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Linear and appositional growth as indicators of social change and environmental stress in the Medieval Era in the Algarve, Portugal

Resource type
Thesis type
(Thesis) M.A.
Date created
2023-04-19
Authors/Contributors
Author: Kors, Carmen
Abstract
Growth is a sensitive indicator of children's cumulative environment and can be used as a proxy for the stress experienced by their whole population. Archaeological data and historical research suggest that the Medieval Islamic Period environment was more favourable for growth than the post-Islamic Christian Period, because of their agricultural prosperity, medical knowledge, and hygienic practices. The growth of children recovered from archaeological sites dating from Medieval Islamic and Christian Period in the Algarve were compared to determine whether the social and physical environmental changes due to the transition between the periods impacted the health of their populations. Linear and appositional bone growth deficits were found among children in all samples. Overall, Islamic Period children had slightly greater growth deficits than Christian Period children. This finding suggests that the Medieval Islamic Period was not more favourable for growth than the Medieval Christian Period in the Algarve.
Document
Extent
102 pages.
Identifier
etd22462
Copyright statement
Copyright is held by the author(s).
Permissions
This thesis may be printed or downloaded for non-commercial research and scholarly purposes.
Supervisor or Senior Supervisor
Thesis advisor: Cardoso, Hugo
Language
English
Member of collection
Download file Size
etd22462.pdf 3.12 MB

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