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Anthropology

University of Central Florida

Bioarchaeology

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Reconstructing Ancient Burials At Loma Don Genaro, Alexandra M. Kulenguski Jan 2018

Reconstructing Ancient Burials At Loma Don Genaro, Alexandra M. Kulenguski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis reconstructs and analyzes a Classic period (AD 250-800) burial collection from the archaeological site of Loma Don Genaro in Oaxaca, Mexico. This research aims to address two main questions: 1.) What information about the burial collection is available through the archaeological archives? 2.) What does this information tell us about social organization during the Classic period at Loma Don Genaro? In order to address these questions, the following objectives were explored: to reconstruct ancient burials using archival material; to describe the burial demography across the site; to describe variation in grave goods; to relatively date and order the …


Feeding The Children: A Paleodietary Reconstruction Of Juveniles From Kuelap, Peru, Marley Denierio Jan 2018

Feeding The Children: A Paleodietary Reconstruction Of Juveniles From Kuelap, Peru, Marley Denierio

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Before reaching adulthood, every individual experiences a period of dependency, the juvenile period, during which they rely on the older, more experienced members of their society for their security, subsistence and care. This juvenile period is an important stage of life for human physical and physiological development. In bioarchaeology, there has been limited research conducted on juveniles, particularly, the development of their own social identity and influences. The research method of stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope analysis is used to reconstruct the paleodiet of juveniles to determine their dietary composition. Specifically, this research is focused on Kuelap, located …


Bioarchaeological Assessment Of Diet And Changes In Femoral And Humeral Stable Isotopic Values Among Subadults At Medieval Alytus, Lithuania., Katherine Page Jan 2014

Bioarchaeological Assessment Of Diet And Changes In Femoral And Humeral Stable Isotopic Values Among Subadults At Medieval Alytus, Lithuania., Katherine Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Establishing a chronology of variation in isotopic values can reveal frailty associated with biological and social age, as well as highlight individuals who vary from typical patterns. Although general dietary characteristics and infant feeding practices were previously unknown for subadults excavated from the cemetery at Alytus, Lithuania (14th-18th centuries), previous research concludes that Alytus' subadults experienced high rates of physiological, metabolic, non-specific stress, in addition to specific diseases like tuberculosis. To investigate nuanced relationships between diet and mortality, nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes from the femoral and humeral midshaft diaphyses of 70 subadults (32 weeks gestation to16 years) were analyzed. …


Diet At Medieval Alytus, Lithuania: Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis Of Bone And Dentin Collagen, Katie Whitmore Jan 2014

Diet At Medieval Alytus, Lithuania: Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analysis Of Bone And Dentin Collagen, Katie Whitmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Baltic region was a vibrant center of power and economic prosperity in medieval Europe; Lithuania in particular. Until now, little stable isotopic analysis has been utilized to assess diet in this region during this time period. The aim of this study was to undertake a preliminary assessment of the composition of diet at late medieval Alytus (late 14th to early 18th centuries) from bone (N=35) and dentin (N=38) collagen samples. The stable carbon isotopic data suggest a diet primarily comprised of C3 plants such as barley, rye, wheat, and flax, and animals consuming C3 plants. The stable nitrogen isotopic …


Age As A Factor In Inter-Tissue Spacing Of Stable Carbon Isotope Values In Juvenile Human Remains From The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Annie Laurie Norris Jan 2012

Age As A Factor In Inter-Tissue Spacing Of Stable Carbon Isotope Values In Juvenile Human Remains From The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Annie Laurie Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although stable isotope analysis is routinely utilized in bioarchaeology and relies on principles that are well-understood, there are still fundamental issues that have not been thoroughly investigated. This thesis examines the relationship between inter-tissue spacing of carbon stable isotope values (δ13C) and age in juvenile human remains. Analyses of tissues within the same individual reveal disparate isotopic values for a variety of physiological and biological reasons discussed herein. This project examines the distance between the δ13C values in bone collagen, skin, hair, and nail, and examines how these distances vary between different age groups, utilizing data collected from 52 well-preserved …


Diagnosing Anencephaly In Archaeology: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Clinical Specimens From The Smithsonian Institution Nation, Stevie Mathews Jan 2008

Diagnosing Anencephaly In Archaeology: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Clinical Specimens From The Smithsonian Institution Nation, Stevie Mathews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of human fetal skeletons in the archaeological record can reveal much about past cultures' perception of life and death. The preservation of fetal remains in the archaeological record is a rarity, and the discovery of pathological skeletons is even rarer. A fetal skeleton from a Roman period cemetery (c. 31BC - 303AD) in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, displays what are thought to be classic skeletal indicators of the neural tube defect, anencephaly. The published literature concerning the skeletal diagnosis of anencephaly is scant so in order to diagnose this individual it is pertinent to create a diagnostic standard. …