95 posts · 44,170 views
Bones Don't Lie is a blog focusing on current news in mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology. Written by a mortuary archaeology grad student, the blog primarily seeks to expand on news releases on current finds in bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology. Other content includes summaries of current journal articles, reviews of methods and theories, as well as overviews of topics in the discipline.
Katy Meyers
95 posts
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- December 16, 2011
- 05:26 PM
- 3,226 views
Examining Stature in Medieval Italy
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Stature estimations are an important part of investigating health and status in the past. Individuals with poor health throughout their growth period will not grow to their full potential. Bioarchaeology studies have often used height as a way to track … Continue reading →... Read more »
Vercellotti G, Stout SD, Boano R, & Sciulli PW. (2011) Intrapopulation variation in stature and body proportions: social status and sex differences in an Italian medieval population (Trino Vercellese, VC). American journal of physical anthropology, 145(2), 203-14. PMID: 21312185
- October 6, 2011
- 07:48 PM
- 978 views
Colored Bones, Varied Meanings
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
When bones are recovered in archaeological contexts, they are not the white shiny ones you see hanging in the back of museums. Nor are they always tinted brown from years in soil. Bones can be a number of colors including … Continue reading →... Read more »
Wreschner, E. (1980) Red Ochre and Human Evolution: A Case for Discussion. Current Anthropology, 21(5), 631. DOI: 10.1086/202541
Kimberly A. Hopkinson, Sarah M. Yeats, and G. Richard Scott. (2008) For Whom the Coin Tolls: Green Stained Teeth and Jaws In Medieval and Post-Medieval Spanish Burials. Dental Anthropology, 21(1), 12-17. info:/
- October 11, 2011
- 10:45 AM
- 920 views
Cremation Sites in the Roman Empire
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Cremation was one of the primary forms of burial for Roman period until the rise of Christianity in the 3rd century CE. However, within archaeology, cremations have been understudied in comparison to inhumation. It cannot be assumed that evidence gleaned … Continue reading →... Read more »
ANGELUCCI, D. (2008) Geoarchaeological insights from a Roman age incineration feature (ustrinum) at Enconsta de Sant'Ana (Lisbon, Portugal). Journal of Archaeological Science, 35(9), 2624-2633. DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2008.04.020
Mauro Rottoli and Elisabetta Castiglioni. (2010) Plant offerings from Roman cremations in northern Italy: a review. VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY, 20(5), 495-506. info:/
- February 7, 2012
- 03:03 PM
- 914 views
Bahamian Death in its Cultural Context
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Interpreting mortuary patterns of the deceased requires not only archaeological evidence, but an understanding of the broader cultural patterns. Funerary rites and burial practices are shaped by the social and cultural ideologies and structures of the community. Mortuary patterns have … Continue reading →... Read more »
Schaffer, W., Carr, R., Day, J., & Pateman, M. (2012) Lucayan-Taíno burials from Preacher's cave, Eleuthera, Bahamas. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 22(1), 45-69. DOI: 10.1002/oa.1180
- November 10, 2011
- 11:35 AM
- 891 views
Early Roman Chamber Tombs at Kenchreai, Greece
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Beginning in 2002, the Kenchreai Cemetery Project has been exploring subterranean chamber tombs that date to the Roman Empire. The site is located on the eastern coast of the Isthmus of Corinth, Greece. The site contains inhumation and cremation human … Continue reading →... Read more »
Ubelaker, D., & Rife, J. (2011) Skeletal analysis and mortuary practice in an Early Roman chamber tomb at Kenchreai, Greece. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 21(1), 1-18. DOI: 10.1002/oa.1102
Douglas Ubelaker, & Joseph Rife. (2007) The practice of cremation in the Roman-era cemetery at Kenchreai, Greece. Bioarchaeology of the Near East, 35-57. info:/
- November 15, 2011
- 09:26 AM
- 888 views
An Apple a Day Keeps More Than the Dentist Away
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Dental health is important. Not just because we have high standards of oral health in the USA, or because of their importance in mastication. Dental health has a major effect on the overall health of an individual. A new study … Continue reading →... Read more »
Dewitte SN, & Bekvalac J. (2011) The association between periodontal disease and periosteal lesions in the St. Mary Graces cemetery, London, England A.D. 1350-1538. American journal of physical anthropology, 146(4), 609-18. PMID: 21997205
