Advances In Human Palaeopathology

"Advances in Human Palaeopathology" presents the first truly integrated methodological and biocultural approach to the expanding discipline of human palaeopathology. The book 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 also describes the ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health and disease in the past.

The first part of the book deals with the survival of palaeopathological evidence and 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. Part two 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.

Combines theoretical, methodological and diagnostic aspects with key biocultural approaches.

Includes overviews of the latest applicable techniques from molecular biology, biochemistry, histopathology and medical imaging.

Written by an international team of experts.

"Advances in Human Palaeopathology" will prove invaluable for biological anthropologists and archaeologists who study health and disease in past populations. It will also be of interest to medical researchers dealing with epidemiological, diagnostic and pathophysiological aspects of diseases, who need a perspective upon the ways in which particular diseases affected earlier generations.

"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.