Health and diet in Upper Nubia through climate and political change : a bioarchaeological investigation of health and living conditions at ancient Amara West between 1300 and 800 BC
This thesis aims to investigate the impact of environmental and socio-political changes on health and living conditions in the ancient settlement of Amara West, Sudan (1300â800BC) through a diachronic comparison of selected indicators of disease and physiological stress on skeletal human remains. The town served as the administrative capital of the province Upper Nubia during the later phase of New Kingdom Egyptian occupation of Nubia (1300â1070BC). Despite the end of Egyptian control, settlement in the area continued until the 8th century. Palaeoenvironmental evidence from the region indicates that the period of occupation of the site further coincided with general climatic deterioration through increased aridification during the late 2nd and early 1st millennium BC. Whether these climatic and political changes would have had an affect on health and living conditions at Amara West is explored through comparing multiple markers of physiological stress and disease (stature, orbital changes, dental disease, evidence of nonspecific infection, respiratory diseases, endocranial changes, trauma, osteoarthritis) recorded through macroscopic examination of skeletal human remains from the New Kingdom (1300â1070BC,
Binder, Michaela
Health and diet in Upper Nubia through climate and political change : a bioarchaeological investigation of health and living conditions at ancient Amara West between 1300 and 800 BC. This thesis aims to investigate the impact of environmental and socio-political changes on health and living conditions in the ancient settlement of Amara West, Sudan (1300â800BC) through a diachronic comparison of selected indicators of disease and physiological stress on skeletal human remains. The town served as the administrative capital of the province Upper Nubia during the later phase of New Kingdom Egyptian occupation of Nubia (1300â1070BC). Despite the end of Egyptian control, settlement in the area continued until the 8th century. Palaeoenvironmental evidence from the region indicates that the period of occupation of the site further coincided with general climatic deterioration through increased aridification during the late 2nd and early 1st millennium BC. Whether these climatic and political changes would have had an affect on health and living conditions at Amara West is explored through comparing multiple markers of physiological stress and disease (stature, orbital changes, dental disease, evidence of nonspecific infection, respiratory diseases, endocranial changes, trauma, osteoarthritis) recorded through macroscopic examination of skeletal human remains from the New Kingdom (1300â1070BC,
health_diet upper nubia climate political_change bioarchaeological investigation health living_condition ancient west aim_investigate impact environmental socio_political change health living_condition ancient settlement west sudan diachronic comparison select indicator disease physiological stress skeletal human_remain town serve administrative capital province upper nubia later phase new_kingdom egyptian occupation nubia despite end egyptian control settlement area continue palaeoenvironmental evidence region indicate period occupation_site coincide general climatic deterioration increase whether climatic political_change would affect health living_condition west explore compare multiple marker physiological stress disease stature change dental_disease evidence infection disease change trauma osteoarthritis record macroscopic examination skeletal human_remain new_kingdom