Re-evaluating traditional markers of stress in an archaeological sample from central California

摘要

Periosteal reactions, porotic hyperostosis, and cribra orbitalia have been traditionally used in bioarchaeological studies as indicators of poor "health." However, the etiology of these conditions is greatly debated, not to mention the fact that the presence of these non-specific indicators of disease may in fact represent individuals who were able to combat the insult. Bone is limited in the way it can respond; therefore, the osteoblastic and osteoclastic responses involved in these indicators can represent a range of responses to stress (nutritional or environmental), disease, trauma, or congenital conditions. The clinical literature is quite varied on the cause of these skeletal conditions.