Multivariate assessments of activity-related skeletal changes: Interpreting Bell Beaker specialized male archery and social organization in Central Europe.

OBJECTIVES: The Bell Beaker period witnessed the rise of individual inhumations with "wealthy" burial contexts containing archery-related grave goods, leading archaeologists to label the individuals in these tombs as "archers." This study looks to (1) compare the skeletons from male "archer" burials with those from male "non-archer" burials-those not having archery-related grave goods-in order to assess a possible link between burial context and physical activity, and (2) apply a biomechanics profile to evaluate whether the individuals associated with these "archer" burials practiced specialized archer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The corpus (males only) included 46 "archers" and 40 "non-archers" from Bell Beaker individual inhumations. Osteological data included measurements, scores of entheseal changes, and a diagnosis of certain pathologies. Data analyses involved visual observations, hypothesis tests, dimension reduction, and MANOVA, with approaches aimed at exploring the treatment of data missingness. RESULTS: Measurement data revealed no differences between the two groups. Evaluations of entheseal changes found that "non-archers" had consistently more instances of bone surface modifications than "archers." Individual assessments of specialized archer occupation identified 11 possible specialized archers. DISCUSSION: These findings indicate a possible labor differentiation represented through the presence of a probably prestigious "archer" burial context. This suggests a link between grave good presence and labor, but not between a Bell Beaker archery occupation and an "archer" burial context. Data analyses support the application of biomechanics to osteological analyses in order to assess specialized activity on the skeleton.

Baastrup's sign (kissing spines): A neglected condition in paleopathology.

New joint formation on vertebral spinous processes, so-called Baastrup's sign or "kissing spines", is a common condition in present-day populations. Paleopatologists, however, have not paid much attention to this manifestation, although some have claimed that this degenerative disease may be indicative of strenuous activities. Here, we report three cases of Baastrup's sign identified in a French post-medieval cemetery, and discuss the possible relationship between the condition and the other pathological changes the skeletons exhibit. Comparison with previously published cases permits some consideration of the etiology of the disease. Our findings question the possible relationship between Baastrup's sign and vertebral ankylosis, as well as the influence of border shifting on the expression of the condition. Moreover, the condition appears to be a possible diagnostic feature of severe forms of rickets/osteomalacia. Contrariwise, no certain relationship between Baastrup's sign and activity can be asserted. Further large sample studies would contribute to gaining information about the prevalence of such a condition in past populations, and to ascertain whether or not it constitutes a useful skeletal marker for the reconstruction of activities in ancient societies.