The Bioarchaeology of Individuals (Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past Local, Regional, and Global)

305 Pages·2012·38.261 MB·English

by  Ann L. W. Stodder (Editor), Ann M. Palkovich (Editor)

The Bioarchaeology of Individuals
Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past:
Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives
University Press of Florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

The Bioarchaeology
of Individuals

Edited by Ann L. W. Stodder and Ann M. Palkovich
Foreword by Clark Spencer Larsen
University Press of Florida
Gainesville/Tallahassee/Tampa/Boca Raton
Pensacola/Orlando/Miami/Jacksonville/Ft. Myers/Sarasota
We dedicate this book to three remarkable young women who inspire us
every day. Our daughters:
Emma Ellen Stodder
Meredith S. S. Shaw
Anna M. Shaw
Copyright 2012 by Ann L. W. Stodder and Ann M. Palkovich
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America. This book is printed on Glatfelter Natures
Book, a paper certified under the standards of the Forestry Stewardship Council
(FSC). It is a recycled stock that contains 30 percent post-consumer waste and is
acid-free.
17 16 15 14 13 12 6 5 4 3 2 1
A record of cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-8130-3807-0
The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State
University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic
University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida
State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of
Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of
West Florida.
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables xi
Foreword xiii
1. Osteobiography and Bioarchaeology 1
Ann L. W. Stodder and Ann M. Palkovich
Part 1. Ancestors and Descendants
2. The Magician: An Ancestral Hopi Leader 11
Jill E. Neitzel
3. The Axed Man of Mosfell: Skeletal Evidence of a Viking Age
Homicide, the Icelandic Sagas, and Feud 26
Phillip L. Walker, Jesse Byock, Jacqueline T. Eng, Jon M. Erlandson,
Per Holck, Henry Schwarcz, and Davide Zori
4. Legendary Chamorro Strength: Skeletal Embodiment
and the Boundaries of Interpretation 44
Gary M. Heathcote, Vincent P. Diego, Hajime Ishida,
and Vincent J. Sava
5. Mortuary Evidence for Maya Political Resistance and Religious
Syncretism in Colonial Belize 68
Gabriel D. Wrobel
Part 2. Ancient Travelers and “Others”
6. Social Marginalization among the Chiribaya: The Curandero
of Yaral, Southern Peru 85
María Cecilia Lozada, Kelly J. Knudson, Rex C. Haydon,
and Jane E. Buikstra
7. A Neolithic Nomad from Dakhleh Oasis 96
Jennifer L. Thompson
8. Lesley: A Unique Bronze Age Individual from Southeastern
Arabia 113
Debra L. Martin and Daniel T. Potts
9. The “African Queen”: A Portuguese Mystery 127
Mary Lucas Powell, Della Collins Cook, Maia M. Langley,
Susan Dale Spencer, Jennifer Raff, and Frederika Kaestle
Part 3. Craftsmen and Artisans
10. Sew Long? The Osteobiography of a Woman from Medieval
Polis, Cyprus 151
Brenda J. Baker, Claire E. Terhune, and Amy Papalexandrou
11. A Master Artisan? Tribute to the Founder of a Teotihuacán
Apartment Compound 162
Rebecca Storey and Randolph J. Widmer
12. Vulcan: Skilled Village Craftsman of Ban Chiang, Thailand 177
Michele Toomay Douglas and Michael Pietrusewsky
13. Written in Stone, Written in Bone: The Osteobiography of a Bronze
Age Craftsman from Alalakh 193
Alexis T. Boutin
Part 4. Farm and Village
14. Life and Death of a Mother and Child in Nineteenth-Century
Ontario, Canada 217
M. Anne Katzenberg and Shelley R. Saunders
15. Thumbprints of a Midwife: Birth and Infant Death in an Ancient
Pueblo Community 229
Charles F. Merbs
16. Reading a Life: A Fourteenth-Century Ancestral Puebloan
Woman 242
Ann M. Palkovich
17. From Cradle to Grave and Beyond: A Maya Life and Death 255
Pamela L. Geller
List of Contributors 271
Index 277
Figures
2.1 Map of Ridge Ruin 13
2.2 Maps of the Magician’s burial 14
2.3 Hubert’s reconstruction of the Magician’s head 16
2.4 Drawings of a Sinagua man and artifacts from the Magician’s
burial 18
2.5 Mosaic and wooden artifacts from the Magician’s burial 20
3.1 Map of the Hrísbrú site, Mosfell Valley, Iceland 28
3.2 Photograph of the Axed Man 29
3.3 Map of the Kirkjuhóll cemetery at Hrísbrú 29
