“A biocultural approach to the study of musculoskeletal stress markers (MSM) in a skeletal sample from Constância, Portugal (14-19th centuries): limitations and achievements”
Sandra Assis
Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde,
Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Paleopathological studies have revealed a connection between some types of bone lesions and the stress produced during the performance of certain activities. The biocultural approach here presented aims to combine the skeletal evidence, through the study of musculoskeletal stress markers (MSM) in a sample from both sexes (N=64) exhumed from the Constância necropolis (14th-19th centuries), with historical, ethnographic and economic data, indicating that fishing and ship building were dominant occupations among the inhabitants. Thirty-six body MSM sites were scored using the method of Mariotti et al. (2004). In the upper limb, the MSM mean scores were higher in females than males. The opposite was noted for the musculoskeletal insertions of the lower limb. In males, alterations at the costoclavicular ligament predominate, while in females those of the supinator muscle were most frequently observed. The lower limb MSMs most affected were the quadriceps femoris muscle in males, and the gluteal muscles in females. The sexual dimorphism was higher in females with respect to upper anatomical sites. Age at death proved to be a contributing factor to increased MSM values. From the MSM results, as well as from some degenerative joint disease data, it is possible to conclude that the ancient inhabitants of Constância would have been subjected to acute episodes of biomechanical stress. Some reflections, considering the difficulties found in the methodology and during the data collection will also be made.
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