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Megan Perry

East Carolina University, Anthropology, Faculty Member

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Papers by Megan Perry

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Mingled Bones, Mingled Bodies: Diversity in the Poetics of Death at Nabataean Petra, Jordan

The Poetics of Processing: Memory Formation, Identity, and the Handling of the Dead, 2020

The Nabataean Urban Experiment and Dental Disease and Childhood Stress

The Bioarchaeology of Urbanization The Biological, Demographic, and Social Consequences of Living in Cities, 2020

Petra served as the economic, political, and religious center of the Nabataean kingdom from appro... more Petra served as the economic, political, and religious center of the Nabataean kingdom from approximately the third century BC until Rome annexed the kingdom in AD 106. The city's location in a large basin with no natural springs or other immediate groundwater sources meant its success hinged on Nabataean technological inspiration that enabled Petra to function and support a population estimated at 30,000 at its height. This chapter explores how the diverse urban environment at Petra variably impacted dental disease and childhood stress among three different communities, two of which were buried in elaborate façade tombs and one within shaft chamber tombs. The individuals in the façade tombs had higher frequencies of linear enamel hypoplasias and dental calculus than those in the shaft chamber tombs, perhaps suggesting that differences in size and elaboration of tomb architecture parallels differences in childhood frailty, diet, and intrinsic host factors that led to the development of calculus. While evidence suggest that the "elite" façade tomb individuals survived multiple bouts of childhood stress, as adults they were more susceptible to chronic and infectious conditions linked to calculus than the "non-elites" in the shaft chamber tombs. Keywords (separated by "-") Linear enamel hypoplasia-Calculus-Caries-Antemortem tooth loss-Alveolar lesions-Petra

Differential diagnosis of metabolic disease in a commingled sample from 19th century Hisban, Jordan

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

This research attempts a differential diagnosis of skeletal lesions in a commingled sample from H... more This research attempts a differential diagnosis of skeletal lesions in a commingled sample from Hisban, Jordan, focusing on non-adults in the assemblage. Materials: 2,883 well-preserved skeletal elements and 9 relatively complete skulls representing an MNI of 32 nonadults (<18 years old). Methods: All skeletal elements were observed macroscopically and pathophysiological processes underlying any lesions or other anomalies were assessed, followed by a comparative approach to rule out potential diagnoses. Results: The skeletal lesions observed were caused by inflammation due to chronic hemorrhaging, marrow hyperplasia due to an increase in hemopoiesis, rapid bone growth, and the impact of biomechanical strain on poorly mineralized elements. Rickets, scurvy, and acquired anemias best fit this pattern of lesions, although inflammation from other sources such as trauma or infection could not be definitively ruled out. Conclusions: The in utero and postnatal environments at Hisban were conducive to the development of vitamin C and D deficiencies from birth until 2 years of age. The analysis of commingled remains requires an ontological shift in the importance of the individual to the population in paleopathology. Significance: This investigation demonstrates the efficacy of a combined biological and comparative approach in differential diagnosis in complicated commingled collections. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of the mother-infant dyad in understanding metabolic disease. Limitations: Histological and radiographic analyses were not included in this diagnostic study due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Suggestions for further research: Isotopic analysis to investigate childhood diet and histological and radiographic analyses to assess survival of deficiencies.

Resilience and Change: A biocultural view of a Bedouin population in the emerging modern Middle East

The Routledge Handbook of the Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change, 2020

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

by Megan Perry, Laurel Appleton, and Alysha Lieurance

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

‘Anatomy of restlessness:’ strontium isotopes and human migration in the Greco-Roman Near East

Migration and Migrant Identities in the Near East from Antiquity to Middle Ages, 2018

Slouching Towards Theory: Implementing Bioarchaeological Research at Petra, Jordan

