Alyssa Bolster, Andrew Scherer, and Moises Herrera Parra
Brown University
Life Course-Life History Analysis of a Classic Maya Child
In bioarchaeology, the search for more comprehensive and holistic analyses of skeletonized individuals continues. This is seen especially in the recent increase in literature pertaining to osteobiography, life course and life history approaches (Cheverko, 2020). These theoretical frameworks draw from larger conversations in the fields of sociology, epidemiology, and evolutionary ecology and biology, and build upon intradisciplinary discourse on biocultural models for reconstructing life in the distant past. Together, they emphasize attention to skeletal manifestations of growth and development within larger socio political and environmental contexts, viewing the individual “at any point in time as the sum of their experiences,” (Agarwal, 2016:131).
In this poster, I apply a combined life course-life history approach (sensu Cheverko, 2020) to the analysis of a recently-excavated individual burial from Lacanja Tzeltal. This site served as the capital of the kingdom of Sak Tz’i’ (White Dog) during the Late Classic Period (600-900 CE), and includes a palace, monumental pyramids, and residential and ritual plazas (Golden et al, 2019). This Lacanja Tzeltal individual did not survive into modern, nor Classic Maya, conceptions of adulthood, yet received age-related body modifications in the form dental filing at or around the time of death (Scherer, 2015; Tiesler, 2022). Such early dental modification by the Ancient Maya is seen in only one other published instance, underscoring the need for an individual life course reconstruction that could better inform upon other potential cultural interventions that foreshadowed this uncommon practice (Braswell and Pitcavage, 2009). Further, this child suffered from a pathology, likely a treponemal disease, which almost certainly contributed to their early death. Both healed periostosis and severe, active, bilateral lesions throughout the skeleton raise the question of the extent of this disease experience, as well as potential for previous pathologies and comorbidities. Due to issues of preservation, a complete biological life history of this child is difficult to reconstruct; nonetheless, comparative studies of childhood disease experience permit an exploration of developmental stressors, such as maternal health and early childhood nutrition, and indicators of plasticity and persistence amidst such biological and environmental challenges.
Despite (or in light of) these unique social and biological experiences, this Maya child was buried in the center of a patio group surrounded by elite residential structures. Thus, I analyze the biocultural experience of this individual over their lifetime with reference to their mortuary condition. I query as to not only how this child lived, but how those around them may have experienced their death and lived on after them. This analysis represents a holistic, combined life course-life history approach to bioarchaeological and mortuary archaeological data from the Classic Maya period, something often difficult given the typical preservation of human remains in a tropical environment. This project reveals the potential applicability and utility of such approaches in this region and period, and offers us a better glimpse at one of many lifeways ancient Maya individuals may have experienced in the past.
References:
Agarwal, S. C. (2016). Bone morphologies and histories: Life course approaches in bioarchaeology. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 159(S61), 130–149.
Braswell, G. & M. Pitcavage. (2009). The Cultural Modification of Teeth by the Ancient Maya: A Unique Example from Pusilha, Belize. Mexican 31:24-27.
Cheverko, C. M., Prince-Buitenhuys, J. R., & Hubbe, M. (2020). Theoretical Approaches in Bioarchaeology. Routledge.
Golden, C. et. al. (2019). Centering the Classic Maya Kingdom of Sak Tz’i’. Journal of Field Archaeology 45(2):67-85.
Scherer, A. (2015). Mortuary Landscapes of the Classic Maya. University of Texas Press.
