赤峰兴隆沟遗址人类椎骨疾病的生物考古学研究

对赤峰兴隆沟遗址第一地点出土的人类椎骨上椎体的退行性关节病(DJD)和黄韧带骨化(OLF)进行了生物考古学研究,制订了这两种病症患病程度的分级记录标准,并对患病率和患病程度均值进行了统计分析。对两性的对比发现DJD的差异主要体现在男性颈椎患病较多而女性腰椎患病较多,OLF的主要差异则是男性胸椎患病率显著高于女性。通过与对比组的比较,发现兴隆沟组腰椎、颈椎DJD患病率相对较高,并再次验证了两性患病情况存在的明显差异;兴隆沟组OLF患病率与对比组也有显著差异。兴隆沟组的椎骨患病情况不一定与生业模式有关,只反映了脊柱承受负荷的情况,其差异暗示行为模式上的差异。建议开展其他方面研究以详细了解其行为模式,同时要重视建立统一的古病理研究标准的重要性。

Bioarchaeological Research of Diseases in Human Vertebrae from XinglonggouSite,Chifeng City,Inner Mongolia

In this research, the degenerative joint disease(DJD) of vertebral bodies and ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) in samples from location 1 of Xinglonggou site in Chifeng city were studied by methods of bioarchaeology. A standard for recording the severity of vertebral osteophytosis and OLF was set, and statistical methods were used to study the prevalence and severity of these diseases. The contrast analysis of both sexes revealed significant difference, primarily presented by the higher prevalence of DJD in males’ cervical vertebrae and that in females’ lumbar vertebrae. The comparative study of OLF showed that the prevalence in males’ thoracic vertebrae was higher than that in females’. The comparison between Xinglonggou and comparative groups revealed that the prevalence of DJD in Xinglonggou’s lumbar vertebrae and cervical vertebrae was relatively high, and it also confirmed the significant difference in morbidity between both sexes. The comparison of OLF presented the significant difference in prevalence between Xinglonggou and other groups. The morbidity of Xinglonggou population should not be associated with their subsistent pattern categorically. The prevalence and severity of these diseases could only reflect the load carried by vertebrae in the spine, and the different load indicated the difference in activity patterns. Researches in some other ways are recommended to acquire information about their activity pattern in detail, and the importance of establishing a uniform standard for paleopathological research ought to be considered seriously.