Engaging Archaeology: 25 Case Studies in Research Practice, 2018

The Nabataean Way of Death on Petra's North Ridge

Death and Burial in the Near East from Roman to Islamic Times, 2018

New Light on Nabataean Mortuary Rituals in Petra

Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan XII, 2016

Le "Petra North Ridge Project": Des tombs reflets des conditions de vie a Petra

Dossiers d'archeologie, 2018

Impacts of Imperial Interests on Health and Economy in the Byzantine Near East

Colonized Bodies, Worlds Transformed, 2017

SENSING THE DEAD: MORTUARY RITUAL AND TOMB VISITATION AT NABATAEAN PETRA

Syria, 2017

– The visual prominence of mortuary structures within the Nabataean capital city of Petra clearly... more – The visual prominence of mortuary structures within the Nabataean capital city of Petra clearly indicates that the deceased maintained a constant presence amongst the living. However, current systematic archaeological exploration of these mortuary features documents a more intimate view of the interaction between the living and the dead. Since 1998, the Petra North Ridge Project has sought to record the mortuary practices and gather data on health and diet of non-elite residents of 1 st cent. ad Petra. Artifactual, taphonomic, and osteological data indicate that engagement of the city's inhabitants with the dead occurred through the senses of smell, touch, taste, and sight. Nabataean visits to their familial tombs included ritual feasting and reorganization of the mortuary space, accompanied by the scents of incense, perfumed oils, and quicklime. In addition, mourners left behind material goods that served to illuminate, bedazzle, and entertain the dead. Through this repeated exchange of sensory stimulation, the Nabataeans established and preserved a dynamic relationship with their deceased ancestors. Résumé – La prééminence visuelle des bâtiments funéraires dans la capitale nabatéenne de Pétra indique clairement que les défunts demeuraient constamment présents parmi les vivants. L'exploration archéologique actuellement menée de façon systématique sur les structures funéraires permet cependant d'apporter une vision plus intime de l'interaction entre les vivants et les morts. Depuis 1998, le Petra North Ridge Project cherche à documenter les pratiques funéraires et à recueillir des données sur la santé et l'alimentation des résidents du i er s. apr. J.-C. à Pétra n'ayant pas appartenu à l'élite. Les données artefactuelles, taphonomiques et ostéologiques indiquent que la relation des habitants de la ville avec leurs défunts passait par l'odorat, le toucher, le goût et la vue. Les visites des Nabatéens à leurs tombes familiales incluaient un festin rituel ainsi que la réorganisation de l'espace funéraire, accompagnés par des odeurs d'encens, d'huiles parfumées et de chaux vive. En outre, les proches du défunt ont laissé derrière eux des biens matériels qui servaient à éclairer, à impressionner et à divertir les morts. À travers cet échange répété de stimulation sensorielle, les Nabatéens établissaient et conservaient une relation dynamique avec leurs ancêtres décédés.

Human, Animal, and Plant Remains

by Megan Perry and Jennifer Ramsay

Humayma Excavation Project 2: Nabataean Campground and Necropolis, Byzantine Churches, and Early Islamic Domestic Structures

Tracking the Second Epidemiologic Transition Using Bioarchaeological Data on Infant Morbidity and Mortality

Strontium isotope evidence for long-distance immigration into the Byzantine port city of Aila, modern Aqaba, Jordan

The ancient Red Sea maritime port of Aila was a major economic and manufacturing center during th... more The ancient Red Sea maritime port of Aila was a major economic and manufacturing center during the 1st century B.C. through the Islamic era. The increased importance of Red Sea trade in the 4th century A.D. in addition to the arrival of a Roman legion in Aila also would suggest an increase in civilian residents arriving in the city for largely economic reasons. Strontium isotope analysis is used to identify any non-locally-born individuals within two mid-4th to early-5th century A.D. cemeteries in the city (total N = 46). However, this assessment of population mobility requires an accurate estimate of the Blocal^ strontium isotope value at Aila, a calculation made difficult through extensive food importation that occurred in this oasis city. Local faunal values combined with archaeological and historical evidence of local food production and food importation and childhood dietary practices were used to contextualize the human values within the Aila sample subjected to isotope analysis (N = 22). These sources suggest that the local signature of Aila ranges between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.7076142–0.708643, and only four individuals within the cemeteries were local to Aila. Most of the other individuals had 87 Sr/ 86 Sr > 0.7100, values unmatched in studies of bioavailable strontium in the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. The lack of strontium dietary sources in southwestern Asia mirroring this signature suggests that many people buried at Aila hailed from great distances, supporting Aila's role as a major trade center during the Byzantine period.

An Early Islamic Homicide at Qasr al Hallabat, Jordan

A rchaeology is known fo r the surprises that excavations can reveal. No amount o f background re... more A rchaeology is known fo r the surprises that excavations can reveal. No amount o f background research or previ ous experience can prepare archaeologists fo r what they will encounter during their fieldwork. It was quite a shock to Dr. Ignacio Arce, Director o f the Spanish Archaeological Mission, that while excavating a cistern within Qasr Hallabat as part of a long-term restoration project, he encountered a human skull. A nd another. A nd some long bones. A nd another skull. In toto, the remains o f six individuals were recovered from the bottom o f the long-sealed cistern.

