Entheses and their pathological modifications (enthesopathies) are widely used to infer biomechanical stress differences and to reconstruct specific activities in past human populations. However, the multifactorial etiology of these features makes it necessary to critically review their reliability as skeletal markers of activity. In this study, we investigate the role of age, sex and life-style on entheseal development and modifications. For this purpose, 484 skeletons representing individuals with known age at death, sex, and profession were analyzed with regard to entheseal modifications. All the skeletons come from the Frassetto collection of Sassari, (Italy, early 20th century). 23 postcranial entheses were studied regarding the development of entheseal robusticity (surface rugosity) and proliferative as well as erosive enthesopathies. The scoring method proposed by Mariotti et al. (2004, 2007) was used for the data collection. Results indicate age as the main factor influencing entheseal modifications. Sex-related patterns are also evident. However, physical activity only plays a minor role in the expression of the observed features, and it appears that robusticity lateralization and modifications of specific attachment sites are more informative about life-style. Overall, our results indicate that caution is warranted when using skeletal markers as indicators of biomechanical effects in bio-cultural reconstructions.
You can't tell a book by its cover: the effects of age, sex and physical activity on entheseal changes in an Italian contemporary skeletal collection
Milella M;
2011-01-01
Abstract
Entheses and their pathological modifications (enthesopathies) are widely used to infer biomechanical stress differences and to reconstruct specific activities in past human populations. However, the multifactorial etiology of these features makes it necessary to critically review their reliability as skeletal markers of activity. In this study, we investigate the role of age, sex and life-style on entheseal development and modifications. For this purpose, 484 skeletons representing individuals with known age at death, sex, and profession were analyzed with regard to entheseal modifications. All the skeletons come from the Frassetto collection of Sassari, (Italy, early 20th century). 23 postcranial entheses were studied regarding the development of entheseal robusticity (surface rugosity) and proliferative as well as erosive enthesopathies. The scoring method proposed by Mariotti et al. (2004, 2007) was used for the data collection. Results indicate age as the main factor influencing entheseal modifications. Sex-related patterns are also evident. However, physical activity only plays a minor role in the expression of the observed features, and it appears that robusticity lateralization and modifications of specific attachment sites are more informative about life-style. Overall, our results indicate that caution is warranted when using skeletal markers as indicators of biomechanical effects in bio-cultural reconstructions.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