- November 1, 2011
- 10:09 AM
- 871 views
Using Experiments and Forensics to Understand Cremated Remains
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
While we can learn a great deal about individuals from their remains and their grave, when we expand our research we can expand our interpretations. Understanding the burial requires an understanding of the burial location, the cultural location, the meaning … Continue reading →... Read more »
SHIPMAN, P. (1984) Burnt bones and teeth: an experimental study of color, morphology, crystal structure and shrinkage. Journal of Archaeological Science, 11(4), 307-325. DOI: 10.1016/0305-4403(84)90013-X
Ubelaker, D. (2009) The forensic evaluation of burned skeletal remains: A synthesis. Forensic Science International, 183(1-3), 1-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.09.019
- December 22, 2011
- 08:28 AM
- 857 views
Not Aliens, Just Humans with Modified Crania
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Cranial deformation has been the cause of much debate and fascination. The unique shape of the skulls from the Nasca even inspired the most recent Indiana Jones adventure. The elongated skulls and flattened foreheads have created speculation of evidence of … Continue reading →... Read more »
Ayer A, Campbell A, Appelboom G, Hwang BY, McDowell M, Piazza M, Feldstein NA, & Anderson RC. (2010) The sociopolitical history and physiological underpinnings of skull deformation. Neurosurgical focus, 29(6). PMID: 21121715
Romero-Vargas, S., Ruiz-Sandoval, J., Sotomayor-González, A., Revuelta-Gutiérrez, R., Celis-López, M., Gómez-Amador, J., García-González, U., López-Serna, R., García-Navarro, V., Mendez-Rosito, D.... (2010) A look at Mayan artificial cranial deformation practices: morphological and cultural aspects. Neurosurgical FOCUS, 29(6). DOI: 10.3171/2010.9.FOCUS10200
Enchev Y, Nedelkov G, Atanassova-Timeva N, & Jordanov J. (2010) Paleoneurosurgical aspects of Proto-Bulgarian artificial skull deformations. Neurosurgical focus, 29(6). PMID: 21121717
- September 29, 2011
- 08:19 AM
- 848 views
Mass Grave of Children in Peru
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Earlier this month, archaeologist revealed a large mass grave containing the remains of children and llamas. The grave was found on the coast of Peru, near the ancient Chimú capital of Chan Chan. The 800 year old grave contains the remains … Continue reading →... Read more »
Centurion, Curo, and Klaus. (2010) Bioarchaeology of human sacrifice: violence, identity and the evolution of ritual killing at Cerro Cerrillos, Peru. Antiquity. info:/
- December 6, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 846 views
Using Historical Texts to Investigate Disease in the Past
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
When I was doing research on rickets for my masters thesis, I used a lot of primary texts from the 16th to 19th century. These were primarily medical or government texts, and were written for a number of purposes. The … Continue reading →... Read more »
Piers D. Mitchell. (2011) Retrospective diagnosis and the use of historical texts for investigating disease in the past. International Journal of Paleopathology, 81-88. info:/
- October 27, 2011
- 01:58 PM
- 840 views
Skeletal Evidence of Warfare in Peru
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Skeletal remains are an important source of evidence for learning about warfare and interpersonal violence in past populations. A new study done by Andrushko and Torres (2011) in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology assesses the prevalence of warfare in … Continue reading →... Read more »
Andrushko VA, & Torres EC. (2011) Skeletal evidence for Inca warfare from the Cuzco region of Peru. American journal of physical anthropology, 146(3), 361-72. PMID: 21959843
- December 20, 2011
- 09:29 AM
- 833 views
Determining Age in Human Remains, Call for Standards
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
The age at death of a skeleton is one of the most important demographic characteristics to be discerned when doing an analysis. In forensics cases, age is a key factor in the identification of the individual. Examining age at death in … Continue reading →... Read more »
C. G. Falys, & M. E. Lewis. (2011) Proposing a way forward: A review of standardisation in the use of age categories and ageing techniques in osteological analysis. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 704-716. info:/10.1002/oa.1179
Roksandic M, & Armstrong SD. (2011) Using the life history model to set the stage(s) of growth and senescence in bioarchaeology and paleodemography. American journal of physical anthropology, 145(3), 337-47. PMID: 21469078
- October 18, 2011
- 07:48 AM
- 831 views
Sequencing the Plague Genome without Archaeology?