Differential diagnosis of a calcified object from a 4th-5th century AD burial in Aqaba, Jordan

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2008

... Dermoid cyst (adult cystic teratoma) No outer shell, no calcified tubules Mostofi &amp;am... more ... Dermoid cyst (adult cystic teratoma) No outer shell, no calcified tubules Mostofi &amp;amp; Price (1973); Feng et al. (1984); Ulbright &amp;amp; Srigley (2001) Epidermoid cyst No calcified tubules, usually &amp;#x27;onion-skin&amp;#x27; appearance Taghizadeh &amp;amp; Howlett (2000); Dogra et al. (2001); Cho et al. (2002) ...

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

Mingled Bones, Mingled Bodies: Diversity in the Poetics of Death at Nabataean Petra, Jordan

The Poetics of Processing: Memory Formation, Identity, and the Handling of the Dead, 2020

The Nabataean Urban Experiment and Dental Disease and Childhood Stress

The Bioarchaeology of Urbanization The Biological, Demographic, and Social Consequences of Living in Cities, 2020

Petra served as the economic, political, and religious center of the Nabataean kingdom from appro... more Petra served as the economic, political, and religious center of the Nabataean kingdom from approximately the third century BC until Rome annexed the kingdom in AD 106. The city's location in a large basin with no natural springs or other immediate groundwater sources meant its success hinged on Nabataean technological inspiration that enabled Petra to function and support a population estimated at 30,000 at its height. This chapter explores how the diverse urban environment at Petra variably impacted dental disease and childhood stress among three different communities, two of which were buried in elaborate façade tombs and one within shaft chamber tombs. The individuals in the façade tombs had higher frequencies of linear enamel hypoplasias and dental calculus than those in the shaft chamber tombs, perhaps suggesting that differences in size and elaboration of tomb architecture parallels differences in childhood frailty, diet, and intrinsic host factors that led to the development of calculus. While evidence suggest that the "elite" façade tomb individuals survived multiple bouts of childhood stress, as adults they were more susceptible to chronic and infectious conditions linked to calculus than the "non-elites" in the shaft chamber tombs. Keywords (separated by "-") Linear enamel hypoplasia-Calculus-Caries-Antemortem tooth loss-Alveolar lesions-Petra

Differential diagnosis of metabolic disease in a commingled sample from 19th century Hisban, Jordan

International Journal of Paleopathology, 2021

This research attempts a differential diagnosis of skeletal lesions in a commingled sample from H... more This research attempts a differential diagnosis of skeletal lesions in a commingled sample from Hisban, Jordan, focusing on non-adults in the assemblage. Materials: 2,883 well-preserved skeletal elements and 9 relatively complete skulls representing an MNI of 32 nonadults (<18 years old). Methods: All skeletal elements were observed macroscopically and pathophysiological processes underlying any lesions or other anomalies were assessed, followed by a comparative approach to rule out potential diagnoses. Results: The skeletal lesions observed were caused by inflammation due to chronic hemorrhaging, marrow hyperplasia due to an increase in hemopoiesis, rapid bone growth, and the impact of biomechanical strain on poorly mineralized elements. Rickets, scurvy, and acquired anemias best fit this pattern of lesions, although inflammation from other sources such as trauma or infection could not be definitively ruled out. Conclusions: The in utero and postnatal environments at Hisban were conducive to the development of vitamin C and D deficiencies from birth until 2 years of age. The analysis of commingled remains requires an ontological shift in the importance of the individual to the population in paleopathology. Significance: This investigation demonstrates the efficacy of a combined biological and comparative approach in differential diagnosis in complicated commingled collections. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of the mother-infant dyad in understanding metabolic disease. Limitations: Histological and radiographic analyses were not included in this diagnostic study due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Suggestions for further research: Isotopic analysis to investigate childhood diet and histological and radiographic analyses to assess survival of deficiencies.

