Multi-disciplinary Egyptology: Bioarchaeology/Paleopathology
What the bones tell us
The bones examined in this article are largely those of children from the Ptolemaic era (hence the presence of tooth decay/caries not seen in other eras due to changes in diet).
The remains of children are fragile and are therefore often under represented in the archaeological record. In addition to this, infants were sometimes interred closer to home, making their recovery less likely.
The analysis of skeletal remains and teeth cannot tell us everything about an individual's life because not everything leaves a trace on these parts of the body, but analysis can tell us about diet, general health and conditions that can be cross checked against other data to create a fuller picture of life in the ancient world.
Check out the article for more details about how various conditions can be identified and why they occurred.
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,412783,polish-researcher-investigates-the-health-of-children-in-ancient-egypt.html
What the bones tell us
The bones examined in this article are largely those of children from the Ptolemaic era (hence the presence of tooth decay/caries not seen in other eras due to changes in diet).
The remains of children are fragile and are therefore often under represented in the archaeological record. In addition to this, infants were sometimes interred closer to home, making their recovery less likely.
The analysis of skeletal remains and teeth cannot tell us everything about an individual's life because not everything leaves a trace on these parts of the body, but analysis can tell us about diet, general health and conditions that can be cross checked against other data to create a fuller picture of life in the ancient world.
Check out the article for more details about how various conditions can be identified and why they occurred.
http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,412783,polish-researcher-investigates-the-health-of-children-in-ancient-egypt.html
Woooooow I think it is the first time to make a reserch about the children' diseas , i relly enjoy reading cleaver post thanks.
ReplyDeleteDolly Mohamed doddy Paleopathology might not sound very glamorous to people who like the more shiny objects from ancient Egypt, but bones and teeth can tell you a huge amount about ancient life, and I really enjoyed studying it. I'm glad you found it interesting too!
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