Exploring diachronic changes in activity, diet and health on the prehistoric Baltic coast
Beginning around 10,000 years ago, humans gradually shifted away from hunting-and-gathering lifestyles to more sedentary and agricultural lifestyles, which determined a change in their food-sourcing methods. Although the biological effects to changing subsistence patterns are generally well-understood, more recent studies show regional variation in agriculture's impact on human biology. Archaeology has shown that ancient Baltic populations underwent their own unique transition to agriculture because of their close proximity not only to forests and fertile soils, but also to rivers, lakes and coastlines. This thesis studies the biological implications of coastal living on transitioning communities by examining skeletal variation, dental disease, and indicators of nutritional and general health in Estonian and Latvian individuals dating to the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age (9th millennium BC to 1st millennium AD). Biomechanical activity of the upper and lower limbs is shown to be highest in the Baltic Neolithic and Bronze Age relative to earlier hunter-fisher-gatherers and later farming and metallurgic populations. Furthermore, auditory exostoses were identified, perhaps indicative of habitual
Rivera, Michael B. C.
bioarchaeology ; osteology ; coastal archaeology ; skeletal biology ; palaeopathology ; Baltic archaeology ; agricultural transitions
Exploring diachronic changes in activity, diet and health on the prehistoric Baltic coast. Beginning around 10,000 years ago, humans gradually shifted away from hunting-and-gathering lifestyles to more sedentary and agricultural lifestyles, which determined a change in their food-sourcing methods. Although the biological effects to changing subsistence patterns are generally well-understood, more recent studies show regional variation in agriculture's impact on human biology. Archaeology has shown that ancient Baltic populations underwent their own unique transition to agriculture because of their close proximity not only to forests and fertile soils, but also to rivers, lakes and coastlines. This thesis studies the biological implications of coastal living on transitioning communities by examining skeletal variation, dental disease, and indicators of nutritional and general health in Estonian and Latvian individuals dating to the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age (9th millennium BC to 1st millennium AD). Biomechanical activity of the upper and lower limbs is shown to be highest in the Baltic Neolithic and Bronze Age relative to earlier hunter-fisher-gatherers and later farming and metallurgic populations. Furthermore, auditory exostoses were identified, perhaps indicative of habitual
exploring diachronic_change activity diet_health prehistoric baltic coast beginning human gradually shift_away hunting and gathering lifestyle sedentary agricultural lifestyle determine change food method although biological effect_change subsistence pattern generally well_understood recent_study show regional_variation agriculture impact human biology archaeology show ancient baltic population underwent unique transition_agriculture close_proximity forest fertile soil also river lake coastline study biological implication coastal live transition community examine skeletal variation dental_disease indicator nutritional general health estonian individual date mesolithic_neolithic bronze_age_iron_age millennium millennium activity upper low limb show high baltic relative earlier hunter fisher later farm population furthermore auditory identify perhaps indicative habitual