3.4 The lower right canine tooth of the Axed Man showing
hypoplastic lesions 33
3.5 The Axed Man’s left clavicle 33
3.6 The Axed Man’s cranium showing injuries made by a bladed
weapon 35
3.7 Axes of the type likely responsible for the Axed Man’s cranial
injuries 36
4.1 The Mariana Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean 46
4.2 Reconstruction of face and head of Taotao Tagga’ 47
4.3 The last remaining uprights from the latte set foundation of the
House of Taga on Tinian 48
4.4 Locations of occipital superstructures and associated muscle
attachments and photo of superstructures on the cranium of a
male from the Gogna-Gun Beach site, Guam 52
4.5 Taotao Tagga’’s posterior cranium 53
4.6 Taotao Tagga’’s humeri 57
4.7 Scatterplot of the additive superstructure score and index of
humeral robusticity in Chamorros from Guam and Tinian 59
5.1 The location of Chau Hiix and other Colonial Maya sites 70
5.2 Burials 137 and 149, Chau Hiix 73
5.3 Shovel shaped incisors, Burial 149 75
5.4a–b Infection on legs of Burial 149 76
6.1a–b The location of El Yaral in the Southern Andes and the location of
Burial 213 88
vii
6.2a–b Illustrations of Burial 213 in situ 90
6.3a–c Funeral offerings included with Burial 213 91
6.4a–b Photos and radiographs of the head from Burial 213 93
7.1 Map of Dakhleh Oasis and Egypt 98
7.2 Skeleton of the “Neolithic Nomad” in situ 102
7.3 George’s mandible showing the molar wear pattern 104
7.4 Spur on George’s calcaneus 105
7.5 The copper pin associated with George 107
8.1 The location of Tell Abraq 115
8.2 The Tell Abraq tomb fully excavated 116
8.3 A view of Lesley partially revealed 117
8.4 Lesley’s skeleton fully exposed 117
8.5 Lesley’s sacrum showing abnormal upward curvature 119
8.6 Perimortem destruction of the nasal conchae and septum 119
8.7 Lesley’s mandible 120
9.1 The Monte at Torre de Palma 128
9.2 Frontal view of skull 4769 v.2 131
9.3a Oblique view of 4769 v.2 134
9.3b Oblique view of an adult female cranium from Tomb 8 134
9.4 Scattergram of Giles and Elliott female discriminant function scores,
with Torre de Palma females added 135
9.5 Scattergram of discriminant function scores for AQ and other Torre
de Palma adult females 136
9.6 Occlusal view of maxilla 138
10.1 Location of grave with the basilica in the background 153
10.2 The skeleton of the seamstress in situ 153
10.3 Bone needle and small ground stone from the seamstress’s
grave 154
10.4 Modifications to the seamstress’s dentition 155
10.5 Markers of occupational stress on the seamstress’s infracranial
skeleton 158
11.1 Map of S3W1:33 Tlajinga 33 164
11.2 Map and profile of the Early Tlamimilolpa patio and temple
complex 166
11.3 Photograph of the Early Tlamimilolpa patio and temple
complex 166
11.4 Room 66 containing Burials 56 and 57 167
viii · Figures
11.5 Map of Burials 56 and 57 and Feature 18 169
11.6 Feature 18 stone Huehueteotl incense burner in situ and
reconstructed 170
11.7 Burial 57 in situ 172
11.8 Burial 57 grave offerings 172
12.1 Excavation locales, Ban Chiang, northeast Thailand 179
12.2 BC Burial 23 plan view 183
12.3 Vulcan in situ 183
12.4 Vulcan with his bronze adze head, clay pellets, and bronze
bangles 185
12.5 Lateral view of the left mandible 186
12.6 Active infection of the interior border of a lower left rib 186
12.7 The right first proximal phalanx (thumb) 187
13.1 S04-4 in situ 196
13.2 Right I with mesio-distal groove 197
2
13.3a–b Right radius pathology 199
13.4 Left ulna with healed fracture 201
13.5 Fisherman making a net 202
14.1 Political map of southern Ontario showing the location of the
Harvie Cemetery 220–21
14.2 Tombstones from the Harvie Cemetery 222
14.3 In situ photograph from the excavation of the child (JC) 224
15.1 Location of Nuvakwewtaqa 230
15.2 Map of South Pueblo, Nuvakwewtaqa 231
15.3 Subfloor burial pit in room corner 232
15.4 Ribs showing fracture locations 234
15.5 Radiograph of ribs showing fracture locations 235
16.1 Location of Arroyo Hondo Pueblo 244
16.2 Organization of Arroyo Hondo Pueblo 245
17.1 Map of sites in the Programme for Belize, northwestern Belize 259
17.2 Individual 102’s pit grave 260
17.3 Late/Terminal Classic jar 261
17.4 Carved and polished hematite disks 261
17.5 Miniature jar with God L holding tobacco leaf 265

Figures · ix