Tiesler, V. (2022). The Bioarchaeology of Permanent Body Modifications in Mesoamerica. In S. Burnett & J. Irish (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Mesoamerican Bioarchaeology. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Mozelle Bowers with Co Authors Almi Cabanzo, Sara Juengst, Sarah Rowe, and Guy Duke
Mecklenburg County, University of North Carolina Charlotte, and University of Texas Rio Grande
Children, Infants, and Power: A Tale of Special Burial Locations, Identity, and Community Practices
At Buen Suceso, a Valdivia-era village occupied from 3750-1425 BC non-adult and young adult remains provide an interesting insight into the past. To date, the remains of 15 semi-complete and isolated non-adult and young adult remains have been excavated from various structures around the site. Given the auspicious location of these burials and the ubiquity of non-adult remains, this poster will discuss both the symbolism of interment of children at special locations and what subadult remains at Buen Suceso can tell us about the social organization and health of the community through the evaluation of signs of skeletal stress, such as linear enamel hypoplasia, periosteal new bone formation, and porotic hyperostosis. The presence of the above pathologies and the lack of severity amongst the population indicates that these individuals likely suffered from low-grade levels of stress over time, which could be the result of increasing sedentism and aggregation (Kent, 1986; Zeidler and Ubelaker 2021). The types of pathology present and the frequency of the pathologies across this sample could also indicate some form of alternative power, such as heterarchy or anarchy, in which unranked or no central power system is in place. This argument is furthered through findings from excavations this past summer, in which infants were found in not only special locations, but also in what appears to be a cemetery. Interestingly, the infants buried in the cemetery were more likely to be associated with ceramics, figurines, and shells, items that held significance for the Buen Suceso community. Thus, the connections between early life experiences of health, special grave goods, and burial location do not clearly depict emergent ascribed status. In this poster, we showcase how infant remains can reflect nuances in community structure and may have also been treated differently from adults as part of a larger ritual practice.
Allyson Frisbie
Brown University
Burial Practices in the Coastal Moche Valley, Perú
Burial contexts are reflections not only of the deceased individual, but also of the society they lived in. Large scale comparative studies of burial practices can inform on large scale socio-religious practices, especially for societies for which no written record exists.
This study provides the first extensive analysis of burial practices over time in the coastal Moche Valley, on the North Coast of Perú. Combining recently analyzed data from José Olaya – La Iglesia (Rivera Prince 2023) and historical work published by Donnan and Mackey (1978), it is possible to assess burial practices over a span of 3,000 years in one distinct region. In particular, this analysis explores aspects of identity, such as age and sex, with burial practices, including burial features, and specific burial goods associated with domestic practice as well as prestige items. Special focus is paid to understanding how burial practices shifted most noticeably during times of sociopolitical instability: particularly during the rise of the Moche State, the expansion of the Chimu Empire, and finally, following Inca conquest.
Ileana Micarelli
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge
The Inextricability of Bone Health and Identity: How Intersectional Identities Can Contribute to a Life Narrative
Bones are biological archives. Intersecting factors and structural inequalities can impact physical health and osteological health. To interpret findings, three levels of information might be considered: i) bioarchaeology, including biological profile (biological sex, age), stature, biomolecular analyses, paleopathology, and archaeological context; ii) osteobiography, which contextualises bioarchaeological data and primarily serves as a catalyst for social theory; iii) intersectionality, aiming to determine which intersections matter the most for the research question (i.e., gender, class, disability). Intersectionality can be employed to gain a deeper insight into social circumstances using osteobiography.
This investigation aims to underscore the importance of intersectional approach, placing value on comprehending interactions between status, fragility, and being a woman within an archaeological framework. Selvicciola is a site in Central Italy where a Roman villa and a cemetery with a Church were excavated. The funerary area is dated between the first half of the 4th c. CE and the beginning of the 8th c. CE. The burial of a mature woman (T90/5) is presented here as a pivotal example.
i) Bioarchaeology: T85/15 is a ‘cappuccina tomb’ close to the church. The grave-goods include two rings, a brooch and two armillas (6th – beginning 7th c. CE). C14 results indicate a range period between 5th – mid. 6th c. CE. These data confirm the burial to the late Roman phase (first phase of the necropolis, mid. 4th – mid. 7th c. CE). The biological profile investigation shows a mature female (30-40 y.o.). The individual from T90/5 was not-local, and the diet values show the lowest income of animal proteins in her community. The palaeopathological assessment shows stress on inguinal ligament and bilateral lytic lesion on the ventral side.
