12.00
Markku Niskanen, University of Oulu, Department of Art Studies and Anthropology/Archaeology
The reconstruction of body size and shape of the Paleolithic period Europeans
The importance of accurate reconstruction of body size (body weight) and shape (body proportions) is increasingly realized in forensic anthropology, where they help to solve forensic cases, and in paleoanthropology, where they provide information about evolutionary trends, adaptations and events. Body size correlates with species’ life histories, ecological adaptations and social organizations. We could not even assess evolutionary trends in relative brain size, masticatory apparatus or skeletal robusticity without first estimating the body weight. Body shape reflects species’ long-term adaptive patterns. Therefore, body shape changes are commonly interpreted as indicative of changes in adaptation or major population events, such as population replacements.
Although estimating body size and shape is important in biological anthropology, many researchers only estimate stature from long bone lengths using regression equations that are too often inappropriate for the specimen or the population in question. However, the so-called anatomical methods - which not only provide more accurate stature estimations, but also help in reconstructing body proportions and even body weight - are now gaining in popularity. In this paper, these methods are used to reconstruct body sizes and proportions of Paleolithic period Europeans. Findings indicate that there were several stature and body shape changes, as well as a general body weight reduction in the Paleolithic period Europe; modern European body shape and weight in relation to stature post-date the Last Glacial Maximum.
12.30
Juho-Antti Junno, University of Oulu, Department of Art Studies and Anthropology/Archaeology
Early Hominid mating system — Challenging body size dimorphism
High rate of sexual dimorphism among early hominids and modern human ovulatory concealment have aroused suggestions that the original state of mating system in human lineage was polygynous or uni-male. Traditional focusing on body size dimorphism is questioned in this paper, as are the methods how fossils are sexed. Early hominid canine size dimorphism is not correlated with suspected high rate of body size dimorphism and so the information about sexual dimorphism and mating system is partly contradictory. Canine size dimorphism is also reduced slightly among chimpanzees and that could indicate shared multimale ancestry of chimpanzee and hominid lineages. Traditionally sexing fossil specimens of early hominids is based on body size and overlap between sexes is not found. Here that statement is questioned. Extant hominoid example indicates that overlap between sexes is probable at some level even among highly dimorphic populations. This author finds observed body size dimorphism among early hominids more intrasexual than previously supposed. Human uni-male ancestry is proposed also in a light of modern human concealed ovulation. It is assumed that ovulatory concealment arises more likely in uni- than multimale system. That statement is however questioned here because ovulatory concealment
has arisen also among multimale primates. When modern behavioural ecological implications and fossil evidence are combined it seems probable that the ancestral state of mating system in hominid lineage has not been uni-male.
The suprainian fossa is such a common trait among neandertalers (95%) that it has been regarded as autopomorphic. However, it has also been observed, albeit with less frequency, in both earlier and later populations. An extensive study conducted by Frayer 12 years ago showed that the frequency of suprainian fossae seems to decrease 38–23% in Upper Palaeolithic crania and that they appear to be quite rare among medieval and modern Europeans (6–2%). Nevertheless, recent examination of three collections of Finnish crania datable to the 6–7th centuries and 17–18th centuries from the northern provinces of Ostrobothnia and Lapland revealed a much higher incidence of supranian fossae: 35% in the earlier series and 12% in the later ones. The relatively high incidence of this trait in Fennoscandia is tentatively attributed to the combination of a founder effect event at the end of the Ice Age and subsequent geographic isolation of northern Finland during the Holocene.
Keywords: Suprainian fossa, neandertalers, medieval, modern, Ostrobotnia, Laponia, Finland
Malaria was common in the Swedish Kingdom during the 18th and 19th centuries. On the Finnish side, the disease was widespread in the warmer southern coastal zones, but it reached as far as Tornio, about 100 km south of the Arctic Circle. Our information about the occurrence of malaria in Finland comes from the death-cause lists that began to be compiled throughout the Swedish Kingdom in 1749. According to the records from 19 of the 46 parishes within a 100-km radius from Oulu, a total of 76 deaths were attributed to malaria (frossa) in these parishes during 1750-1850. However, since malaria is not necessarily a fatal disease, particularly the milder Plasmodium vivax variety that existed then in Scandinavia, it is very likely that the amount of people infected by malaria in the Oulu region was much greater. Although malaria does not leave unambiguous marks in the skeleton, it does lead to anemia, which can be manifested as cribra orbitalia. Unfortunately the cribra may be caused by a number of factors other than anemia. However, the fact that cribra has the same frequency in male and female individuals buried at the Oulu Church suggests that its occurrence may indeed be related to malaria.
Keywords: Anemia, cribra orbitalia, malaria, Oulu Church
14.00
Tal Fisher & Heli Maijanen, University of Oulu, Department of Art Studies and Anthropology/Archaeology
Age and sex demographics of a 17th-18th century cemetery in Oulu, Finland: An osteological study
Excavations conducted inside and around the Cathedral of Oulu in northern Finland have produced a large skeletal collection from a 17th-18th century cemetery. This cemetery was located in the then churchyard of an earlier church on the same grounds as the current cathedral. This paper presents the results of an osteological analysis of age and sex for two elements from the collection. For the purposes of this study, determintation of age was conducted for all mandibles and is based on tooth eruption and tooth wear sequences. Determination of sex was conducted for all pelvic bones and is based on the subpubic angle, the width of the sciatic notch, and the presence of the preauricular sulcus. The results are interpreted in light of their distribution within the cemetery. While historical records have survived that list the names, age and sex of those buried within the cemetery, a record connecting this information to the burials has not. The osteologically derived age and sex data is therefore compared to the historically derived data for this cemetery as well as that within a regional and temporal context.
