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Paleoepidemiology of Infectious Disease in the Dickson Mounds Population

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Paleoepidemiology of Infectious Disease in the Dickson Mounds Population Paleoepidemiology of Infectious Disease in the Dickson Mounds Population JOHN LALLO, PH.D. Associate Professor, Department ofAnthropology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio GEORGE J. ARMELAGOS, PH.D. Assistant Professor, Department ofAnthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts JEROME C. ROSE, PH.D. Department ofAnthropology, University ofArkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas The major focus of paleopathology has been the miological studies has provided paleopathology with delimiting of disease in time and space. Information one of its most important tools. about the history of specific diseases is the objective Roney,1 in a short but important article that of many of these studies. While the chronological and discusses the paleoepidemiological approach to the geographical dimensions of paleopathology contrib­ study of disease, suggests three phases in this type of ute significantly to our knowledge of disease, there study: are limits to this approach, which often fails to con­ I) archaeological investigation, sider the interaction of biology and culture in the 2) study of the skeletal remains, and diseases of prehistoric populations. 3) statistical analysis: relationships between The biocultural approach in paleopathology at­ host factors, the disease (insult), and the envi­ tempts to define ecological factors in the adaptation ronment. of prehistoric populations to their environment It is often difficult to describe the host factors in which inhibit or promote the disease process. This prehistoric populations, although features such as ecological analysis has been aided by a paleoepide­ morphology, age, and sex can be determined. Simi­ miological perspective on the interaction of three larly, the factors which cause disease can be inferred variables-host, insult, and the environment. The re­ in many instances. Finally, the paleoepidemiologist construction of ecological variables in paleoepide- should delineate the environmental variables so im­ portant in the disease process as well as focus on cultural and biological elements which are likely to Presented at the symposium on Paleoepidemiology, 46th An­ increase or reduce the potential for disease. nual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropol­ The Dickson Mounds Population offers a ogists, 14 April, 1977, Seattle, Washington. Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. John Lallo, De­ unique opportunity to study the adaptation of a pre­ partment of Anthropology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, historic population by applying the paleoepidemio­ Ohio 44115. logical approach. The skeletal material represents MCV QUARTERLY 14(1): 17-23, 1978 17 18 LALLO ET AL: INFECTIOUS BIS EASE IN DICKSON MOUNDS POPULATION three cultural traditions, that is, the Late Woodland, Mississippian Acculturated Late Woodland ( dated the Mississippian Acculturated Late Woodland, and about AD 1050-AD 1200).2 A representative of this the Middle Mississippian, which reflect significant adaptation is the Eveland site which is located 230 m temporal changes in the nature of the cultural-ecolog­ to the southwest of the Dickson Mounds burial com­ ical relationships of the population. As a result, these plex. archaeological samples provide adequate skeletal ma­ The Eveland site, which covers about 2 hectares, terial and cultural-ecological data to apply to our was occupied by a permanently settled population model. estimated to average about 400-500 individuals. Dur­ Based upon some of these temporal changes, we ing this period of occupation, a gradual alteration in have hypothesized that alterations in the cultural­ subsistence techniques occurred; hunting-and-gather­ ecological adaptations of a population in the form of: ing was supplemented by some maize cultivation. a) a change in subsistence patterns with greater re­ Toward the end of this period (AD 1200), items begin liance on agriculture; b) an increase in population to appear in village refuse and as grave offerings density and settlement; and c) an extension of trade which suggest the beginnings of long distance trade.3 networks will be reflected in the biological character­ The Middle Mississippian at Dickson Mounds istics of that population in the form of increased represents the culmination of trends toward increased frequency in infectious lesions and in the rate of maize cultivation, increased population density and mortality. settlement, and participation in Mississippian trade networks. The Myer/ Dickson site (AD 1200-AD 1300) Archaeology at Dickson Mounds is an agricultural hamlet of 3-4 hectares in extent. The The skeletal samples used in this analysis are houses are arranged