Skeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined osteological and... Show moreSkeletal remains discovered in Simon’s Town, South Africa, were hypothesised as being associated with a former Dutch East India Company (VOC) hospital. We report a novel combined osteological and biochemical approach to these poorly-preserved remains. A combined strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18OVPDB) and carbon (δ13CVPDB) isotope analysis informed possible childhood origins and diet, while sex-specific amelogenin enamel peptides revealed biological sex. Osteological analyses presented evidence of residual rickets, a healed trauma, dental pathological conditions, and pipe notches. The combined isotope analyses yielded results for 43 individuals which suggested a diverse range of geological origins, including at least 16% of the population being non-local. The inclusion of δ13CVPDB had intriguing implications for three individuals who likely did not have origins in the Cape Town region nor in Europe. Peptide analysis on the dental enamel of 25 tested individuals confirmed they were all biologically male. We suggest that isolated enamel may provide crucial information about individuals’ pathological conditions, geographical origins, diet, and biological sex. These data further demonstrated that a combined approach using multiple osteological and biochemical methods is advantageous for human remains which are poorly preserved and can contextualise a site with little direct evidence. Show less
IntroductionOsteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease that degrades the cartilage in synovial joints, eventually leading to the direct destruction of bone. Today, OA is often observed in the hands... Show moreIntroductionOsteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease that degrades the cartilage in synovial joints, eventually leading to the direct destruction of bone. Today, OA is often observed in the hands and wrists, yet there have been few dedicated studies in past populations. This research aims to investigate how the living environment impacts the occurrence and patterning of hand and wrist OA in the medieval Netherlands.Materials & MethodsThe skeletal remains of 226 adult individuals from three sites (urban Alkmaar, rural Klaaskinderkerke, and urban hospital Kampen) were analysed to shed light on past prevalence and variation in affected joints between contextually different populations. The operational definition from Waldron (2009) was used to diagnose OA. ResultsExpectedly, a significant relationship between age and OA prevalence was found, χ2(2, N=226)=26.72, p<.001), with older individuals being more affected. Sex did not influence OA prevalence, χ2(2, N=226)=.75, p=0.68). Interestingly, even though the age distribution between the sites was similar, a clear interpopulation difference in overall hand and wrist OA prevalence was observed: hospital (32%), urban (12%) and rural (5%). Joint-specific patterning also showed variation between the sites, with OA predominance in the lateral wrist (thumb-base/wrist joint complex) in the urban hospital population, and in the medial wrist (piso-triquetral) in the urban population. ConclusionsThese results suggest that population context plays a significant role in OA occurrence. Differences in OA prevalence and patterning may suggest different activities or risk factors depending on the environment, which need to be explored further and on a larger scale. Show less
