Recording the facts : a generic recording system for animal palaeopathology
The impact of animal disease on human societies has been highly publicised recently, both as a consequence of diseases that have spread amongst animal populations (e.g. foot and mouth), as well as those that have 'jumped' from animal to human populations (e.g. HIV, bird flu and BSE). Non-disease-related pathologies can also provide much information about human-animal interactions, such as the use of animals for traction or riding. While the human, social and economic effect of such conditions is profound, the study of their impact on past human populations has been widely neglected. This is partly due to the inconsistent manner in which incidences of animal disease (palaeopathology) have been collected, recorded and interpreted which, together with the typically low incidence of specimens per site, has precluded any detailed studies of regional or temporal trends. The aim of this project was to improve the study of animal palaeopathology in order to attain a better appreciation of the potential for such research to resolve archaeological questions. This was to be achieved by designing, developing and implementing a methodology to overcome these problems and enable the past impact of animal disease to be better
Vann, Stephanie Louise
Recording the facts : a generic recording system for animal palaeopathology. The impact of animal disease on human societies has been highly publicised recently, both as a consequence of diseases that have spread amongst animal populations (e.g. foot and mouth), as well as those that have 'jumped' from animal to human populations (e.g. HIV, bird flu and BSE). Non-disease-related pathologies can also provide much information about human-animal interactions, such as the use of animals for traction or riding. While the human, social and economic effect of such conditions is profound, the study of their impact on past human populations has been widely neglected. This is partly due to the inconsistent manner in which incidences of animal disease (palaeopathology) have been collected, recorded and interpreted which, together with the typically low incidence of specimens per site, has precluded any detailed studies of regional or temporal trends. The aim of this project was to improve the study of animal palaeopathology in order to attain a better appreciation of the potential for such research to resolve archaeological questions. This was to be achieved by designing, developing and implementing a methodology to overcome these problems and enable the past impact of animal disease to be better
recording fact generic record system animal palaeopathology impact animal disease human societies highly recently consequence disease spread amongst animal population foot mouth well animal_human population bird non disease related pathology also_provide much_information human_animal interaction use animal rid human social_economic effect condition profound study impact past_human population widely neglect partly_due inconsistent manner incidence animal disease palaeopathology collect record interpret together typically low incidence specimen per site preclude detailed_study regional temporal trend aim_project improve study animal palaeopathology order attain good appreciation potential resolve archaeological question achieve develop implement overcome_problem enable past impact animal disease well