Advances in human palaeopathology /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Advances in Human Palaeopathology" provides researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive guide to the main methods and techniques that are currently available for studying diseases and related conditions from human skeletal remains. It describes the ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and activity patterns in the past. The book is divided into two parts: Part I provides an up-to-date account of some of the latest techniques for studying disease in ancient remains. These include imaging techniques, such as radiography and CT scanning, and biochemical and histological analyses. Recently these have assumed a greater importance in the identification and interpretation of remains, enhancing the more traditional methods based on careful visual inspection of lesions. Part II discusses the diagnosis and interpretation of particular classes of disease. The emphasis here is on what can be learnt by taking a biocultural or holistic approach to the study of disease frequencies at a population level. Written by an international team of experts, this book provides the first truly integrated methodological and biocultural approach to human palaeopathology. This will be essential reading for all researchers and practitioners concerned with health and disease in past populations