in rows about an open plaza. from the Dickson Mounds. The site, which consists Harn2 estimates the population to range between 150 of both burial and habitation areas, is located near and 250 individuals. The Myer / Dickson site along the confluence of the Illinois and Spoon Rivers, 4.8 with six other hamlets and 31 camps are associated km southeast of Lewistown, Illinois. The environ­ with the Larson ceremonial center, 11 km to the ment is composed of four zones: a wet flood plain, southeast. talus slope forest, highland forest, and a plains­ Larson consists of 8 hectares of concentrated, prairie area. The fauna! and floral assemblages and and 40 hectares of dispersed, occupation debris scat­ their potential for aboriginal exploitation have been tered around a mound-plaza complex. A palisade described by Harn.2 encloses the mound, plaza, and 6 hectares of settle­ While we can distinguish three cultural tradi­ ment. Harn4 estimates a maximum of 234 contempo­ tions associated with the Dickson Mounds, we will raneous structures in the primary habitation area, combine skeletal samples of the Late Woodland and which suggests a population of between 900 and 1400 the Mississippian Acculturated Late Woodland for individuals. The Larson community is typical of the the purpose of this study. During the time period complex Mississippian socio-political organization. between AD 950 to AD 1050, the Dickson site was Quantities of foreign-made items in village debris and occupied by an indigenous Late Woodland popu­ cemeteries indicate participation in extensive trade lation. The Late Woodland population is defined as a networks. The palisade reflects warfare and the exten­ relatively small group (75-125) of people who con­ sion of competition for agricultural land outside the structed temporary seasonal campsites near the con­ American Bottoms. fluence of the Illinois and Spoon Rivers. Their sub­ The subsistence pattern of the Middle Mississip­ sistence economy was directed toward the intensive pian is different from the preceding Mississippian utilization of a broad range of flora and fauna. Dur­ Acculturated Late Woodland. Because quantitative ing this same time period, the Middle Mississippian archaeological data are not yet available, the quality culture was developing at Cahokia in the American of the Mississippian diet at Dickson Mounds must be Bottoms, 180 km to the south near what is now East reconstructed by inference. The larger population St. Louis, Illinois. size would increase the effort required to maintain the The Late Woodland culture at Dickson Mounds previous per capita consumption of wild flora and represents a population which was to come under the fauna. This dietary deficit is compensated for by in­ influence of the Middle Mississippian culture. The creasing the utilization of maize. Although this in­ cultural manifestation of this influence is termed the crease in maize and decrease in animal protein con- LALLO ET AL: INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN DICKSON MOUNDS POPULATION 19 sumption may not appear to be quantitatively age and sex, assigned to a cultural group, and for significant in the archaeological data, there are miti­ which observations on skeletal and dental pathology gating cultural factors. Larson5 suggests that Missis­ could be made.8 The final study samples are described sippian sites (such as the Larson site) were fortified to in Table I. protect limited agricultural land. Any agricultural The diagnosis of skeletal pathology has been crop achieving this importance assumes a certain cul­ made on the basis of gross macroscopic examination tural value which requires its consumption by the of each burial. The paleoepidemiological analysis will infirm and the young.6 Cook7 substantiates this prem­ focus upon the frequency of occurrence of infectious ise by reporting that 95% of historic American Indian disease. The infectious diseases which have been diag­ societies practicing maize agriculture used maize as nosed on the skeletal material from Dickson Mounds the exclusive weanling diet. Thus, despite low per include periostitis and osteomyelitis (both suppura­ capita consumption of maize, its importance in the tive and nonsuppurative). Although separate obser­ weaning and convalescent diet could have made pro­ vations have been made on both the periostitis and tein malnutrition (generated by a decrease in the con­ on the osteomyelitis, frequencies for the two diseases sumption of animal products and an increase in the have been combined. use of high carbohydrate/low protein maize) a seri­ ous health problem. Results Such a subsistence base is an important variable There are several factors favoring the analysis of in the evaluation of the general level of health of the infectious disease, the first being that it should reflect population; the large population increase (ten times variations in the cultural-ecological
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