Paleopathology: old really is gold!

Going back to the roots of modern era diseases helps us understand them better and thus find more efficient diagnoses. In addition to giving us insight into health conditions of ancient populations, paleopathology helps contribute to the evolutionary study of these diseases. It is well established by the concept of evolution that man evolved from primates, though a large chunk of people choose to refute this theory , and from this evolution theory, it is evident that man has gone through tremendous changes in the process of evolving from their "great ape" ancestors. It is but natural to assume, and very accurately, as a matter of fact, that the impact of diseases varies from one stage of evolution to the other. Paleopathology goes back to the early evolutionary stages of man to study this very impact, how it has changed in a span of years and whether it will follow a similar pattern of change in the years to come.

For archaeologists and anthropologists, paleopathology is a strong pillar to lean on in order to understand the lives of ancient civilisations. Physical deformations, like that of the cranium in Mayan civilization, and the practice of drilling holes into the cranium have been found and recorded by archaeologists in an effort to contribute to paleopathology. Examination of the skeletal remains of a person living in those times, apart from examination of their skin, hair, etc., can help paleopathologists determine what kind of diseases they may have contracted. Leprosy, tuberculosis and syphilis are some such diseases that could be detected with a precise examination of the bones as leprosy damages the bones of the face, finger and toes while tuberculosis on the other hand damages the ribs and vertebrae.

Paleopathology studies these diseases also in order to narrow down the reasons for their existence, the reasons why they still exist or why they do not exist anymore. The science also uses molecular biology and body composition of our ancestors, along with a host of other factors like their environment, living conditions, daily habits, etc., to go the roots of their ability to contract diseases. A number of methods are used to detect the answers to these questions; for example, a study of dental cavities is conducted to determine the types of food they used to eat. Extreme decay would suggest consumption of foods rich in sugar, thus narrowing down at least one cause for a disease. Inferior nutrition was linked to decrease stature, which was determined by skeletal measurements over a period of time.

It is indeed awe inspiring that how mere physical examination of the bodily remains of our ancestors can lead us to a mine of information about them, thus providing us with opportunities to shield ourselves from facing the same fate. History is never irrelevant and if in the proper hands, can help pave a secure future. By - Sukanya

Source : articlesbase.com