Resilience and Change: A biocultural view of a Bedouin population in the emerging modern Middle East

The Routledge Handbook of the Bioarchaeology of Climate and Environmental Change, 2020

Using dental enamel to uncover the impact of childhood diet on mortality in Petra, Jordan

by Megan Perry, Laurel Appleton, and Alysha Lieurance

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020

Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition... more Isotopic investigations of diet can provide unique perspectives into food acquisition in addition to dietary choices and shifts through the human life course. Here we examine childhood diet at first century B.C. and first century A.D. Petra through carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 18 O) in dental enamel apatite. Isotope values from the first molars (n = 31), first premolars (n = 20), and second molars (n = 29) were compared to track dietary shifts and characterize water sources from birth until approximately 7 years of age. These isotope values also were assessed by age-at-death to outline the life history impacts of childhood feeding strategies. The childhood diet at Petra generally contained a higher contribution of C 4 sources than adults, represented by 29 bone apatite samples, although the level of this contribution and/or the age they were incorporated and removed from the childhood diet varied greatly within the sample. Similarly, heterogeneity in δ 18 O across tooth classes seems to reflect variation in water source and potential heat alteration rather than a mother-infant isotopic offset. However, these different strategies did not contribute to varied childhood mortality.

‘Anatomy of restlessness:’ strontium isotopes and human migration in the Greco-Roman Near East

Migration and Migrant Identities in the Near East from Antiquity to Middle Ages, 2018

Slouching Towards Theory: Implementing Bioarchaeological Research at Petra, Jordan

Engaging Archaeology: 25 Case Studies in Research Practice, 2018

The Nabataean Way of Death on Petra's North Ridge

Death and Burial in the Near East from Roman to Islamic Times, 2018

New Light on Nabataean Mortuary Rituals in Petra

Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan XII, 2016

Le "Petra North Ridge Project": Des tombs reflets des conditions de vie a Petra

Dossiers d'archeologie, 2018

Impacts of Imperial Interests on Health and Economy in the Byzantine Near East

Colonized Bodies, Worlds Transformed, 2017

SENSING THE DEAD: MORTUARY RITUAL AND TOMB VISITATION AT NABATAEAN PETRA

Syria, 2017

– The visual prominence of mortuary structures within the Nabataean capital city of Petra clearly... more – The visual prominence of mortuary structures within the Nabataean capital city of Petra clearly indicates that the deceased maintained a constant presence amongst the living. However, current systematic archaeological exploration of these mortuary features documents a more intimate view of the interaction between the living and the dead. Since 1998, the Petra North Ridge Project has sought to record the mortuary practices and gather data on health and diet of non-elite residents of 1 st cent. ad Petra. Artifactual, taphonomic, and osteological data indicate that engagement of the city's inhabitants with the dead occurred through the senses of smell, touch, taste, and sight. Nabataean visits to their familial tombs included ritual feasting and reorganization of the mortuary space, accompanied by the scents of incense, perfumed oils, and quicklime. In addition, mourners left behind material goods that served to illuminate, bedazzle, and entertain the dead. Through this repeated exchange of sensory stimulation, the Nabataeans established and preserved a dynamic relationship with their deceased ancestors. Résumé – La prééminence visuelle des bâtiments funéraires dans la capitale nabatéenne de Pétra indique clairement que les défunts demeuraient constamment présents parmi les vivants. L'exploration archéologique actuellement menée de façon systématique sur les structures funéraires permet cependant d'apporter une vision plus intime de l'interaction entre les vivants et les morts. Depuis 1998, le Petra North Ridge Project cherche à documenter les pratiques funéraires et à recueillir des données sur la santé et l'alimentation des résidents du i er s. apr. J.-C. à Pétra n'ayant pas appartenu à l'élite. Les données artefactuelles, taphonomiques et ostéologiques indiquent que la relation des habitants de la ville avec leurs défunts passait par l'odorat, le toucher, le goût et la vue. Les visites des Nabatéens à leurs tombes familiales incluaient un festin rituel ainsi que la réorganisation de l'espace funéraire, accompagnés par des odeurs d'encens, d'huiles parfumées et de chaux vive. En outre, les proches du défunt ont laissé derrière eux des biens matériels qui servaient à éclairer, à impressionner et à divertir les morts. À travers cet échange répété de stimulation sensorielle, les Nabatéens établissaient et conservaient une relation dynamique avec leurs ancêtres décédés.