15.00
Heli Maijanen, University of Oulu, Department of Art Studies and Anthropology, Archaeology
Stature estimation for a 17th - 18th century Oulu population (Northern Finland)
This study has been made to reconstruct the stature of a population of Oulu from the 17th - 18th century. It is based on the bone material excavated from the church yard of the Oulu Cathedral during the summer of 1996. The excavations took place prior to the extension of the modern cathedral cellar with the excavated burials belonging to the churchyard of the old church.
The bone material is from both intact graves and one large pit. The pit was probably as a result of the building phase in the 1930s when bones from the graves broken in the construction project were put into it. There are remains of approximately 130 individuals in the pit. As the skeletal remains from the pit are better preserved than those from the graves, this study is mainly based on these separated bones (~ 400 bones) and the material is treated as bone groups and not as individuals.
In this study I have used the stature estimation formulae from Trotter and Gleser, Sjøvold and Telkkä. All the long bone groups were included. I will compare the results of different bones and formulae. I will also discuss the methods and problems with this material.
15.30
Eeva-Kristiina Lahti, National Board of Antiquities, Department of Archaeology
Bones from Sàpmi – reconstructing the everyday of two ancient Saami households
The archaeological material of two historical Saami sites, one situated in Northwestern and the other in Northeastern Finnish Lappland are presented. In both sites Saami vinter markets were held during the 17th and 18th century. These annual markets played an important role in the economic life of Northern Fennoscandia and were visited by the local Saami population, as well as merchants from the town of Torneå, so called burghers. A comparison is made between the excavated material of two traditional Saami accomodations, kåta. The study is mainly based on the bone material. Questions like the composition of the fauna will be presented. The main focus will be on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) bones, handling of the carcass and butchering methods. Finally differences and similarities in livelyhood, seasonal activity and cultural phenomena reflected in the archaeological material are discussed.
16.00
Anders Fandén, Lunds universitet, Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens historia
Förhistorisk bäverjakt — en osteologisk analys av ålderssammansättningen i bäverpopulationer vid sex fångstboplatser i norra Sverige
Ålderssammansättningen i jagade bäverpopulationer, från sex förhistoriska fångstboplatser i norra Sverige, har analyserats. Syftet är att undersöka om åldersfördelningen i bäverpopulationerna vid dessa förhistoriska bosättningar kan belysa frågeställningar om bofasthet och mobilitet. Fandéns osteologiska metod för åldersbedömning har använts vid analyserna av ålderssammansättningen i de brända bävermaterialen. Metoden, som kan användas för åldersbedömning av bävrar i åldersklasserna ca 5 månader t.o.m. 12 år, baseras på en analys av ordningsföljden i epifyssammanväxningen hos 51 nutida bävrar. Denna sekvens, som klargör bäverns skelettala åldersutveckling, delas in i 5 övergripande stadier som relaterar till bäverns livshistoria.
Analyserna av ålderssammansättningen i de arkeologiska bävermaterialen visar att det finns både skillnader och gemensamma trender i jakttrycket på bäverpopulationerna. På två bosättningar, i Dalarna, har man jagat en betydligt högre andel unga adulta bävrar (3,4-5 år) i jämförelse med tre boplatser som är belägna i Ångermanland. På boplatserna i Dalarna har man dessutom jagat en mycket låg andel medelålders adulta bävrar (6-9 år). Vid en boplats i norra Lappland finner man en ålderssammansättning i bävermaterialet, som liknar den man finner vid boplatserna i Dalarna. På de Ångermanländska bosättningarna har man däremot jagat en markant högre andel medelålders adulta bävrar och en signifikant lägre andel unga adulta bävrar.
Ålderssammansättningen i materialen vid Dalarna visar troligtvis att det var ett hårt jakttryck på bäverpopulationerna vid dessa bosättningar, pga. bofasthet och/eller export av bäverskinn. Vid de Ångermanländska boplatserna var det däremot ett mindre kraftigt jakttryck på bäverpopulationerna, vilket kan bero på att dessa bosättningar var av en mera mobil karaktär.
16.30
Kristiina Mannermaa, University of Helsinki, Institute for Cultural Research, Department of Archaeology
Aspects of the roles of birds in Neolithic burial customs in northern Europe
This paper discusses the roles of birds in Neolithic mortuary rituals. Study is based on the finds of bird bones in Neolithic graves. Birds or bird bones have been put in human graves for decorative and other practical purposes, but also for other, more complicated and symbolic reasons. In most of the cemeteries studied only few graves include bird bones. This indicates that only special persons have received birds as grave goods.
17.30
Sirpa Niinimäki, University of Oulu, Department of Art Studies and Anthropology/Archaeology
Finnish facial tissue thickness study
The study to measure average facial tissue thickness of the Finnish face was launched in spring 2003 and it was done in co-operation with Oulu University Hospital. The goal of the study was to measure at least 50 Finnish adults, 25 females and 25 males of the Oulu University Hospital patients by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Those patients who agreed to participate on this study had to be between the ages of 18 and 50 years and normal weight with no trauma to the head, or medication that affects the tissue thickness of the head. Normal weight was determined by body mass index. A person had normal weight when body mass index fell between 18 and 25.
For this study at least one sagittal section, two parasagittal sections (one from either side) eight transverse (axial) sections and four coronal sections were taken from each patient. From these sections facial tissue thickness was measured from 29 standard anatomical landmarks, 16 of which were bilateral landmarks, so the total of 45 points was measured from every face. An average set of tissue thickness is then calculated together with data comparison between the existing facial tissue thickness studies on other ethnic groups. When this abstract was written, the study was still unfinished.