Health and disease in Chalcolithic Cyprus : a problem-oriented palaeopathological study of the human remains

Abstract

Poor preservation of the human skeletal remains on Cyprus has, in the past, limited palaeopathological analyses conducted. The research presented here has two main aims: (1) to explore the possibility of deriving useful information from the poorly preserved human remains from Chalcolithic Cyprus and the methodological adjustments required to do so, and (2) to discuss the health status of the human Chalcolithic populations in Southwest Cyprus, determining patterns in the expression of pathologies related to age, sex or burial location which, if present, may further elucidate aspects of lifeways within and amongst the living populations. These aims are achieved through a macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the pathological lesions on the human skeletal remains from the Souskiou-Laona cemetery, the Lemba-Lakkous and Kissonerga-Mosphilia settlement sites which all date to the Middle Chalcolithic period. This research presents one of the first comprehensive palaeopathological studies for the Chalcolithic period in Cyprus with multi-site data. Lesions arising from osteoarthritic processes, non-specific diseases and disorders as well as trauma, dental pathologies and congenital defects are recorded, analysed and discussed within the archaeological context. The results presented in this thesis show that information regarding prehistoric peoples can be drawn from poorly preserved remains and it goes further to explore the limitations to the interpretations which can be postulated. The analyses of the research indicate that there are moderate to low prevalence of pathological lesions observed on the Chalcolithic skeletal remains. There is differential expression between males and females in the joints affected by osteoarthritic changes and the types of dental pathologies suffered by each sex. This research contributes to the overall historiography of health and disease in Cyprus, by filling a lacuna for the Chalcolithic period. Additionally, it provides an illustration of some methodological modifications, such as qualitative discussion, needed when dealing with poorly preserved and commingled material in a palaeopathological study.