Dental calculus. This small, hard, inconspicuous substance that forms on the teeth of humans and animals contains a surprising amount of information about our lives. During its formation and growth... Show moreDental calculus. This small, hard, inconspicuous substance that forms on the teeth of humans and animals contains a surprising amount of information about our lives. During its formation and growth as a living biofilm, it accumulates a wide variety particles, especially bacteria and food debris.What makes this so interesting to archaeologists is that, when plaque hardens and forms dental calculus, these particles become trapped and well-protected against removal and degradation during hundreds to thousands of years, preserving a picture of past activities.The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems is that this picture was never a complete picture of a lifetime of activities, and that picture fades over time. We know that these problems exist and that they limit our interpretations of past activities. What we need to do is approach these problems at a fundamental level. In my dissertation I introduce a protocol for growing artificial dental calculus. Working with a very controlled model allows me to explore the influence of a wide range of factors that may affect the uptake of particles into dental calculus, and better explain why and how our picture is incomplete. Show less
Casna, M.; Roelofs, J.J.H.; Schats, R.; Verbist, B.M.; Bruintjes, T.D. 2024
Infectious Middle Ear Disease (IMED) is a group of infections that frequently afflict individuals across all age groups worldwide. Although in today’s clinical practice IMED is efficiently managed,... Show moreInfectious Middle Ear Disease (IMED) is a group of infections that frequently afflict individuals across all age groups worldwide. Although in today’s clinical practice IMED is efficiently managed, in the past it probably caused severe complications (e.g., hearing loss, balance problems, and facial nerve paralysis), heavily impacting the everyday life of many people. However, despite the valuable insights that studying ear infections in the past can bring, bioarcheology presently lacks a standardized methodology to assess their prevalence in skeletal populations. This can lead to several issues, including incomparability of results, difficulties in replications, and methodological biases.Recently, straightforward and accessible criteria for the observation of the cochlear promontory were presented to successfully assess IMED on skeletal remains. Yet, as otologists rarely examine the impact of ear infections on the bony structures of the middle ear, the results were not supported clinically, and could therefore not be validated. To fill this gap, we propose a study in which computed tomography (CT) of the mastoid process was utilized on the skulls of 50 individuals to verify the results obtained through gross observation of the cochlear promontory. Statistical analysis revealed significant correlation between hypopneumatization (indicative of childhood IMED) and bony changes of the promontory at the level of the individual. This suggests a potential correlation that warrants further investigation to determine whether the observation of the cochlear promontory should be used as a method for IMED assessment. Overall, our study contributes to the study of IMED in past populations, and underscores the importance of clear, standardized scoring criteria in paleopathology. Show less
Today, Computed Tomography (CT) is a widely established technique to visualize pathological changes in archaeological human remains. The high definition of the current scanners allow for even small... Show moreToday, Computed Tomography (CT) is a widely established technique to visualize pathological changes in archaeological human remains. The high definition of the current scanners allow for even small lesions to be visualized, therefore giving osteoarchaeologists a powerful tool to investigate disease in the past.The study of chronic maxillary sinusitis (CMS) has received significant attention in the past years as the presence of CMS is generally considered indicative or air quality. We discuss here the methodological implications of using CT scans for diagnosing CMS in contrast to classical endoscopical observation. A total of 32 crania from the Dutch post-medieval rural village of Middenbeemster (AD 1829-1866) were examined both endoscopically and through CT scans. Criteria for identifying CMS included presence of bone spicules and pitting on the sinus walls. 12 cases of CMS were identified endoscopically, and 19 through CT scanning. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in scoring CMS endoscopically or through radiographic imaging (τb=0.246, p=0.170). When investigating differences among features, no statistical difference was found between spicules observed through macroscopical analysis and computed tomography respectively (τb=0.246, p=0.170). The same analysis, however, revealed a statistically significant difference in endoscopically-assessed and CT-observed pitting (τb=0.374, p=0.037). Our results suggest that diagnosis of CMS on human skeletal remains can be confidently performed both through endoscopical and radiological analysis, albeit delivering better performances in scoring bone formation in contrast to bone resorption. Further research is being considered to fully explore the role of computed tomography in the study of CMS. Show less
The period of the Industrial Revolution brought major changes in nutrition, lifestyle, and living conditions in London. These changes are conducive to the development of osteoporosis in the... Show moreThe period of the Industrial Revolution brought major changes in nutrition, lifestyle, and living conditions in London. These changes are conducive to the development of osteoporosis in the population. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease, which is characterised by increased bone porosity, and may result in more fragile bones and fractures. The World Health Organisation has identified osteoporosis as one of the most prevalent diseases in the modern world, however archaeological sources remain mainly silent on the subject. Data from London provided by the Museum of Archaeology London (MOLA) is compared to observe whether there is a change in prevalence of osteoporosis between the Medieval and post-Medieval period. This research shows that if advanced techniques, such as radiography, are incorporated within the osteological analysis more osteoporosis cases are found within the archaeological record. Structural incorporation of modern techniques will provide new insights in past populations. Show less
This thesis presents an easy, rapid and inexpensive supplement to the well-known method of Maat et al. (2001). This new method allows for the histochemical staining of dry bone material, enhancing... Show moreThis thesis presents an easy, rapid and inexpensive supplement to the well-known method of Maat et al. (2001). This new method allows for the histochemical staining of dry bone material, enhancing the visibility of important hallmarks of dry bone histomorphology. In addition, this thesis provides a new, easy, rapid and inexpensive method for the production of sections of fragile dry bone tissue, histochemically stained or not. Furthermore we show that dry bone histology is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of bone disorders. Although the majority of bone disorders have no pathognomonic dry bone histomorphology, histology may still have a considerable value for the differential diagnostic process. Finally, when studying mechanical trauma, dry bone histology is a valuable tool for the estimation of posttraumatic survival time, especially when used in conjunction with gross anatomical and radiological analyses. Show less
