Anthropological Review 2023, Vol. 86 No. 2

Where are the Roman women of Ovilava? A spatio-temporal approach to interpret the female deficit at the eastern Roman cemetery (Gräberfeld Ost) of Ovilava, Austria

2023-07-29T01:23:45Z

Where are the Roman women of Ovilava? A spatio-temporal approach to interpret the female deficit at the eastern Roman cemetery (Gräberfeld Ost) of Ovilava, Austria Hagmann, Dominik; Ankerl, Barbara; Greisinger, Michaela; Miglbauer, Renate; Kirchengast, Sylvia In historic and prehistoric populations, the sex ratio can often only be determined based on bioarchaeological analyses of cemeteries. In this context, a so-called female deficit has been described, which clearly contrasts the sex ratio typical of recent populations. The present study aims to analyze the sex ratio in the eastern cemetery (‘Gräberfeld Ost’) of the Roman town Ovilava. This site is located beneath today’s city of Wels in Upper Austria (AUT), in the northwestern region of Noricum. Spatial as well as chronological aspects of the sex ratio were considered. A total of 111 individuals older than 15 years could be included in the analysis. Radiocarbon dating allowed a chronological classification of the burials. In addition, a spatial analysis of the cemetery was carried out using a geoinformation system. For the whole sample, a sex ratio of 200.0 and a marked female deficit were recorded. Considering the individual age classes and the periods separately, an apparent female surplus emerged among individuals younger than 20 years (sex ratio = 62.5). With increasing age class, the proportion of females reduced dramatically; among the over 40-year-olds, the sex ratio was 370.0. There was also an apparent female deficit in the Early Roman and Imperial Roman Periods but an almost balanced sex ratio in the early Middle Ages. Furthermore, the sex proportion varied between the cemetery areas. Consequently, a female deficit occurs mainly during Roman times and in specific areas of the burial ground.

Association between smoking status and body composition parameters in a young adult population

2023-07-29T01:23:41Z

Association between smoking status and body composition parameters in a young adult population Falbová, Darina; Beňuš, Radoslav; Vorobeľová, Lenka The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between smoking status and body composition parameters in 19–30 years old slovak population (mean age: 22,38 ± 2,34 years). The sample consisted of 379 individuals, including 143 men and 236 women. Body composition parameters were obtained using segmentation bioimpedance analysis. The results of our study showed that regular smokers had significantly higher values of waist circumference (p = 0.050), body mass index (p = 0.042), waist-toheight ratio (p = 0.027), fat mass index (p = 0.014) fat mass (p < 0.017), pecentual body fat (p = 0.008), trunk fat mass (FM, p = 0.008), leg fat mass (p = 0.029), and visceral fat area (p = 0.017) compared to non-smokers. Using correlation analysis, we detected an increase in FM (kg) values along with the frequency of smoking (r = 0,136; p = 0,009). Moreover, smoking positively correlated with coffee (r = 0.147; p = 0.002), energy drinks (r = 0.259; p < 0.001), and alcohol consumption (r = 0.101; p = 0.035). Smokers also added salt to their food more often (r = 0.132; p = 0.005) and worked less (r = -0.111; p = 0.025). In this study we confirmed the significant association of smoking with the body composition components, while it is responsible for higher adiposity in young adults.

Birth Size of Neonates and Its Association with Seasonality

2023-07-29T01:23:44Z

Birth Size of Neonates and Its Association with Seasonality Dimitrova, Albena; Zhecheva, Yanitsa; Mateeva, Zoya; Georgieva, Rayna; Stoev, Racho; Kirilov, Boyan; Ravnachka, Aleksandra; Yankova Ivanova–Pandourska, Ivaila The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the season of birth and the birth weight and length of Bulgarian newborns.The weight and length data of 6517 (6098 full-term and 419 preterm) live births in 2000–2001 were collected from the birth registry of II Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology “Sheynovo”, Sofia, Bulgaria. Statistical analyses were done using the SPSS 16 software for Windows: descriptive statistics; the t-test (p<0.05); One-Way ANOVA, (Tukey, HSD-test, p<0.05) and the Pearson’s correlation. The sunshine dura-tion data for 2000 and 2001 were collected at the Sofia Meteorological Station.The mean weight of Bulgarian neonates born in 2000-2001 was 3389.8 g in boys and 3261.8 g in girls. The average newborn’s length was 51.0 cm and 50.3 cm in boys and girls, respectively. In all seasons, significant gender differences were observed with a priority for boys (p≤0.001). The winter period was identified with a peak in birth length for both sexes, and spring and summer were the seasons with the lowest values for boys and girls, respectively. A significant positive correlation between birth length and the daily amount of sunshine during the prenatal period was found (p<0.001).Seasonal fluctuations influenced weight and length in Bulgarian neonates. The results obtained in this study can be useful in prenatal diagnostics, neonatal care, and health prevention of pregnant women and neonates.

Assessment of dental caries among children and adults inhabiting Starorypin (11th–12th c.) compared to other Early Medieval populations from Poland

2023-07-29T01:23:42Z

Assessment of dental caries among children and adults inhabiting Starorypin (11th–12th c.) compared to other Early Medieval populations from Poland Tomczyk, Jacek; Myszka, Anna; Lewandowska, Jadwiga; Zalewska, Marta; Niemiro, Wojciech; Olczak-Kowalczyk, Dorota Dental caries testing provides information about diet, hygiene and eating habits. This information can be useful in reconstructing the living conditions of historical populations. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dental caries in adults and children in the Early Middle Ages population from Starorypin (Poland) and compare the results with other early medieval populations from Poland.A total of 346 adult permanent teeth and 131 deciduous teeth were included in the study. Both the macroscopic method and imaging methods (X-ray and a light-induced fluorescence technique) were applied in the study.Dental caries were recorded in 33% (115/346) of the permanent teeth and in 10% (13/131) of the deciduous teeth. In permanent teeth, dental caries were diagnosed on the approximal surface, while dental caries in deciduous teeth are most often diagnosed on the occlusal surface. Early childhood caries (ECC) were mainly diagnosed on the teeth of individuals within the 3.0–5.5 years age group.The frequency of dental caries seemed to be high compared to other early medieval populations. The obtained results may have been influenced by ‘broadband’ odontological research methods, not limited to the macroscopic method alone. However, it can be also argued that the frequency of dental caries observed in this study might have been influenced by a highly varied diet, as indicated by archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies. The surfaces affected by dental caries correspond to findings of other studies showing that in adults, these were the approximal surfaces, while they were the labial/occlusion surfaces on the deciduous teeth.