Projektleitung
Jessica Ryan-Despraz, Anthropologie, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Bern
Projektbeteiligte
PD Dr. rer. biol. hum. Sandra Lösch, Anthropologie, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Bern
Dr. Marco Milella, Anthropologie, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Bern
Dr. Patrick Semal, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, BE
Dr. Caroline Polet, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, BE
Dr. Zdeněk Tvrdý, Moravian Museum, CZ
Prof. Dr. Timothy Ryan, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Projektdaten
Förderinstitution: Swiss National Science Foundation (Projekt-Nr. 210956)
Förderungsdauer: 01.09.2022 – 31.08.2024
Förderbeitrag: 104'633.- CHF
Abstract
Much archaeological research investigates human history through the analysis of human osteological remains. In particular, researchers have taken steps to assess specialization and behavior, specifically physical activity, in order to better understand the daily life and social structure both within and between communities. Such research is based on Wolff’s Law, which states that bone adapts to its biomechanical environment; in other words, muscle activation (i.e. activity) is capable of influencing bone morphology. Therefore by studying bone morphology, researchers can assess likely specialized activity. Today, most of these studies involve the qualitative classification of entheseal changes, which are modifications of the bone’s surface at the attachment sites for muscles, tendons, and ligaments ('entheses'). However, more recent research has shown that such markers may not be the only, nor perhaps the best, indicators for biomechanic activation; rather, it could be more telling to examine the trabecular bone microarchitecture for signs of functional adaptation. This project will take place in two parts. The first part addresses the methodology of advanced imaging techniques aiming to define bone morphological adaptions linked to physical activity. This will involve micro-CT and 3D bone surface scans of humeri from an identified skeletal collection. The humerus serves as an ideal bone for such analyses because it is often at least partially preserved in archaeological collections, has multiple muscular insertions, and is highly activated in manual labor activities. An identified skeletal collection is an ideal control group because each individual has a known sex, age at death, and occupation, which is essential for understanding the potential link between activity and bone morphological adaptation. The two imaging techniques will enable precise and quantitative comparisons between the bone surface data and the trabecular bone microarchitecture, which will in-turn allow for assessments of correlations between various types of bone development. The output objectives from this data include: 1) defining quantitative parameters for assessing functional adaptation (i.e. activity), 2) examining these findings with respect to sex, age, and occupation, and 3) classifying features of the bone’s surface linked to biomechanical loading. These results will increase the reliability of osteological evaluations and facilitate their application in archaeological science. The second part of this project will test the practical application of these methods on individuals from a newly discovered Bell Beaker cemetery (3rd millennium BCE). This cemetery, located in Popuvky, Moravia (Czechia), had its first excavations in 2019 and was quickly identified as one of the largest known Bell Beaker sites to date (75 burials), making it a valuable resource for researchers aiming to understand the cultural drivers behind the transition from the Neolithic period to the Early Bronze Age. Of particular interest are the burials of twelve 'archers', meaning these individuals were interred with objects linked to archery. The goals of these analyses include: 1) assessing the possible archers for indications of specialized archer activity, 2) comparing the bone morphology of "archers" to individuals without such burial goods, and 3) examining the bone adaptive morphology of all individuals with respect to their burial context, sex, and age. Data analyses will also explore techniques in biomechanics reconstruction, data modeling, and analyses of data missingness. Such studies will advance interpretations of Bell Beaker daily life and social organization. Defining bone morphological adaptions in terms of mechanical loading (activity) has direct implications on how archaeologists and anthropologists interpret past populations. The further development of this research will therefore improve the global understanding of behavior and specialization throughout prehistory and history.
