Paleopathology Of A California Archaeological Site

A large proportion of infants and children in this sample indicates a high infant and child mortality probably from some acute process such as infection with respiratory or enteric organisms or pyogenic organisms such as staphylococci, or from trauma. Pathological conditions of some sort were detected grossly in 74.1% of the adults. These were inflammatory, traumatic, neoplastic, or congenital. Inflammatory processes were most common, with trauma the second most common. Pathological changes were more than twice as prevalent in males as in females. Of the inflammatory lesions, arthritis was most frequent, aveolar abscess next, and periostitis third. Fractures and dental attrition were apparent. There was no skeletal evidence of nutritional deficiency and no evidence of death from violence such as might be inferred from embedded weapons. At least one individual seemed to have been afflicted with TB, and several had lesions suggestive of syphilis. There was no skeletal or archeological evidence of surgical intervention in the course of disease. There were no artifacts present which could be associated with medical practices. This study was completed in 1950 but was not published at that time because of the absence of archeological data with which to make it more meaningful. Tables. Bibliography.