Paleopathology (spelled palaeopathology in the UK) is the study of ancient diseases. It is useful in understanding the past history of diseases, and uses this understanding to predict its course in the future. A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...

A paleopathologist is one who studies old and diseased things, specifically, diseases of human and animal as inferred from recent or fossilized skeletal remains.

History of Paleopathology

all dinosores exist From the Renaissance to the mid nineteenth century, there was increasing reference to ancient disease, initially within prehistoric animals although later the importance of studying the antiquity of human disease began to be emphasised. The true genesis of the field of human palaeopathology is generally considered to occur between the mid nineteenth century and World War I when a number of pioneering physicians and anthropologists clarified the medical nature of ancient skeletal pathologies. This work was consolidated between the world wars with methods such as radiology, histology and serology being applied more frequently, improving diagnosis and accuracy with the introduction of statistical analysis. It was at this point that palaeopathology can truly be considered to have become a scientific discipline. ^[1] This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Image A: A normal chest X-ray. ... A thin section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. ... Serology is the scientific study of blood serum. ...

After World War II palaeopathology began to be viewed in a different way: as an important tool for the understanding of past populations, and it was at this stage that the discipline began to be related to epidemiology and demography. The study of DNA also began to add new information to what was already known about ancient disease. ^[1] Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. ... Map of countries by population Population growth showing projections for later this century Demography is the statistical study of all populations. ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ...

Human Paleopathology

Human Osteopathology is classified into several general groups:

• Arthropathy
• Infection
• Oral pathology
• Trauma
• Tumor

Whilst traumatic injuries such as broken and malformed bones can be easy to spot, evidence of other conditions, for example infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and syphilis, can also be found in bones. Arthropathies, that is joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and gout, are also not uncommon. An arthropathy is a disease of a joint. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Oral pathology, also known in the United States of America as oral and maxillofacial pathology is the specialty of dentistry and pathology which deals with the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. ... In medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. ... For malignant tumors specifically, see cancer. ... Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or Tuberculosis) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ... Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete. ... Osteoarthritis (OA, also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or in more colloquial terms wear and tear), is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints, caused by wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts as a cushion inside joints and destruction or...

Archaeologists use paleopathology as one of their main tools for understanding the lives of ancient peoples. For example, cranial deformation is evident in the skulls of the Maya, showing that they considered a person beautiful if they had a straight line connecting their nose with their forehead. Another pathology common to Mesoamerica is seen in women. Bone spurs and other deformities in the knees, toes, and backs of women show that their days spent grinding maize to make flour takes its toll on their bodies. Also, evidence for trepanation, or drilling holes in the skull to relieve excess pressure, is also common. Skulls with multiple holes show that some patients survived this procedure many times, because the bone has begun to knit back together. This article is about the contemporary indigenous peoples and cultures who descend from, or remain, speakers of the Mayan languages of southern Mesoamerica. ... This article is about the culture area. ... This article is about the maize plant. ... 18th century French illustration of trepanation Trepanation (also known as trepanning, trephination, trephining or burr hole) is a form of surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases, though in the...

Animal Paleopathology

In archaeology, the study of the diseases of animals has not been as wide and extensive as those of humans. Baker and Brothwell’s seminal work ^[2] was published in 1980 and is still considered a classic text, being frequently referred to within the discipline. However, it should be noted that this position of importance has largely come about, not because of its comprehensive coverage, but because there has been no real alternative. Most palaeopathological literature is to be found in periodicals or compiled publications of conference papers. ^[3] No synthesis of the research in the field as a whole has been attempted for the last twenty-five years. The study of dinosaur paleopathology has undergone a resurgence in the past two decades. An extensive bibliography of dinosaur paleopathology was released in 2002^[4] For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ...

Recent Theories Dependent Upon Paleopathological Data

One paper, "The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race"^[5] and one book, "Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture"^[6], have been instrumental in bringing about a change in the way prehistoric human history is understood, away from uninformed modernist perceptions skewed by human urban populations' rough times in the Dark Ages, and more towards an informed and enlightened comprehension of the relative luxury, abundance, and ease of life in pre-agricultural times. One strong proponent of the new conclusions becoming more widely taught and accepted has been John Zerzan, considered by many to be only degrees from an "ecoterrorist", due to his essays bringing to light widespread misinformation in the mainstream understanding of prehistory, and casting a shadow on the relatively recent human "success" of agriculture, evidently causing many readers of his essays to feel something they've chosen to describe as "terror". A few recent books, such as the more popular "Guns, Germs, and Steel"^[7], citing paleopathological data, have elicited similar reactions from people. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... John Zerzan (born 1943) is an American anarchist and primitivist philosopher and author. ... Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies is a 1997 book by Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at UCLA. In 1998 it won a Pulitzer Prize and the Aventis Prize for Best Science Book. ...

References

Recognised for his work in both human and animal paleopathology, Don Brothwell has interests in the broad field of the archaeological sciences, but particularly in human palaeoecology (which includes environmental archaeology). ...

External links

• Animal Palaeopathology Working Group (ICAZ)
• Paleopathology Association
• http://pathographie.blogspot.com/ A french site devoted to pathography, i.e. paleopathology of famous historical figures
• Paleopatologia.it - Official website of the University of Pisa, Italy. Directed by Gino Fornaciari
• The International Journal of Dental Anthropology - IJDA