essay

Of time and the river: perspectives on health during the Moundville chiefdom

archaeology of the moundville chiefdomWashington, DcPublished In 1998 • Pages: 102-119

By: Powell, Mary Lucas.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
A previous synchronic study of elite and nonelite burials from Moundville indicated that minor variations in adult stature, childhood stress, dental health, trauma, and infectious disease owed more to age and sex than to difference in ranked status. A diachronic reevaluation of these dimensions of health suggests several trends from Moundville I through Moundville III: small increases in stature and diet-related dental disease for adults of both sexes, a decline in severe chronic iron-deficiency anemia among children, and the first clear appearance of endemic treponematosis and tuberculosis in Moundville II. The overall picture conforms logically to the site's changing role from a major population center to the paramount regional mortuary site, as the growing population gradually spread throughout the Black Warrior Valley in secondary - and tertiary - level communities rather than remaining concentrated at Moundville itself (p. 102).
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Organization and analysis of results of research
Ontogenetic data
Nutrition
Morbidity
Status, role, and prestige
Social relationships and groups
Burial practices and funerals
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Mississippian
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2000
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Archaeologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 2005
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
no date
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1100 BP - 350 BP (900 A.D. - 1650 A.D.)
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Moundville, Black Warrior Valley, Alabama, United States
NotesAdditional notes
Mary Lucas Powell
For bibliographical references see document 21: [Knight and Steponaitis]
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
98006875
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Mississippian culture