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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