Isamu Pati and Ingombe Ilede Iron Age skeletons
On an Iron Age sample from Zambia in collaboration with others I conducted two published bioarchaeological studies; one of the post crania and crania the other of the dentition. The sample was excavated between 1959 and 1965 by Fagan et al. and was the focus of a two volume series ‘Iron Age Cultures in Zambia’ (Fagan 1967; Fagan et al. 1969). From two archaeological sites Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati 56 human burials were found. Despite them being from different localities these sites are temporally, spatially and archaeologically related they are dated to the 7-15th centuries. They were threatened by development and excavated under rescue archaeology.
In collaboration with Professor T. Huffman and Dr. A. Gallagher at the University of the Witwatersrand we conducted a study on the bioarchaeological analyses of the human skeletons. We found that there was a high mortality rate for infants and children. Overall, most of the sample were younger than 35 years and had no indication of stress, trauma or infectious diseases. The low levels of cribra orbitalia and linear enamel hypoplasias indicate a low level of physiological stress, similar to that of contemporary populations in developed nations. There is no evidence of interpersonal violence or infectious diseases. Furthermore, this sample has no statistical significant difference in body mass or stature compared with contemporary South Africans. These data indicate a relatively healthy population with a well-balanced diet and low afflictions of infectious and parasitic diseases. For a more accurate assessment of health, however, the adult sample needs to be increased.
The second study was done in collaboration with Dr. A-M Grimoud from Toulouse University in France. Wherein, we examined the adult dentition from these sites for evidence of pathology and trauma, as well as the levels and direction of attrition. Dental anthropology is an important area of study as teeth can be indicators of overall health and disease, while also providing some information on cultural practices. This study was innovative as we used radiography and morphology to determine pathology and trauma. The majority of pathologies were found with radiography alone, showing the necessity of using both radiography and morphology to fully understand the dental health in past populations. These people had very little pathology and trauma, dental modification of the maxillary incisors seemed to be a prominent risk factor for infection and inflammation. They had low levels of linear enamel hypoplasias and carious lesions; additionally we found root fractures in two teeth. The quantity of dental attrition has long been studied in past populations but the direction of wear is largely unrecorded. In our study we found sex differences in wear direction, which likely represents the use of teeth as tools for an activity restricted to one sex, but exactly which activity remains unknown.
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Map showing the location of the Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Stratified Iron Age sites in Zambia (modified from Huffman, 2010, pp 2578) |
