MCAAAE 2011 Talk

Health and Labor at Armatambo, Perú
How Bioarchaeology Contributes to the Study of Social Complexity
Keith Chan
University of Missouri - Columbia

Outline
Background: Bioarchaeology and the study of social complexity
Hypotheses: Does state organization benefit health and command more labor?
Methods: Testing the hypotheses in the central Andes
Results: State level societies reverse a trend in worsening health seen in non-state societies

Bioarchaeology
The study of human remains in an archaeological context
Some disease processes leave indicators on the structure of bones and teeth
The frequency or prevalence of these indicators can be compared among groups
Burns KR. 1999. Forensic Anthropology Training Manual. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bioarchaeology 2
How does bioarchaeology help us study complex societies?
Taps into another line of evidence: the actual people who lived in the past
Lets us explore how health varies with social complexity

Indicators of Health and Activity
Several indicators show subadult health, when bone is most susceptible to disease
Cribra orbitalia (CO)
Porotic hyperostosis (PH)
Periosteal lesions
Degenerative joint disease shows high physical activity in adults

Health Indicators 2

Health Indicators 2 http://people.usd.edu/~archlab/paleopics/metabol/

Health Indicators 2

Bioarchaeology of Complex Societies
Research in the forager to agriculturalist transition generally find worsening health
What about the transition to states and empires?
Maybe the greater command of labor acted to improve health and increase the population...
Image courtesy of the Royal Library (Copenhagen) (Item GKS 2232 4º)

Hypotheses
Subadult health in an urban state will be better than in non-states
Adult activity levels in an urban state will be greater than in non-states

Materials and Methods
Setting: Prehistoric Andes
First-generation state development
Much comparative material from the Central Coast

Armatambo (Urban State)
Prehistoric city
Key settlement of the Ychsma state
Late Intermediate Period
Now part of modern Lima, Perú

Comparative Sample
Comparative sample was compiled from previously-published studies
Paloma (fishing village)
Cardal (beginning social stratification)
Villa El Salvador/Tablada De Lurín (localized polity)

Armatambo Data Collection
Data collection took place in 2007 and 2009 with the help of two field schools I co-taught
We worked at the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología, e Historia in Lima
Total number of individuals in the Armatambo collection: 55 (41 adults, 14 subadults)

Expectations
Compared to collections from non-states, the Armatambo collection should show:
Less cribra orbitalia
Less porotic hyperostosis
Fewer subadult periosteal lesions
Compared to collections from non-states, the Armatambo collection should show more adult DJD

Results (Subadult Health) Subadult CO

Results (Subadult Health) Subadult PH

Results (Subadult Health) 4 Subadult Periosteal Lesions

Results (Adult Health) 2 Cervical Vertebra DJD

Results (Adult Health) 2 Thoracic Vertebra DJD

Results (Adult Health) 2 Lumbar Vertebrae DJD

Conclusion 1
Question: How is health related to social complexity?
Expected: Better subadult health and more adult activity in the state compared to non-states
Tested Using: bioarchaeology of Andean skeletal population

Conclusion 2
Findings: The Armatambo collection reversed a trend of worsening subadult chronic anemia with increasing social complexity
Signs of chronic bacterial infections showed no clear pattern with social complexity
Armatambo adults had more thoracic DJD than non-state adults
Maybe related to labor?

Images courtesy of the Royal Library (Copenhagen) (Item GKS 2232 4º)

Acknowledgements
Alejandra Gudino and the MCAAAE organizers
My dissertation committee: Bob Benfer, Debby Pearsall, Ed Brent, Ray Wood, and Chris VanPool
Kathy Forgey and Dawn Sturk
Life Sciences Fellowship at MU
El Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia
Maritza Perez
Mercedes Delgado
Kate Pechenkina, Joe Vradenburg, Matt Rhode, and Ahmad Abu Dalou
My field school students: 2007: Andrea, Beckie, Crystal, Fernando, and Ruth; 2009: Brandi, Brian, Cari, Chelsea, Clarissa, Heather, Jessica, Justin, Kelly, and Tia
Thanks to:

MCAAAE 2011 Talk

by chekeichan on May 03, 2011

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MCAAAE 2011 Talk — Presentation Transcript