The Research On The Human Skeletons From The Pre-Qin Period Tombs Excavated In The College Town In Yuci,Shanxi

The materials for the research are from Xiaonanzhuang cemetery and Niedian cemetery excavated in the archaeology project of Yuci College Town in Shanxi province,including Niedian sample and Xiaonanzhuang sample.With these materials and the established theories and methods of human osteoarchaeology,researches on paleodemography,paleopathology,cranial morphology,paleo-ethnology,estimation of body size,and the reconstruction of activity patterns are implemented,the concepts,methods and research histories of paleodemography and paleopathology are elaborated in detail relatively,and some issues on theories of human osteoarchaeology are discussed.In one hand,through the researches above,some results of fundamental researches about physical characteristics,health condition,demographic features,body size,and daily activities for the populations of Pre-Qin period in the central region of Shanxi are acquired.In the other hand,making some contributions for the development of human osteoarchaeology in China is an aim of this dissertation.The summaries for every chapter are presented below.Chapter 1 IntroductionFirstly,the concepts of human osteoarchaeology,bioarchaeology and physical anthropology are differentiated and analysed in this chapter,and the chosen research concecpt used by this dissertation are human osteoarchaeology.Secondly,the basic theories of human osteoarchaeology—theory of evolution,cultural ecology,uniformitarianism,probability theory and statistics are introduced,the “osteological paradox” and the issues on representativeness in archaeological skeletal sample are elucidated,and the logic in human osteoarchaeology research are discussed briefly.Chapter 2 MaterialsFirstly,an introduction of the geographical location and natural environment of the College Town in Yuci,Shanxi and a brief summarization of the history and archaeological findings of Yuci and archaeological findings and researches of cemeteries about Jin Culture are made.Then,the archaeological findings in the burials of Pre-Qin period located in the College Town in Yuci are introduced.Lastly,with the theory of taphonomy,the statistics and analysis of the preservation condition of Niedian sample are conducted,revealing that there's significant difference between males and females.Chapter 3 Paleodemographic researchFist of all,the concept and the brief history of paleodemography are presented.Secondly,a summarization of methods for estimating sex and age of skeletal sample in physical anthropology are made in the perspectives of theories,methodologies,and techniques.With the researching of the materials of this dissertation,the difficulties and biases of sex and age estimation are discussed,especially about the difficulties in estimating adult age.“Transition analysis”,a method for resolving the difficulties of estimating adult age are introduced and practiced.Finally,the static and dynamic parameters of demography are analyzed especially for the Niedian sample.Chapter 4 Paleopathological researchFirstly,the concept,history and methods of paleopathology are introduced.Secondly,the paleopatholoical conditions found in human skeletons of the samples of Xiaonanzhang and Niedian are diagnosed and analyzed statistically,including trauma,periostitis,cribra obitalia(CO),porotic hyperostosis(PH),spondyloarthropathy,dysplasia and congenital diseases.Thirdly,the statistics of oral diseases are made.Antemortem tooth loss,caries,periapical abscess,periodontitis and linear enamel hypoplasia(LEH)are analyzed especially for the Niedian sample.Fourthly,the artificial deformation of occipitalia and the the extraction of the right maxillary lateral incisor are found frequently in the Niedian sample.Fifthly,some indicators for estimating dietary structure and evaluating the health level and the stress of life—periostitis,CO,PH,caries and LEH were analyzed comparatively with some other ancient samples,and this analyze reveals that the population represented by the Niedian sample had a relatively lower level of stress,a diversified dietary structure and a relatively better nutrition status.Chapter 5 Research on cranial morphology and paleo-ethnologyFirstly,the cranial morphology is studied by the means of non-metrical and metrical traits,and the results reveals that there is no obvious difference between Niedian and Xiaonanzhuang's general morphology of the skulls.Based on the test of purity of ethnic type,Niedian sample is not homogeneous,and in the Xiaonanzhuang sample,the males maybe homogeneous but females maybe heterogeneous.Secondly,the comparative analyses with modern ethic groups reveal that the two samples represent the Mongoloid,especially the East Asian type,and the South Asian type in the second place.But the characteristics of relatively flat and broad face indicate the possible relationship with the North Asian type of Mongoloid.They resemble the modern populations in south of China,but they have significant difference with modern populations in North Asia.Lastly,trough comparing with every paleo-ethnic type in Pre-Qin period of China and the populations during Xia,Shang and Zhou periods in the area of middle reaches of Yellow River,the results indicate that Niedian and Xiaonanzhuang samples are close to “Ancient Central Plain” type and “Ancient North China” type.They approximate the condition of other populations of Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou period in Shanxi,with which reflect the mingling of Jin Culture and Zhou Culture and the mix of Rong and Di nationalities and Huaxia nationality.Chapter 6 Estimation of body size and research on activitiesIn the perspective of estimating body size,the stature and body mass data are acquired based on the max length of femur and the breadth of femoral head,and Rohrer index and Davenport index are calculated.In the perspective of research on activities,by studying the osteoarthritis of the main synovil joints,vertebral osteophytes,ossification of ligamentum flavum,pitting and Schmorl's node in the upper and lower surfaces of vertebral bodies and using “Mariotti method”,“Villotte method” and “Coimbra method” to record and analyse entheseal changes,a trial research on the reconstructing of activity patterns for Niedian and Xiaonanzhuang sample are conducted.Chapter 7 ConclusionSummarizing the main points of this research,and pointing out the deficiencies.