Relationships between osteoarthritic changes (osteophytes, porosity, eburnation) based on historical skeletal material.

Background: Three main diagnostic types of osteoarthritic changes are distinguished in clinical and anthropological literature: osteophytes, porosity, and eburnation. The nature of the relationship between these changes and how lesions progress over time is still unclear.Aim: The aim of the present study is the analysis of the relationships between osteophytes, porosity, and eburnation based on skeletal material.Subjects and methods: The analysis employed the skeletal collection from Cedynia (199 individuals) from tenth to fourteenth-century Poland. Marginal osteophytes (OP), porosity (POR), and eburnation (EB) were examined on a shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle.Results: Osteophytes and porosity occurred independently of each other. Combinations of osteophytes and porosity (OP + POR) and osteophytes, porosity, and eburnation (OP + POR + EB) were rarely observed. Combinations of osteophytes and eburnation (OP + EB) or porosity and eburnation (POR + EB) were not found. There was a significant correlation between osteophytes and porosity in the scapula, proximal end of the ulna and proximal end of the femur. Osteophytes and eburnation were correlated at the distal end of the ulna. Porosity and eburnation were correlated at the distal end of the radius and distal end of the ulna. When all joints were considered together, all the types of osteoarthritic changes were correlated. However, the relationship between osteophytes and eburnation and between porosity and eburnation was only slightly significant. Osteophytes preceded porosity, but there were a few cases where more developed porosity accompanied less developed osteophytes.Conclusions: The findings indicate that correlations between osteoarthritic changes are weak, albeit statistically significant and further studies of the relationship between changes are necessary.

Origin of the ornamented bâton percé from the Golebiewo site 47 as a trigger of discussion on long-distance exchange among Early Mesolithic communities of Central Poland and Northern Europe.

This article describes evidence for contact and exchange among Mesolithic communities in Poland and Scandinavia, based on the interdisciplinary analysis of an ornamented bâton percé from Golebiewo site 47 (Central Poland). Typological and chronological-cultural analyses show the artefact to be most likely produced in the North European Plain, during the Boreal period. Carbon-14 dating confirms the antiquity of the artefact. Ancient DNA analysis shows the artefact to be of Rangifer tarandus antler. Following this species designation, a dispersion analysis of Early-Holocene reindeer remains in Europe was conducted, showing this species to exist only in northern Scandinavia and north-western Russia in this period. Therefore, the bâton from Golebiewo constitutes the youngest reindeer remains in the European Plain and south-western Scandinavia known to date. An attempt was made to determine the biogeographic region from which the antler used to produce the artefact originates from. To this end, comprehensive δ18O, δ13C and δ15N isotope analyses were performed. North Karelia and South Lapland were determined as the most probable regions in terms of isotopic data, results which correspond to the known distribution range of Rangifer tarandus at this time. In light of these finds, the likelihood of contact between Scandinavia and Central Europe in Early Holocene is evaluated. The bâton percé from Golebiewo is likely key evidence for long-distance exchange during the Boreal period.