essay

Patterns of diet and disease: health profiles for the prehistoric Southwest

themes in southwest prehistory • Santa Fe, Nm. • Published In 1994 • Pages: 87-108

By: Martin, Debra L..

Abstract
Martin discusses indicators of health and nutrition in the Southwest from around 1000 BC to AD 1550 with an emphasis on AD 900 to 1550. She includes the Anasazi, Hohokam, and the Mogollon in her discussions. Only the data that pertain to the Early Anasazi were marked for OCM (Outline of Cultural Materials) codes. Martin "outlines the general biological effects of disease and dietary stress in the prehistoric Southwest and briefly summarizes emergent regional and temporal trends in health. ... The profiles focus on paleopathology data…" (page 90). Martin concludes there were persistent nutritional deficiencies from the maize diet; unsanitary and crowded living conditions meant there were more communicable diseases and parasites; most adults had carried heavy loads throughout their lives and so had arthritis and spinal degeneration; and there was high infant and childhood mortality. Yet many females lived past child bearing years to old age and many men and women lived into their seventies. She ends her discussion with numerous questions that can be answered by using the human remains to learn more about Southwestern prehistoric health profiles.
Subjects
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Morbidity
Mortality
Nutrition
Physiological data
Settlement patterns
tradition
Early Anasazi
HRAF PubDate
2012
Region
North America
Sub Region
Southwest and Basin
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Physical Anthropologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
Sarah Berry; 2011
Field Date
not specified
Coverage Date
1100-450 BP (AD 900-1550)
Coverage Place
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, United States
Notes
Debra L. Martin
for bibliographical references see document 91:Gummerman
LCCN
93020323
LCSH
Indians of North America--Antiquities