
• Artificial cranial deformation
• Bone robusticity
IMPACT TRAUMAPathologyPresent
PathologyAbsent
Females(n=9)
1 (11%) 8 (88%)
Males(n=6)
0 6 (100%)
Unknown Sex(n=29)
1 (3%) 28 (97%)
TRAUMA TO A CLAVICLE:BURIAL Z; FEMALE AGED 30-34 YEARS
LIFTING AND CARRYING STRESS
Pathology Present Pathology Absent
Female Vertebral Sample(n=8)
3 (38%) 5 (62%)
Male Vertebral Sample(n=4)
0 4 (100%)
Vertebral Sample of Unknown Sex
(n=17)
1 (6%) 16 (94%)
ARTIFICIAL CRANIAL DEFORMATION
Pathology Present Pathology AbsentFemale Crania
Sample(n=5)
4 (80%) 1 (20%)
Male Crania Sample(n=4)
2 (50%) 2 (50%)
Cranial Sample of Unknown Sex
(n=14)
6 (43%) 8 (57%)
BONE ROBUSTICITYPathology Present Pathology Absent
Female Humerus Sample(n=6)
4 (67%) 2 (33%)
Male Humerus Sample(n=5)
1 (20%) 4 (80%)
Humerus Sample of Unknown Sex
(n=11)
2 (18%) 9 (82%)
TRAUMATIC VERSUS NONTRAUMATIC PATHOLOGIES
Trauma Non-Trauma(Activity Related Anomalies)
Females(n=9)
1 11
Males(n=6)
0 3
Unknown Sex(n=29)
1 9
SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA OF THE SACRUM
Pathology Present Pathology AbsentFemale Sacral
Sample(n= 6)
1 (17%) 5 (83%)
Male Sacral Sample(n=2)
1 (50%) 1 (50%)
Sacrum of Unknown Sex
(n=7)
0 7 (100%)
EXAMPLE OF OSTEOPHYTE DEVELOPMENT ON THE VERTEBRA
Ortner, Donald J. and Walter G.J. Putschar 1985 Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human
Skeletal Remains. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
OSTEOARTHRITISPathology Present Pathology Absent
Female Vertebral Sample(n=8)
7 (88%) 1 (11%)
Male Vertebral Sample(n=4)
2 (50%) 2 (50%)
GENERAL INFECTIONSPathology Present Pathology Absent
Female Crania Sample(n=5)
1 (20%) 4 (80%)
Male Crania Sample (n=4)
0 4 (100%)
Crania of Unknown Sex
(n=14)
2 (14%) 12 (86%)
EXAMPLE OF CRIBRA ORBITALIA:BURIAL ZC2
CRIBRA ORBITALIAPathology Present Pathology Absent
Female Crania Sample(n=5)
1 (20%) 4 (80%)
Male Crania Sample(n=4)
1 (25%) 3 (75%)
Crania of Unknown Sex
(n=14)
0 14 (100%)
EXAMPLE OF DENTAL PATHOLOGIES:BURIAL M, FEMALE AGED 35-39 YEARS
EXAMPLE OF EAR EXOSTOSESOrtner, Donald J. and Walter G.J. Putschar 1985 Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human
Skeletal Remains. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
SUMMARY AND COMPARISONSite References Temporal
Span of SiteSample Number
Mine Canyon Site
Wheelbarger (2004)Durand (2007)Cline (2007)DeBoer and Tykot (2007)Enright (2007)Fuhrman (2007)Greene (2007)Snow , Durand, and Smith (2007)
P III 44
La Plata Valley
Martin, Akins, Goodman, Toll, Swedlund (2001)
P II – P III 67
LIFE EXPECTANCYAT BIRTH
Mine Canyon Site La Plata Valley29.1 years 24.5 years
INFECTIOUS DISEASE FREQUENCIES
MINE CANYON SITE
Frequency
Subadult(n= 12)
0 (0%)
Adult(n=28)
3 (11%)
LA PLATA VALLEY
Frequency
Subadult(n= 17)
5 (29.4%)
Adult(n=28)
7 (25%)
FREQUENCIES OF POROTIC HYPEROSTOSIS
(Adams, 2007; Martin et al., 2001)
Site FrequencyMine Canyon Site (PIII) 8.6%La Plata Valley (PII-PIII) 45.2%Canyon de Chelly (PII-PIII) 55.1%Chaco Canyon (PII-PIII) 71.8%Mesa Verde (PII-PIII) 59.0%
PATTERNS OF TRAUMA IN THE LA PLATA VALLEY
Cranial Trauma Post Cranial Trauma
Cranial and Post Cranial Traumas
CoincidingMales XFemales X X X
COMPARISON
Mine Canyon Site• Longer life expectancy
• Infectious disease nearly absent in observable sample
• Porotic hyperostosis uncommon
• Trauma infrequently observed
La Plata Valley• Lower life expectancy
• Infectious disease mild, but fairly common
• Porotic hyperostosis prevelant
• Differential patterns in trauma between sexes
CONCLUDING REMARKS
REFERENCES CITEDFerembach, D.
1963 Frequency of Spina Bifida Occulta in Prehistoric Human Skeletons. Nature, 199: 100-101.
Fuhrman, Jesse D.2007 Age, Sex, Fertility and Mortality at Two Sites on the Middle San Juan
River. Paper prepared for the Society for American Archaeology Conference in Austin, Texas. Giacobbe, John
1999 Demography, Paleopathology, and Activity-Related Anomalies of Human Skeletal Remains from the Rio Puerco Valley, Sandoval County, New Mexico.
Hrdlicka, A.
1935 Ear Exostoses. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 93: 1-100. Martin, Debra L. Nancy J. Atkins, Alan H. Goodman, H. Wolcott Toll and Alan C. Swedlund
2001 Totah Time and Rivers Flowing – Excavations in the La Plata Valley, Vol. V Harmony and Discord: Bioarchaeology. Office of Archaeological Studies, Santa Fe.
Ortner, Donald J. and Walter G.J. Putschar
1985 Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human Skeletal Remains. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. Snow, Meredeth
2007 Genetic Analysis of the Tommy and Mine Canyon Sites in Context of Southwest Populations. Paper prepared for the Society for American Archaeology Conference in Austin, Texas. Walker, P.L.
1985 Anemia among Prehistoric Indians of the American Southwest. In Health and Disease in the Prehistoric Southwest, ed. C.F. Merbs and R.J. Miller, pp. 139-163. Anthropological Research Paper No. 34.
University of Arizona, Tempe. Wheelbarger, Linda
2004 Puebloan Communities on the South Side of the Middle San Juan River. Pecos Conference Version of a paper prepared for the Salmon Working Conference.
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