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That's a nice idea from Erik. However, although I am not at all averse to having well-lubricated conversations with veterinarians, we have the additional problem that most working vets see very little bone pathology, apart from routine fractures. In particular, they do not see the sort of chronic conditions that afflicted livestock in the past, but which would be either treated or terminated today. Maybe this is one topic for which zooarchaeology will have to work up its modus operandi from scratch, rather than borrowing from human palaeopath or from vets, however friendly!
 
Terry
 
 

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Prof Terry O'Connor
Department of Archaeology
University of York
Kings Manor
York YO1 7EP
 http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/staff/OConnor.htm
Editor, International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5488

-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Erik Filean
Sent: 17 August 2005 19:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Ankylosing Spondylitis

In a message dated 8/17/2005 11:36:04 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Stephanie's email has opened up a real problem area in animal
palaeopathology, namely the tendency to apply terms from human
palaeopath to conditions in other species that APPEAR to present the
same clinical signs. Ankylosing spondylitis is a quite specific
pathology of the human skeleton, with a particular aetiology. We may see
a similar ankylosis in other species, but really shouldn't be applying
the 'human' terms simply on the basis of similar appearance. That, of
course, begs the question as to what terminology we should use. What do
others think?
I agree that there is a real danger in conflating human with nonhuman pathology based on purely visual criteria. Unfortunately, without a clear definition of the cause and aetiology of a given animal pathology, I don't know how a zooarchaeologist can suggest a valid term. We probably need to buy drinks for some veterinarians and be very, very nice to them to come to grips with this.
 

"...and those that would not bond with us, we ate."
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