ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Dental Caries, Human Ecology, Epidemiological Transition
27 Jun 2018
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Department
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Professor
Disease
• Illness – perceptions and experiences of a health problem
• Disease – physical, biological health problem; universal (e.g, measles).
Major types of Evidence
• Skeletal and dental pathology
Mummies – soft tissue
• Mummies are on every continent
• Intentional mummification – last 10000 years, they are everywhere
• Pictures of grooving mummies, natural mummies, they took some samples of
stomachs identified bacteria’s that are linked to stomach diseases
• Genetics of bacteria tell us evolution of bacteria, where people where moving
around in this period.
Paleopathology
• Paleopathology – the study of disease and injury in the human skeleton (&
sometimes mummies)
• Subfield of Physical Anthropology
• Paleopathology is reconstructive. We are trying to reconstruct from skeleton
evidence. Trying to establish presence of disease from past, no control over
variables that affect expression.
• Establish presence of disease based on evidence from skeletal remains
Some Variables that affect the expression of disease
• Nutritional status – ex. Lack of vitamins – more immune to disease
• Immune response – strong immune – may not experience symptoms. They
may be affected but they may not feel it. Weak may not have resources to
fight off bacteria
• Age of the individual – typically younger children and older adults are at
higher risks, usually linked to immune and hormonal changes over time.
• Social conditions – how we settle ourselves, how densely, how long, gender
roles, travel patterns
• Environmental conditions – climate can affect disease, expression.
Temperature, humidity, precipitation affect pathogens and their life cycle
Limitations of Skeletal Evidence
• A skeletal sample ≠ a sample of living people
• Only looking at who died during a certain period of time
• Generally get ones that are buried alone, locate cemetery, leaving something
for future to employ new technology, they take a sample of a grave and then
soil conditions could lead to destruction of certain skeletals.
• Not all diseases led to skeletal changes
• TB – change in skeletal in only 5% of person
• Small % exhibit skeletal lesions
• ’The Osteological Paradox – healthy but dead.
Osteological Paradox
• Changes to bone are slow
• Most infectious diseases will only affect the skeleton in chronic phases, only
when going on for a long time.
Document Summary
Illness perceptions and experiences of a health problem. Disease: disease physical, biological health problem; universal (e. g, measles). Major types of evidence: skeletal and dental pathology. Mummies soft tissue: mummies are on every continent, pictures of grooving mummies, natural mummies, they took some samples of. Intentional mummification last 10000 years, they are everywhere stomachs identified bacteria"s that are linked to stomach diseases: genetics of bacteria tell us evolution of bacteria, where people where moving around in this period. Paleopathology: paleopathology the study of disease and injury in the human skeleton (& sometimes mummies, subfield of physical anthropology, paleopathology is reconstructive. We are trying to reconstruct from skeleton evidence. Trying to establish presence of disease from past, no control over variables that affect expression: establish presence of disease based on evidence from skeletal remains. Some variables that affect the expression of disease: nutritional status ex. Lack of vitamins more immune to disease. Immune response strong immune may not experience symptoms.
