Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (14.2002(2003))

WEST SAQQARA

EGYPT

PATTERN OF PHYSICAL GROWTH

The pattern of physical growth was
estimated based on measurements of the
diaphyseal length of long bones. Meas-
urements were taken on 22 femora, 18
tibiae, 16 humeri, 7 ulnae, 2 radii and 2
fibulae of 43 individuals aged from 0-6
months to 18 years. The raw scores were
then plotted on a graph by dental age and
compared with available data for children
from the Iron Age site at K2 in South
Africa.* 7) In the present report, skeletal
growth has been illustrated by charts
plotted for femur and humerus bones. This
choice seems to be reasonable in view of
the fact that the femur as a segment of the

lower limb plays an important role in the
growth of stature.
Diaphyseal growth of the femur in
children from Saqqara (Fig. 1) may be seen
as a continuous increase throughout child-
hood and adolescence, although it does not
mean that the elongation of the lower limb
bones proceeded at a constant rate. This
impression may be caused by the cross-
sectional design of the study and pooled
sexes. One can also see that intra-size
variation in the sample from Saqqara is
rather small. The magnitude of standard
deviation for defined ages ranges from
2.25 mm to 3.47 mm.

Femur: length in mm

400
E 350
E
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

<$> &

▼

1-1-1-1-1-r

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
age (in years)

Fig. 1. Diaphyseal growth of the femur in children from Saqqara

7) Comparative data was derived from M. Steyn and M. Henneberg, “Skeletal growth of children from the Iron Age site
at K2 (South Africa)”, Am J Phys Anthrop 100 (1996), 389-396. The Iron Age site of Mapungubwe is situated in the
Northern Transvaal and is dated to 1000-1200 AD. A detailed description of the site can be found in: M. Henneberg and
M. Steyn, Preliminary report on the paleodemography of the K2 and Mapungubwe populations (South Africa)”, Hum Biol
66 (1994), 105-120.

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