Health status of the Neolithic population of Alepotrypa Cave, Greece

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Anastasia Papathanasiou

Abstract

During the Neolithic, human health and lifestyle changed following the adoption of domesticated plants and animals and sedentism. This paper presents a study on human osteological remains from Alepotrypa Cave, an important and very well-preserved Late and Final Greek Neolithic site occupied from 5000-3200 BC. The Alepotrypa sample comes from primary and secondary burials as well as scattered bone, and consists of a minimum number of 161 individuals. It includes equal proportions of adults and subadults and males and females, is characterized by high child mortality, and falls within the range of other Neolithic sites in terms of age profiles and stature. The most frequent pathological conditions observed in this population are: 1) anemic conditions (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis), mild or healed in manifestation, most probably of nutritional origin, resulting from a poor diet focused on terrestrial resources such as domesticated cereals; 2) osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal stress markers, indicative of increased physical activity and heavy workloads; and 3) elevated prevalence of healed, depressed cranial fractures, serving as evidence of violent, nonlethal confrontations. Teeth exhibit a low prevalence of dental ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 14, 2013·Homo : internationale Zeitschrift für die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen·C Henderson
May 1, 2012·Journal of Archaeological Science·Sharon N Dewitte, Gail Hughes-Morey
Jun 22, 2010·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Vered EshedIsrael Hershkovitz
Oct 26, 2012·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Kimberly A PlompUna Strand Viðarsdóttir
Jan 24, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Heidi Dawson, Kate Robson Brown
Sep 28, 2016·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Patricia M Lambert, Martin H Welker
Jan 8, 2020·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Margaret A Judd
Nov 22, 2017·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Clare McFadden, Marc F Oxenham
Apr 20, 2018·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Margaret A JuddBryan K Hanks
Jun 1, 2016·International Journal of Paleopathology·Mindy C PitreMaria Carmela Gatto

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