Photogrammetric methods for generating three-dimensional (3D) models are becoming increasingly widespread in the fields of archaeology and biological anthropology. In particular, the study of the variability of skull morphology (generated by the ancestry of the individual or by the application of certain cultural practices) using 3D models is becoming increasingly common. This paper analyzes the workflow used to create these models and applies a comparison of the distances of the meshes to facilitate the estimation of this morphological variability. To carry out this comparison, two alternatives are proposed: one that would include a pre-scaling of the models and one without scaling. The work cycle has demonstrated the ability to generate high-quality 3D models of human crania, as well as the possibility of comparing two models (one used as a reference and the other as the main object of study) to evaluate the metric differences between them, highlighting the differences through a color gradient. Thanks to the comparison of the meshes and their visualization in a new 3D model, the evaluation of the morphological differences in the skull and their precise localization on the surface of the crania can be done easily. The R script is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request to facilitate replication of the analytical procedure. The study aims to demonstrate the potential of comparative analysis of 3D models, specifically in the field of artificial cranial modification, as well as the variability of human cranial morphology. The methodology used is applicable to a wide range of issues in skeletal remains, analyzing pathological conditions or phenotypical variability, as well as in the study of other archaeological materials.
ABSTRACT The dispersal of Austronesian‐speaking people across Island Southeast Asia and the Pacific during the Late Holocene was associated with the spread of shared cultural practices, including intentional dental modifications. These practices, like tooth ablation and dental staining (likely with betel quid), are interpreted as embodied expressions of social identity, kinship, and community belonging. This study reviews evidence of dental modifications in Indonesia and presents new bioarcheological data from the recently excavated Kolana cemetery on Alor Island, Indonesia (3634–2268 cal BP), a key site that is adding critical data revealing cultural interactions in Wallacea. A symmetrical 2I 2 C 1 tooth ablation pattern was identified on four individuals, consistent with patterns found at other sites in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA), Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), and West Pacific indicating that these cultural traditions extended further into eastern Wallacea than previously known. The practice was observed in both males and females at Kolana. One individual, an adult female, exhibited both ablation and intentional betel staining, indicating additional dimensions of social identity. These findings highlight the local adoption and adaptation of dental modification practices associated with Austronesian expansion. Future research incorporating aDNA and isotopic data is required to further elucidate the dynamic nature of these social traditions in Southeast Asia's past.
ABSTRACT This study aims to advance our understanding of the impact of disease on stable isotopic values and increase the number of isotopically analyzed individuals with well‐documented osteobiographical data. Isotopic values were measured from bulk collagen from two cortical bone samples (rib and femur) from 35 soldiers of the First World War Austro‐Hungarian army. The diets of soldiers from different regions showed variability in carbon and nitrogen isotopic values (rib: δ 13 C = −18.9‰ ± 1.7‰, femur: δ 13 C = −18.9‰ ± 2.0‰), whereas nitrogen isotopic values were comparatively more consistent (rib: δ 15 N = 11.1‰ ± 0.8‰, femur: δ 15 N = 10.9‰ ± 0.9‰), reflecting differences in dietary composition across regions. Rib δ 15 N values were consistently higher than femoral δ 15 N values. This offset likely reflects element‐specific routing. Cause of death on death certificates representing chronic disease, acute disease, and tuberculosis did not significantly affect intra‐individual isotopic variability at the population level, nor did age at death or military unit affiliation. However, several individual cases showed elevated δ 15 N values in ribs relative to femurs, together with a characteristic “stress pattern” of decreasing δ 13 C and increasing δ 15 N values. These individual‐level patterns align with mechanisms reported in previous studies linking negative nitrogen balance to catabolic stress. The total number of individuals remains too low to pinpoint any definitive answer about it. In future studies, closer attention should be paid to disease duration and recent knowledge about the bone turnover rate.
Stable isotope analysis of sequential samples of ancient sheep and goat tooth enamel is used to investigate feeding, breeding, and mobility strategies at Neolithic villages on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. δ 13 C values demonstrate clear enrichment of caprine diet in 13 C from the Early ( c . 8.1–7.5 kya cal. BP ) to the Middle Neolithic (7.5–7.0 kya cal. BP ). The elevated carbon isotope ratios are consistent with a diet consisting of terrestrial C 3 plants from arid environments, potentially supplemented by marine or wetland vegetation during the summer. δ 18 O values are used to model season of birth. The results suggest early examples of autumnal lambing and multiple birthing seasons were practiced by Middle Neolithic (Danilo) herders as early as 7.5 kya cal. BP. Analysis of seasonal signals in intra‐tooth carbon and oxygen isotope sequences suggests foddering was less important during the Middle Neolithic, whereas Early Neolithic (Impresso) herders routinely foddered during winter months, likely in response to seasonally dry conditions between 8.0 and 7.5 ky cal. BP . Additionally, the data provide evidence consistent with small‐scale vertical transhumance as early as the Impresso period. The results are discussed in the context of an increasing emphasis on dairying and a shift in the seasonal allocation of labor during the Middle Neolithic.
ABSTRACT Various skeletal markers have been used to reconstruct physical activity patterns in past populations, including cross‐sectional geometry, trabecular bone microarchitecture, osteoarthritis, and morphological changes at musculoskeletal attachment sites, known as entheseal changes (ECs). The aim of this paper is to systematize and critically discuss the current state of knowledge regarding the utility of ECs as physical activity markers and to suggest future research directions in this field. The study is based on a review of the articles published from 2011 to 2025 in the Web of Science database, and discusses the most commonly used EC recording systems. The review shows that, although clinical data and studies based on documented osteological collections suggest a relationship between EC and activity, the available evidence remains inconsistent and is highly dependent on the recording method, anatomical location, and study design among the reviewed papers. ECs are shaped by a complex, multifactorial etiology and reflect cumulative influences acting throughout the life course. Therefore, they should not be interpreted as direct markers of specific activities without controlling for age, sex, body size, pathology, enthesis type, method, and broader contextual factors. Current research highlights the need for more standardized, objective, and interdisciplinary approaches, including the development of quantitative methods for analyzing entheseal morphology in human skeletal remains.
