The Backbone of History: Health and Nutrition in the Western Hemisphere

by Richard H. Steckel, Jerome C. Rose

Overview

This study gathers skeletal evidence on seven basic indicators of health to assess chronic conditions that affected individuals who lived in the Western Hemisphere from 5000 B.C. to the late nineteenth century. Signs of biological stress in childhood and of degeneration in joints and in teeth increased in the several millenia before the arrival of Columbus as populations moved into less healthy ecological environments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521801676
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/26/2002
Pages:	654
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.45(h) x 1.57(d)

About the Author

Richard H. Steckel is Professor of Economics and Anthropology at Ohio State University. His most recent publications include Health and Welfare During Industrialization, which he coedited with Roderick Floud, and A Population History of the United States, which he co-edited with Michael Haines.

Jerome C. Rose is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas. He has conducted bioarcheological excavations in Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Egypt, and Jordan.

Table of Contents

Part I: 1. Introduction; Part II. Methodology: 2. Reconstructing health profiles from skeletal remains Alan H. Goodman and Debra L. Martin; 3. A health index from skeletal remains Richard H. Steckel, Paul W. Sciulli and Jerome C. Rose; 4. Paleodemography of the Americas Robert McCaa; Part III. Euro-Americans and African Americans in North America: 5. The health of the middle class: the St. Thomas Anglican church cemetery project Shelly Saunders, Ann Herring, Larry Sawchuck, Gerry Boyce, Rob Hoppa and Susan Klepp; 6. The poor in the mid-nineteenth century Northeastern United States Rosanne L. Higgins, Michael R. Haines, Lorena Walsh and Joyce E. Sirianni; 7. The effects of nineteenth-century military service on health Paul S. Sledzik and Lars G. Sandberg; 8. The health of slaves and free blacks in the East Ted A. Rathbun and Richard H. Steckel; 9. The quality of African American life in the Southwest near the turn of the twentieth century James Davidson, Jerome Rose, Myron Gutmann, Michael Haines, Keith Condon and Cindy Condon; Part IV. Native Americans in Central America: 10. Social disruption and the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica Rebecca Storey, Lourdes Marquez Morfin and Vernon Smith; 11. Health and nutrition in some Prehispanic Mesoamerican populations related with their way of life Lourdes Marquez Morfin, Robert McCaa, Rebecca Storey and Andres Del Angel; Part V. Native Americans and Euro-Americans in South America: 12. Patterns of health and nutrition in prehistoric and historic Ecuador Douglas H. Ubelaker and Linda A. Newson; 13. Economy, nutrition and disease in Southern, Coastal Brazil Walter Neves and Verônica Wesolowski; Part VI. Native Americans in North America: 14. A biohistory of health and behavior in the Georgia Bight Clark Larsen, Alfred Crosby, et al.; 15. Native Americans of Eastern North America Paul W. Sciulli and James Oberly; 16. Cultural longevity in the face of biological stress Ann L. W. Stodder, Debra L. Martin, Alan H. Goodman and Daniel T. Reff; 17. Health, nutrition, and demographic change in Native California Phillip L. Walker and Russell Thornton; 18. Welfare history on the Great Plains S. Ryan Johansson and Douglas Owsley; Part VII: 19. Patterns of health in the Western Hemisphere Richard H. Steckel and Jerome C. Rose; Part VIII: 20. Conclusions Richard H. Steckel and Jerome C. Rose; Part IX. Epilogue: 21. The body as evidence: the body of evidence George J. Armelagos and Peter J. Brown; 22. Over-specialization and remedies Philip D. Curtin.

Editorial Reviews

Studying skeletal remains from burial sites in North and South Americas, contributors attempt to reconstruct the health and nutrition of a variety of populations from pre-Columbian times to the 19th- century. Steckel (economics and anthropology, Ohio State U.) and Rose (anthropology, U. of Arkansas) present 22 works of macrobioarchaeology that first address issues of methodology such as indicators of skeletal disease and the construction of a health index. The remaining chapters look at different regional and ethnic groupings, with about half devoted to Native Americans. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Studying skeletal remains from burial sites in North and South Americas, contributors attempt to reconstruct the health and nutrition of a variety of populations from pre-Columbian times to the 19th- century. Steckel (economics and anthropology, Ohio State U.) and Rose (anthropology, U. of Arkansas) present 22 works of macrobioarchaeology that first address issues of methodology such as indicators of skeletal disease and the construction of a health index. The remaining chapters look at different regional and ethnic groupings, with about half devoted to Native Americans. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

‘In this pathbreaking volume … more than 50 scholars (mostly anthropologists) systematically assess the health of North, South, and Central Americans using skeletal remains dating from over 7,000 years ago to the early 20th century. … Highly recommended.’ Choice

‘… this is a significant book that will define the emerging field of macrobioarchaeology for years to come. As such, it is required reading for all scholars interested in the study of long-term trends in human health, not only in the Americas but in the rest of the world as well.’ American Historical Review

‘The volume’s contributions to knowledge are wide-ranging and significant.’ Economic History

‘With this important volume, based on several years of collaborative effort, Steckel and Rose have made a major contribution to the comparative study of human health and nutrition in the Americas.’ Journal of Interdisciplinary History

'In this pathbreaking volume, the product of a massive NSF-funded project, more than 50 scholars (mostly anthropologists) systematically assess the health of North, South, and Central Americans using skeletal remains dating from over 7,000 years ago to the early 20th century. … Highly recommended.' Choice

‘As befits the 20-year Herculean effort that went into this project, its scale and purpose are large. Based on the largest skeletal dataset ever assembled, it aims to assess how human health and well-being have changed in Europe over the last two millennia. To achieve this ambitious aim, a large transatlantic network of collaborators has been established … The book was edited by four renowned senior scholars in the field, whose experience and overview of the field are reflected in key chapters … how inspiring the whole project is …’ Kaspar Staub, EH.Net

From the Publisher