Paleopathology in Perspective
Bone Health and Disease through Time
Zusammenfassung
Our bones can reveal fascinating information about how we have lived, from the food we have eaten to our levels of activity and the infections and injuries we have suffered. Elizabeth Weiss introduces readers to how lifestyle—in complex interaction with biology, genes, and environment—affects health in this distinctive tour of human osteology, past and present.
Centering on health issues that have arisen in the last 50 to 60 years rather than thousands of years ago, Paleopathology in Perspective is organized around particular bone traits such as growth patterns, back pains, infections, and oral health. Each chapter explains one category of traits and reviews data drawn from both ancient and more contemporary populations to explore how global trait trends have changed over time. Weiss also considers the likely causes of these changes—for example, the growth of obesity, increased longevity, and greater intensity of childhood sports. Taking a long view of bones, as Weiss clearly demonstrates, provides clues not just about how ancient humans once lived, but also how biology and behavior, lifestyle and health, remain intrinsically linked.
Schlagworte
forensic anthropology human osteology bioarchaeology- 87–106 CHAPTER 6. Arthritis 87–106
- 107–128 CHAPTER 7. Oral Health 107–128
- 181–182 Acronyms 181–182
- 183–194 Glossary 183–194
- 195–240 Works Cited 195–240
- 241–250 Index 241–250
- 251–252 About the Author 251–252