Food,fitness,& fractures: Osteoporosis during the transition to agriculture in the Lower Illinois River Valley.
详细信息
文摘
This study looks at the prevalence of osteoporosis during the intensification of maize agriculture in the Midwest while considering as many potential influences as possible. In a new methodology, satellite imagery software was used to assess bone density based on the light reflectance patterns. Diet was evaluated using previous completed isotope analyses while physical activity levels were measured through direct long bone measurements and osteoarthritis scores. Results indicated that overall bone density levels decreased with the intensification of maize agriculture with the largest change occurring between the Late Woodland and the Mississippian. The Late Woodland to Mississippian transition also signified a change in the division of labor. Up through the Late Woodland, male and female activity patterns, as indicated by osteoarthritis, ran parallel. However, during the Mississippian period, a significant increase in osteoarthritis scores for female femora and vertebrae was found while male femora and vertebrae decreased in osteoarthritis. Additional analyses also demonstrated that activity levels were more closely related to bone density than diet. During the Middle Woodland, radial robusticity was the best indicator of bone density. Upper limb robusticity measures were also the best predictors of bone density during the Late Woodland. Both radial and humeral robusticity decreased significantly from the Middle Woodland to the Late Woodland indicating a decrease in the activity levels of the upper limb. However, this trend suggested that those who continued to use their upper limbs more may have maintained better vertebral bone density as well. The only other correlations with bone density for the Late Woodland were sex and bone lengths. For sex, analyses demonstrated that bone density was higher in males than in females during the Late Woodland, as was expected. Bone lengths were found to be higher in individuals with higher bone densities. This most likely indicated adequate general nutrition. Thus, better nutrition still positively influenced bone densities.