ii) Osteobiography: The woman likely spent her childhood outside Selvicciola area. She might have been involved in extra-regional migrations. As supported by bioarchaeological literature with mobility analyses, women had more varied backgrounds in the Late Antique period. She survived childhood until mature age. She had a different diet comparing the rest of the community. Among possible causes is an increased consumption of legumes or a reduced consumption of animal protein. The skeletal collection from Selvicciola also shows evidence of parasitic infection, which can affect nitrogen values. However, other physiological changes, such as pregnancy, can also affect δ15N. She gave birth during her life, and she was buried with one of the richest grave goods in the cemetery.
iii) Intersectionality: Burial typology and chronological frame identify her as a woman who moved to Selvicciola, possibly for marriage purposes. She likely experienced pregnancy, going through care after giving birth. In the Roman world, women were not free to change their lives but were used to forge family agreements. Leaving homes to new environments could cause psychological trauma. Literary sources often discuss women’s condition of not being free. Having multiple pregnancies and related periods of stress might have posed her with severe health risks, which might have resulted in surviving birth but dying from related weakening. Applying an intersectional approach may enhance and amplify the narratives, recognising the complexities of past women’s lives.
Taylor Recuero
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Lived Experiences in Highland Ecuador: Two Case Studies from Urcuquí (AD 500-1500)
Osteobiographies are an innovative technique in bioarchaeology that allow for close examination of an individual in order to explore unique life trajectories. In this poster, we will present the osteobiographies of two individuals excavated from Urcuquí, Ecuador (AD 500-1500). As part of the Otavalo chiefdom in the Caranqui polity, Urcuquí has been the focus of excavation in Ecuador for many years. However, despite this archaeological attention, little is yet known about daily life for individuals living at Urcuquí. Bioarchaoelogical analysis begun in 2021 has started to explore the patterns of health, activity, and trauma across this community; here, we focus on two case studies in order to highlight the varied life experiences of people who lived there.
The first individual (88A) was a subadult around eight years old at the time of death who suffered from thoracic outlet syndrome along with a healed lesion on one clavicle. This individual was a part of a double burial with an adult. The second individual (218) is a probable female of middle age (35 – 50 years of age at the time of death) who had signs of lumbarization of the first sacral vertebra, osteoarthritis of many vertebrae, as well as potentially severe mandible dislocation. This poster will address how their lives might have been affected by their pathologies over time. For example, the wear patterns on the mandible of 218 show that the dislocation could have been intense, as the right side of teeth had much higher amounts of wear than the left.
We also emphasize the utility of consulting medical specialists in the context of ancient human remains as a way to understand the impact beyond the skeleton of pathology and disease. The focus will be on the day-to-day lives that they might have lived based on the known symptoms associated with their pathologies and bodily changes and what is known about the diet and activity of the people at the time.
Margalida A. Coll Sabater
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
From Wombs to Urns: Analyzing Childhood and the Maternal Figure through the Funerary Context of Late Iron Age Mallorca (Spain)
In the Late Iron Age, specifically during the Postalayotic period (550-123 BC), an unknown phenomenon of infant burial emerges in Mallorca, part of the Balearic Islands (Spain). A differential funerary treatment of individuals of a young age within various funerary containers becomes widespread across the entire island. In an initial stage, infant containers are located in shared spaces with the rest of the community members- humid caves with characteristic smells and darkness, while in a subsequent phase, from the 2nd century BC onwards, the community decides that these young members of the group should leave the darkness of the caves to see their first light in open-air spaces designated solely for infant burials, being isolated from the rest of the group and placed in exclusive areas. However, they remain within the darkness of their small personal caves, urns made of ceramics and limestone. In this study we are going to take into consideration only pottery urns as we believe they represent some kind of maternal figure.
