The Archaeology of Disease - Hardcover

Roberts, Charlotte; Manchester, Keith

4.32

143 ratings by Goodreads

9780801442322: The Archaeology of Disease

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080144232X ISBN 13: 9780801442322

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2005

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The Archaeology of Disease shows how the latest scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries from which humans suffered in antiquity. Charlotte Roberts and Keith Manchester offer a vivid picture of ancient disease and trauma by combining the results of scientific research with information gathered from documents, other areas of archaeology, art, and ethnography. The book contains information on congenital, infectious, dental, joint, endocrine, and metabolic diseases. The authors provide a clinical context for specific ailments and accidents and consider the relevance of ancient demography, basic bone biology, funerary practices, and prehistoric medicine. This fully revised third edition has been updated to and encompasses rapidly developing research methods of in this fascinating field.

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Review:

"As close to perfection as a book can come. . . . The Archaeology of Disease is highly recommended to all who are interested in the history of diseases and their scientific investigation. The clear, precise, and elaborate description and interpretation of paleopathological observations the world over, from many different time periods, provide excellent insight into life and death hundreds to thousands of years ago."--Andreas G. Nerlich, JAMA, September 20, 2006 "Well structured, clearly written, and extremely accurate from both a historical and scientific point of view."--The Lancet (reviewing a previous edition) "A concise, informative, and very readable introduction to the field of paleopathology."--Journal of the History of Medicine (reviewing a previous edition) "Details how skeletal discoveries at archaeological sites reveal much about illnesses in earlier eras and how they were treated. Dead men do tell tales."--Anneli Rufus, East Bay Express.com, 25 January 2006 "This is a fabulous book. It is stocked full of useful data, is well organized, and devoid of most of the pseudoscience that plagues this area of study. It covers the entire field in a practical, no-nonsense style. If you are interested in ancient disease, then this is the "bible," the finest text to date."--Journal of the American Association of Forensic Dentists

Synopsis:

"The Archaeology of Disease" shows how scientific and archaeological techniques can be used to identify the common illnesses and injuries from which humans suffered in the past. Charlotte Roberts and Keith Manchester study evidence gleaned from written records and works of art as well as from ancient human remains. They combine a clinical interpretation of prevalent diseases with a graphic description of their social, economic and cultural consequences. This fully revised third edition includes 90 black-and-white illustrations and has been updated to encompass the rapidly developing research methods of a fascinating field.

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