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
In a previous post I discussed the role of the Black Death and DNA studies in tracing the origins of the plague. In a new study published this week by Bos et al. (2011) the genome for Yersinia pestis has … Continue reading →... Read more »
Bos KI, Schuenemann VJ, Golding GB, Burbano HA, Waglechner N, Coombes BK, McPhee JB, Dewitte SN, Meyer M, Schmedes S.... (2011) A draft genome of Yersinia pestis from victims of the Black Death. Nature. PMID: 21993626
WOOD, J., & DEWITTEAVINA, S. (2003) Was the Black Death yersinial plague?. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 3(6), 327-328. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(03)00651-0
- January 11, 2012
- 08:13 PM
- 820 views
The Unknown Benefits of Dental Plaque
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
In an episode of ‘Bones’ from a couple months ago called ‘The Hot Dog in the Competition’, the forensics team is able to recover valuable evidence from in between the teeth of the victim. By flossing her teeth, they were … Continue reading →... Read more »
Blatt, S., Redmond, B., Cassman, V., & Sciulli, P. (2011) Dirty teeth and ancient trade: Evidence of cotton fibres in human dental calculus from Late Woodland, Ohio. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 21(6), 669-678. DOI: 10.1002/oa.1173
- December 1, 2011
- 01:41 PM
- 809 views
Revisiting Syphilis in the Old World
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Scholar have been debating the antiquity and origins of syphilis for 500 years. In 1495, the first recorded epidemic of syphilis broke out in Naples, afflicting the army of Charles VIII. As the army disbanded and returned to their respective … Continue reading →... Read more »
Kristin N. Harper, Molly K. Zuckerman, Megan L. Harper, John D. Kingston, and George J. Armelagos. (2011) The Origin and Antiquity of Syphilis Revisited: An Appraisal of Old World Pre-Columbian Evidence for Treponemal Infection. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, 99-133. info:/10.1002/ajpa.2161
- September 8, 2011
- 03:28 PM
- 799 views
Determining Labor Division in the Dead
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Division of labor is a major part of understanding gender and class roles in historic populations. Without text, archaeologists depend on material and human remains for the answers. The physical stress (or lack thereof) from daily activities can leave markers … Continue reading →... Read more »
P. HAVELKOVA, S. VILLOTTE, P. VELEMINSKY, L. POLACEK AND M. DOBISIKOVA. (2011) Enthesopathies and Activity Patterns in the Early Medieval Great Moravian Population: Evidence of Division of Labor. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 487-504. info:/
- October 13, 2011
- 07:40 AM
- 770 views
A Hole in the Head: Trepanation
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Trepanation, or trephination, has fascinated the Western academic world since the mid-19th century when Ephraim Squier discovered a trepanned skull in Cuzco, Peru. ”Trepanation is the removal of a bone piece of the skull of a living individual without penetration of … Continue reading →... Read more »
Y.S. Erdal and O.D. Erdal. (2011) A Review of Trepanations in Anatolia with new Cases. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 505-534. info:/
- November 8, 2011
- 08:01 AM
- 728 views
Inequality in the Dead
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Determining whether classes or inequality existed in the archaeological record can be difficult, especially without textual evidence. However, it is very important in the interpretation of mortuary processes and bioarchaeology. Social structure is one of the primary ways in which … Continue reading →... Read more »
Redfern RC, & Dewitte SN. (2011) Status and health in Roman Dorset: the effect of status on risk of mortality in post-conquest populations. American journal of physical anthropology, 146(2), 197-208. PMID: 21826637
- January 3, 2012
- 10:30 AM
- 718 views
Mass Sacrifice in Peru
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
In the last decade, a number of sites from the North coast of Peru have revealed mass sacrifice burial pits dating around 1000 CE. These are attributed to the Sican culture, a group that reached its peak between 900 and … Continue reading →... Read more »
Shimada, I., Shinoda, K., Farnum, J., Corruccini, R., & Watanabe, H. (2004) An Integrated Analysis of Pre‐Hispanic Mortuary Practices: A Middle Sican Case Study. Current Anthropology, 45(3), 369-402. DOI: 10.1086/382249
- March 27, 2012
- 05:32 PM
- 716 views
The Diet of Nelson’s Navy
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
I have previously discussed the excavations and bioarchaeology of Nelson’s Navy, however new research is adding to the story. Nelson’s Navy was active during the early 19th century, and many of their remains were buried at naval hospitals in Plymouth and Gosport. A new publication by Roberts et al. (2012) discusses the results of stable … Continue reading »... Read more »
Roberts P, Weston S, Wild B, Boston C, Ditchfield P, Shortland AJ, & Pollard AM. (2012) The men of Nelson's navy: A comparative stable isotope dietary study of late 18th century and early 19th century servicemen from Royal Naval Hospital burial grounds at Plymouth and Gosport, England. American journal of physical anthropology. PMID: 22407735
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