An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorMorris, Alanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDlamini, Nonhlanhlaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-08T13:56:38Z
dc.date.available2017-12-08T13:56:38Z
dc.date.issued2006en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe adoption of an agricultural lifestyle had profound implications for nutritional ecology, health and behaviour of human populations. The goal of this project was to generate information about the health status and disease patterns of early farming populations from central and southern Africa. Skeletal material was obtained from various 'Iron Age' sites in South Africa, Ingombe Ilede from Zambia, and Sanga and Katoto from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Palaeopathological analyses was done through the examination of non-specific stress indicators that included cribra orbitalia/porotic hyperostosis, Harris lines, linear enamel hypoplasias, subperiosteal bone lesions and dental diseases. The evidence from palaeopathology indicated that the environments played a major role in causing differences observed at micro-scale level. It is suggested that the health problems of these agricultural peoples are a result of their sedentary lifestyle and aggregation, which promoted maintenance and spread of infectious diseases; as well as high carbohydrate diets and dependence on a few main foodstuffs that affected their iron levels. The individuals from the forest region were less healthy than those in the dry or wet savanna zones. Also, the impact of the stress experienced by these societies was not sufficient to cause stunted growth and thus did not affect their terminal heights. The complex relationship between the environment, socio-cultural factors and biology has shown that subsistence economy only influences a fraction of human behaviour, health and well being. The results of this study argue that generalisations about prehistoric farming peoples cannot be made, until further research work is done.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationDlamini, N. (2006). <i>An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26516en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDlamini, Nonhlanhla. <i>"An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26516en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDlamini, N. 2006. An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Dlamini, Nonhlanhla AB - The adoption of an agricultural lifestyle had profound implications for nutritional ecology, health and behaviour of human populations. The goal of this project was to generate information about the health status and disease patterns of early farming populations from central and southern Africa. Skeletal material was obtained from various 'Iron Age' sites in South Africa, Ingombe Ilede from Zambia, and Sanga and Katoto from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Palaeopathological analyses was done through the examination of non-specific stress indicators that included cribra orbitalia/porotic hyperostosis, Harris lines, linear enamel hypoplasias, subperiosteal bone lesions and dental diseases. The evidence from palaeopathology indicated that the environments played a major role in causing differences observed at micro-scale level. It is suggested that the health problems of these agricultural peoples are a result of their sedentary lifestyle and aggregation, which promoted maintenance and spread of infectious diseases; as well as high carbohydrate diets and dependence on a few main foodstuffs that affected their iron levels. The individuals from the forest region were less healthy than those in the dry or wet savanna zones. Also, the impact of the stress experienced by these societies was not sufficient to cause stunted growth and thus did not affect their terminal heights. The complex relationship between the environment, socio-cultural factors and biology has shown that subsistence economy only influences a fraction of human behaviour, health and well being. The results of this study argue that generalisations about prehistoric farming peoples cannot be made, until further research work is done. DA - 2006 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2006 T1 - An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa TI - An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26516 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/26516
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDlamini N. An assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Human Biology, 2006 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26516en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Human Biologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherHuman Biologyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherPalaeopathologyen_ZA
dc.titleAn assessment of the health status by non-specific stress indicators in early farming populations from central and southern Africaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSc (Med)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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