Anthropological data at our disposal, along with the measurements of the urns in relation to the growth percentiles of newborns, reveal that these individuals were fetuses, newborns, and infants of very few weeks, i.e., individuals who had just emerged from the maternal womb or who needed the mother’s belly to finish their correct growth. The features of these urns evoke the materialization of the maternal body, expressed through the depiction of the belly and the protective nature it signifies, as well as the sustenance symbolized by these entities. These urns exhibit a morphology reminiscent of the curvature of the maternal belly, featuring an S-shaped profile and flared neck. Additionally, all of them display decorative patterns resembling the breasts of women or their belly buttons, with circles, and semicircles with raised central points.
Related to this idea, it is crucial to acknowledge that in preceding studies, there was a tentative suggestion of a connection between the mother, the deceased young individual, and the container. Specifically, this connection was tied to the documented varying degrees of expertise in crafting specific urns, hinting at the possibility that mothers might have been the artisans responsible for creating the pieces intended for their sons or daughters.
Determining whether mothers were indeed the manufacturers of the funerary containers for their offspring proves challenging. However, I posit that in the face of the demise of these young members of the group, it is the community that assumes a maternal role, providing a womb-like structure, protection, and sustenance to individuals in need of either maternal care from the wombs or lactation and maternal assistance for survival.
Robert H. Tykot
University of South Florida
Life History in the Central Mediterranean thru Isotopic Analysis of Skeletal Remains
In Italy, stable isotope analysis of skeletal remains to study diet began in the late 1980s. Research has expanded since then to include multiple isotopes for different body tissues in reconstructing human lifeways; addressing research questions on the importance of seafood in the overall diet; the proportions of meat, milk and cheese from domesticated cows, sheep, and goats; geographic origins if non-local; potential differences between individuals based on sex and/or status; and changes over time from the Mesolithic thru Medieval periods.
Stable carbon isotopes in bone collagen, represents mainly dietary protein, and in bone apatite / tooth enamel represents the whole diet; nitrogen isotope analysis in bone collagen, assists with identifying the trophic level of the food consumed, and tooth enamel and roots, represent juvenile diets. Oxygen isotope analysis of bone apatite and tooth enamel informs us about potential mobility at different stages of life.
Presented here are results of isotope analyses in my lab on individuals from archaeological sites in Italy, with an emphasis on the many sites with results not yet published. These include a statistically significant number of individuals from Neolithic through Early Copper Age at several sites in Mantua (northern Italy), as well as in Tuscany (central Italy) and Puglia (southern Italy); Later Copper through Bronze Age sites in southern Sardinia, one near Naples, and one near Agrigento in Sicily; six Roman sites in and near Rome, one near Pompeii, and two Greek or Roman in Sicily; and five Medieval sites in the Veneto and Ravenna areas of northern Italy.
These results suggest that seafood was rarely a dietary staple, even in coastal zones, despite the extensive maritime travel involved well before Roman times. Freshwater fish, however, were important for some in locations near rivers or lakes. Millet, a C4 plant often considered a low status food source, was of minimal use in the Neolithic, but more widely spread by the Bronze Age, and became a staple in the Late Antique period when there was political instability, migration and invasion in northern Italy of Langobard tribes that also had a traditional high-meat diet including pigs. Mobility is examined through comparison of tooth (child) and bone (adult) values, with potential differences between males and females based on marital and/or migration practices.
These studies illustrate the importance of having both collagen and apatite data as well as sufficient local isotope values for plants and animals, since there may be significant differences in the baseline values of the food being consumed due to natural/geographic variability and/or human involvement in agricultural fields and animal foddering. In addition, it is critical for comparison of data from different research projects to using similar sample preparation methods and dietary calculation scales for apatite/enamel samples. Overall, the number of sites and individuals tested is limited still by chronology (especially pre-neolithic), and geographic areas, so there remains a need for continuing research on diet and mobility over time and space.