Palaeopathology

Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology

by Tony Waldron

Paleopathology is designed to help bone specialists with diagnosis of diseases in skeletal assemblages. It suggests an innovative method of arriving at a diagnosis in the skeleton by applying what are referred to as “operational definitions.” The aim is to ensure that all those who study bones will use the same criteria for diagnosing disease, which will enable valid comparisons to be made between studies. This book is based on modern clinical knowledge and provides background information so that those who read will understand the natural history of bone diseases, and this will enable them to draw reliable conclusions from their observations. Details of bone metabolism and the fundamentals of basic pathology are also provided, as well as a comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography. A short chapter on epidemiology provides information on how best to analyze and present the results of a study of human remains.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, Archaeology

298 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

T. Waldron is Consultant Physician at St. Mary's Hospital, London, and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London.

Reviews

[Aurelija Zagurskytė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely essential ground for paleopathologist wannabe. After reading this one, you can at least pretend you know something in the field.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and easy to read/understand. The were very helpful operational definitions for various diseases/traumas/infections and the signs that will appear on the bone.