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Calcaneus fractures are scarcely reported in archaeological assemblages worldwide. The main goal of this paper is to present a study case related to a calcaneus fracture and a set of bone lesions recorded in an adult individual dated in the Middle Holocene (ca. 6000-3000 years BP). This individual was part of a hunter-gatherer society that inhabited the eastern Pampa-Patagonian transition (lower basin of Colorado river, Argentina). The individual was recovered at Tres Bonetes 1 site (TB1-E1). The causes of the injury and the stress it could have had generated in the individual are discussed. Macroscopic analysis and radiographic images were carried out and several bone alterations were detected (27.1%; 19/70). The lesions were located in the right ankle joint linked to an intra-articular calcaneus fracture. The main cause may have been a fall from height. The remodeled new bone formation indicates that the individual survived the stress event, but several sectors of the skeleton (e.g., spine, shoulders) were affected. The original morphological structure of the calcaneus was not restored and probably caused joint instability that affected the biomechanical behavior of the ankle. The individual must have suffered acute and severe pain and need help, care and assistance from other people., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Studies on population genetics have become highly relevant for understanding the evolutionary history of human settlement in southern South America. The eastern Pampa-Patagonia transition is an area that stands out due to its complex population dynamics, especially during the last about 1,000 years BP. The aim of this work is to characterize the maternal lineages of individuals buried in the Paso Alsina 1 archaeological site (ca. 500 years BP) through the analysis of mitochondrial genetic variability, in order to discuss the population models previously proposed for the southern cone of South America., Methods: Mitochondrial HyperVariable Region I sequences were analyzed on teeth belonging to 20 adult individuals. Statistical analyses were carried out to compare the interpopulation and intrapopulation molecular variability between the results obtained in this work and those previously published data from pre-Hispanic human groups. D1 haplotype network was constructed drawing from data on ancient and extant population group samples., Results: Thirteen sequences (65%) were obtained from the 20 analyzed samples. The maternal lineages or subhaplogroups identified were D1g (69.24%), C1 (15.38%), D1 (7.69%), and D1j (7.69%). There was low haplotype variability within the site; some individuals could be matrilineally related., Discussion: The subhaplogroups registered in Paso Alsina 1 site are in accordance with those reported for ancient and contemporary Patagonian populations. The results suggest that an initial nucleus of individuals carrying mostly subhaplogroup D1g settled in northern Patagonia, from which local diversity of this matrilineage could have arisen. The existence of gene flow in the final late Holocene with groups from Northern Andean Patagonia, as well as from Central Argentina, is proposed. The D1j variant probably developed in the latter region., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Osteomyelitis was frequent in prehistoric times, although its paleopathological recognition and analysis in skeletal remains is typically incomplete. Contrasting with osteomyelitis in children, in adults it is usually a subacute or chronic infection that develops secondary to an open injury. The aim of this paper is to present a case of osteomyelitis in an adult female skeleton, from a hunter-gatherer population that inhabited the eastern Pampa-Patagonian transition (Argentina) during Final Late Holocene (ca. 250 years BP). Macroscopic studies as well as biplanar radiographs and CT scans were used for diagnosis. Lamellar bone formations on the diaphysis and in the interior of the marrow cavity were recorded. Also, a lytic lesion was identified in CT images. The diagnostic procedures and the probable causes that could generate the lesions in the long bones of the lower limb are discussed. The lesions are consistent with osteomyelitis secondary to a contiguous focus of infection, possibly linked to the abscess in the maxillary bone., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Research on animal paleopathology has significantly grown in the field of zooarchaeology during the last years. Usually bone lesions have been associated to specific activities carried out by animals. However, the etiology and prevalence of many bone abnormalities are still uncertain due to the scarcity of studies in modern reference collections. The aim of this study is to determine the postcranial skeletal lesions that characterize a population of wild camelids and to differentiate bone lesions related to human management of camelids. For this purpose, we analyze the health status of a modern collection of guanaco by recording a series of indicators and its manifestation in different anatomical units. The osteological sample comprises 54 guanacos from Cinco Chañares, San Antonio department, Rio Negro province, Argentina. The frequency of lesions by anatomical unit, sex, and age were studied in order to generate parameters for comparison with other samples of contemporary camelids and with zooarchaeological record. The analyzed sample is characterized by infectious, traumatic, degenerative and congenital abnormalities in low prevalence. The most common pathologies were degenerative origin. These were significantly more frequent among senile adults, and were differentiated of the ones registered among domestic camelids., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Several archaeological researches in northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas have evaluated various indicators of the diets of hunter-gatherers who inhabited these regions during the Late Holocene, including the role of plant foods. Dental analysis is an important way to introduce new information about subsistence. In this sense, the objective of this work is to document and interpret dento-alveolar lesions in an osteological sample recovered from the Paso Alsina 1 archaeological site (eastern Pampean-Patagonian transition, Argentina). This paper will explore the oral health status of individuals and discuss palaeodietary information of hunter-gatherers that inhabited the lower valley of the Colorado River during the final Late Holocene (ca. 500 years BP). The site is defined as a formal area bundle composed of 10 secondary multiple burials containing 56 individuals of both sexes and various ages (e.g., perinatal, infant, and adult). In this study, 781 teeth and 1036 alveoli from 47 maxillae and 38 mandibles were analysed from 51 adult individuals. The results indicate a moderate rate of dental wear, and dental calculus, and low percentages of caries, abscesses, and antemortem tooth loss. The information obtained suggests a diet based on a combination of proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Results are then compared with those from other lines of analysis for the study area and for the neighboring regions (northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas)., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)