Human, Animal, and Plant Remains

by Megan Perry and Jennifer Ramsay

Humayma Excavation Project 2: Nabataean Campground and Necropolis, Byzantine Churches, and Early Islamic Domestic Structures

Tracking the Second Epidemiologic Transition Using Bioarchaeological Data on Infant Morbidity and Mortality

Strontium isotope evidence for long-distance immigration into the Byzantine port city of Aila, modern Aqaba, Jordan

The ancient Red Sea maritime port of Aila was a major economic and manufacturing center during th... more The ancient Red Sea maritime port of Aila was a major economic and manufacturing center during the 1st century B.C. through the Islamic era. The increased importance of Red Sea trade in the 4th century A.D. in addition to the arrival of a Roman legion in Aila also would suggest an increase in civilian residents arriving in the city for largely economic reasons. Strontium isotope analysis is used to identify any non-locally-born individuals within two mid-4th to early-5th century A.D. cemeteries in the city (total N = 46). However, this assessment of population mobility requires an accurate estimate of the Blocal^ strontium isotope value at Aila, a calculation made difficult through extensive food importation that occurred in this oasis city. Local faunal values combined with archaeological and historical evidence of local food production and food importation and childhood dietary practices were used to contextualize the human values within the Aila sample subjected to isotope analysis (N = 22). These sources suggest that the local signature of Aila ranges between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.7076142–0.708643, and only four individuals within the cemeteries were local to Aila. Most of the other individuals had 87 Sr/ 86 Sr > 0.7100, values unmatched in studies of bioavailable strontium in the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. The lack of strontium dietary sources in southwestern Asia mirroring this signature suggests that many people buried at Aila hailed from great distances, supporting Aila's role as a major trade center during the Byzantine period.

An Early Islamic Homicide at Qasr al Hallabat, Jordan

A rchaeology is known fo r the surprises that excavations can reveal. No amount o f background re... more A rchaeology is known fo r the surprises that excavations can reveal. No amount o f background research or previ ous experience can prepare archaeologists fo r what they will encounter during their fieldwork. It was quite a shock to Dr. Ignacio Arce, Director o f the Spanish Archaeological Mission, that while excavating a cistern within Qasr Hallabat as part of a long-term restoration project, he encountered a human skull. A nd another. A nd some long bones. A nd another skull. In toto, the remains o f six individuals were recovered from the bottom o f the long-sealed cistern.

Differential diagnosis of a calcified object from a 4th-5th century AD burial in Aqaba, Jordan

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2008

... Dermoid cyst (adult cystic teratoma) No outer shell, no calcified tubules Mostofi &amp;am... more ... Dermoid cyst (adult cystic teratoma) No outer shell, no calcified tubules Mostofi &amp;amp; Price (1973); Feng et al. (1984); Ulbright &amp;amp; Srigley (2001) Epidermoid cyst No calcified tubules, usually &amp;#x27;onion-skin&amp;#x27; appearance Taghizadeh &amp;amp; Howlett (2000); Dogra et al. (2001); Cho et al. (2002) ...

2023_Climate change, human health, and resilience in the Holocene

by Gwen Robbins Schug, Brenda Baker, Lynne Goldstein, Lesley Gregoricka, Debra Martin, and Megan Perry

PNAS, 2023

Climate change is an indisputable threat to human health, especially for societies already confro... more Climate change is an indisputable threat to human health, especially for societies already confronted with rising social inequality, political and economic uncertainty, and a cascade of concurrent environmental challenges. Archaeological data about past climate and environment provide an important source of evidence about the potential challenges humans face and the long-term outcomes of alternative short-term adaptive strategies. Evidence from well-dated archaeological human skeletons and mummified remains speaks directly to patterns of human health over time through changing circumstances. Here, we describe variation in human epidemiological patterns in the context of past rapid climate change (RCC) events and other periods of past environmental change. Case studies confirm that human communities responded to environmental changes in diverse ways depending on historical, sociocultural, and biological contingencies. Certain factors, such as social inequality and disproportionate access to resources in large, complex societies may influence the probability of major sociopolitical disruptions and reorganizations—commonly known as “collapse.” This survey of Holocene human–environmental relations demonstrates how flexibility, variation, and maintenance of Indigenous knowledge can be mitigating factors in the face of environmental challenges. Although contemporary climate change is more rapid and of greater magnitude than the RCC events and other environmental changes we discuss here, these lessons from the past provide clarity about potential priorities for equitable, sustainable development and the constraints of modernity we must address.