Probable Pathological Evidence of Adult Scurvy, Dating Back to about 200 B.C. in Yuci, Shanxi, China
Author(s): Liang Chen; Yaqin Jing; Xiaoya Zhan; Xiaodong Cui; Hui-Yuan Yeh
Year: 2019
Summary
This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
Scurvy is a disease resulting from inadequate intake of vitamin C. This can happen to all age groups but has a relatively high prevalence in children and subadults. Subadult scurvy has been studied thoroughly over the past decades; however, little research has been done on adult scurvy. This is because scurvy presents ambiguously in adults; in addition, scurvy is hard to distinguish from anemia, non-specific infection and similar diseases. Till now, there are no confirmed scurvy cases found in archaeological contexts in China. The authors examined the skeletal series from the Mao’er Hill site, Yuci, Shanxi (3rd century BCE to 2nd Century BCE) and found one potential case of adult scurvy. This individual showed the typical traits of scurvy on his cranium, mandible, and lower limbs. By focusing on this site, the authors aim to discusses the nutrition, diet, and health conditions of this ancient population during the transition period from the Qin to Han Dynasties.
Cite this Record
Probable Pathological Evidence of Adult Scurvy, Dating Back to about 200 B.C. in Yuci, Shanxi, China. Liang Chen, Yaqin Jing, Xiaoya Zhan, Xiaodong Cui, Hui-Yuan Yeh. Presented at The 84th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Albuquerque, NM. 2019 ( tDAR id: 449709)
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Keywords
Geographic Keywords
Asia: East Asia
Spatial Coverage
min long: 70.4; min lat: 17.141 ; max long: 146.514; max lat: 53.956 ;
Record Identifiers
Abstract Id(s): 25411