DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Kaczmarek, Maria: Assessment of growth patterns in juvenile skeletons from Saqqara
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41370#0157
WEST SAQQARA
EGYPT
ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH PATTERNS
IN JUVENILE SKELETONS FROM SAQQARA
Maria Kaczmarek
A number of studies have been published
recently on health changes and nutritional
status in past populations.1’ Juvenile skel-
etons have been included in these studies
for developmental disturbances caused by
various systemic stressors, such as malnu-
trition and infectious disease, thus provid-
ing general information on the relationship
between a population and environment.
This paper aims to describe the pattern
of growth in infants, children and
adolescents, reconstructed from diaphyseal
age-related changes in order to gain
insight into their overall health status.
SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION
This paper is focused on subadult skeletal
remains excavated by the Polish-Egyptian
mission at Saqqara in 1996-2002. The
precise dating of the burials, failing
inscriptions or grave goods, was very
difficult. However, since the immature
burials were found in context with those of
adults or close to other burials, occasional
pottery finds made it possible to anchor
them with fair certainty in the Late and
Ptolemaic periods, possibly also slightly
earlier and later.2) 3
There is evidence for differential burial
practices as far as method of mummification
and type of burial are concerned. It was
found that mummification techniques ap-
plied to children followed the same pattern
as the ones applied to adults, e.g. incomplete
mummification contributed to body decay.
In some cases, as for example in burial 353)
and in burial 183, a careful wrapping of the
body in bandages was practiced in a similar
way as it was done in adults. Sophisticated
and very precise wrapping stands in contrast
with the poor embalming method.4'1 There
were also numerous burials which did not
reveal any attempts at artificial preservation
of the body. The absence of any traces of
mummification suggests the practice of
burying the dead in shrouds.
1) Among many others: R.D. Hoppa, “Evaluating human skeletal growth: An Anglo-Saxon example”, Int.J.Osteoarch. 2
(1992), 275-288; S.R. Saunders, R.D. Hoppa and R. Southern, “Diaphyseal growth in a nineteenth century skeletal sample
of subadults from St. Thomas' Church, Belleville, Ontario”, Int.J. Osteoarch. 3 (1993), 265-281; R.D. Hoppa and Ch.M. Fitz
Gerald (eds.), Human growth in the past. Studies from bones and teeth, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge 1999).
2) For the dating of the necropolis, cf. K. Mysliwiec, “The Ptolemaic Period Cemetery in West Saqqara”, in: A Tribute to
Excellence. Studies offered in Honour of E. Gaal, U. Luft, L. Torok (ed. T.A. Bacs), Studia Aegyptiaca XVII (Budapest 2002),
349-359.
3) Mummy of an infant not yet examined.
4) For a detailed description of mummification methods identified in the material from the Saqqara excavations, see
M. Kaczmarek, “Anthropological analysis of mummified burials from Saqqara”, PAM XI, Reports 1999 (2000), 118-124.
155
EGYPT
ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH PATTERNS
IN JUVENILE SKELETONS FROM SAQQARA
Maria Kaczmarek
A number of studies have been published
recently on health changes and nutritional
status in past populations.1’ Juvenile skel-
etons have been included in these studies
for developmental disturbances caused by
various systemic stressors, such as malnu-
trition and infectious disease, thus provid-
ing general information on the relationship
between a population and environment.
This paper aims to describe the pattern
of growth in infants, children and
adolescents, reconstructed from diaphyseal
age-related changes in order to gain
insight into their overall health status.
SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION
This paper is focused on subadult skeletal
remains excavated by the Polish-Egyptian
mission at Saqqara in 1996-2002. The
precise dating of the burials, failing
inscriptions or grave goods, was very
difficult. However, since the immature
burials were found in context with those of
adults or close to other burials, occasional
pottery finds made it possible to anchor
them with fair certainty in the Late and
Ptolemaic periods, possibly also slightly
earlier and later.2) 3
There is evidence for differential burial
practices as far as method of mummification
and type of burial are concerned. It was
found that mummification techniques ap-
plied to children followed the same pattern
as the ones applied to adults, e.g. incomplete
mummification contributed to body decay.
In some cases, as for example in burial 353)
and in burial 183, a careful wrapping of the
body in bandages was practiced in a similar
way as it was done in adults. Sophisticated
and very precise wrapping stands in contrast
with the poor embalming method.4'1 There
were also numerous burials which did not
reveal any attempts at artificial preservation
of the body. The absence of any traces of
mummification suggests the practice of
burying the dead in shrouds.
1) Among many others: R.D. Hoppa, “Evaluating human skeletal growth: An Anglo-Saxon example”, Int.J.Osteoarch. 2
(1992), 275-288; S.R. Saunders, R.D. Hoppa and R. Southern, “Diaphyseal growth in a nineteenth century skeletal sample
of subadults from St. Thomas' Church, Belleville, Ontario”, Int.J. Osteoarch. 3 (1993), 265-281; R.D. Hoppa and Ch.M. Fitz
Gerald (eds.), Human growth in the past. Studies from bones and teeth, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge 1999).
2) For the dating of the necropolis, cf. K. Mysliwiec, “The Ptolemaic Period Cemetery in West Saqqara”, in: A Tribute to
Excellence. Studies offered in Honour of E. Gaal, U. Luft, L. Torok (ed. T.A. Bacs), Studia Aegyptiaca XVII (Budapest 2002),
349-359.
3) Mummy of an infant not yet examined.
4) For a detailed description of mummification methods identified in the material from the Saqqara excavations, see
M. Kaczmarek, “Anthropological analysis of mummified burials from Saqqara”, PAM XI, Reports 1999 (2000), 118-124.
155