Estudio de los indicadores de actividad del huesoSu aplicación en la investigación arqueológica.

Abstract

In the course of our daily life, bones undergo morphological changes because due to diet, health conditions, environmental factors or physical activity. When these alterations correspond to mechanical loading, they are named musculoskeletal stress markers or entheseal changes. These changes are located in areas of tendon or muscle attachment on the skeleton. Therefore, the bone remodelling observed in these areas can be interpreted as a functional response performed by the bone to meet the demand of a muscular package. The aim of this study is to show the different methodologies used in the biomechanical analysis of bones, as well as to expose the applications of this kind of study in the archaeological investigation. Finally, the results of an entheseal changes analysis in human remains from Wamba population (Valladolid, 12th-18th centuries) are shown. For this study, a macroscopic analyses of seven markers generated by different muscles of radius, have been done. Five development grades were established: 0 absence of marker, 1 weak presence, 2 moderate expression, 3 important expression and 4 pathological expression. The results are compatible with an agriculture and animal husbandry life style (the mus-cles work together, so it is difficult to find a correlation between the entheseal changes and specific activities).