Skeletal Growth Status in a Physically Abused Child from the Kellis 2 Cemetery, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Differences between estimated dental and skeletal ages can provide a gauge of an individual’s growth status, which more broadly reflects an individual’s health status. This case study provides a summary of the skeletal growth status in a dentally aged 2.0–2.5-year-old (Burial 519) victim of chronic physical abuse from the Kellis 2 cemetery (cal AD 100–450), Egypt. Absolute size of postcranial elements in Burial 519 is generally more similar to a dentally aged 1.5–1.9-year-old cohort than to an age-matched cohort. Growth deficits are least in the skull and greatest in the leg supporting previous studies demonstrating that these regions may be less sensitive and more sensitive, respectively, to environmental stressors. Within the postcranial skeleton, growth deficits are least in the clavicle which may have methodological implications for the skeletal ageing of children. This case study provides an opportunity to examine broader biocultural sources of adversity on skeletal growth in early life.

KEYWORDS:

• failure to thrive
• cranial
• postcranial
• chronic maltreatment
• non-accidental trauma
• bioarchaeology

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their continued support of the Dakhleh Oasis Project (DOP), Anthony Mills for his dedication to the DOP, and all the members of the Dakhleh Oasis Bioarchaeology team, especially Drs. Tosha Dupras, J. E. Molto and Peter Sheldrick. We thank Dr. Siân Halcrow for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. We are grateful to the editor and two anonymous reviewers whose constructive comments and suggestions helped improve this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and our ethical obligations as researchers, we confirm that we have no financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Notes

1 Age terminology used to describe non-adult individuals is inconsistent in the literature and often varies depending on the objectives of the research (Halcrow and Tayles 2008a). In this study, we use the clinical paediatric/developmental osteology age terminology to provide a biological basis for comparisons where ‘child’ refers to an individual between 1.0 year of age to puberty/adolescence (Scheuer and Black 2000a, 2000b; Halcrow and Tayles 2008a).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), the Canada Research Chairs program (CRC), the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida, and the Department of Anthropology at Western University, London, Ontario Canada.

Notes on contributors

Michele M. Bleuze

Michele M. Bleuze is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at California State University, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on musculoskeletal biomechanics and activity patterns, developmental and functional skeletal morphology, and growth and development.

Sandra M. Wheeler

Sandra M. Wheeler is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on the growth and development, patterns of health and disease, and mortuary treatment of infants and children from archaeological contexts.

Lana J. Williams

Lana J. Williams is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on isotopic and elemental analysis of human tissues, seasonality in human health, fertility and diet, and understanding the impact of synergistic complexities among biological, social and physical environments.