International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

Special Issue Call for Papers

 

Zoonotic Diseases: New Directions in Human-Animal Pathology

 

Zoonotic diseases represent some of the world’s greatest health challenges, both today and in the past. Osteoarchaeological records are ideally situated to generate key insights into these diseases in humans and animals and the relationships that enabled the transmissions of infections. These changing human-animal relationships through time have had important consequences in terms of changing disease ecology and the incidence of mutually-shared infectious diseases. The epidemiology of these infectious diseases will have been shaped by diverse biological, environmental and cultural variables. Key transitions representing intensification of human-animal relationships, such as animal domestications, are often associated with disease emergence, yet complex and long-term study of combined human and animal records have often been overlooked. Together these can shed important light upon the health implications of infectious diseases for past humans and animals in terms of the health of populations, but also in terms of social dynamics, economic practices and losses, and living conditions.

 

In recent years, combined osteological and biomolecular studies have produced major advances in our understanding of the ecology and experience of past infectious diseases. Ancient DNA analyses in particular demonstrate the potential to explore the evolution of pathogens and also the ancient spatial networks that enabled disease transmission and spread. An alternative and complementary approach is provided by epidemiological modelling approaches, which are delivering new understanding of the factors influencing disease emergence and transmission. Both human and animal palaeopathology can deliver essential evidence relating to past health and human-animal interactions, yet the potential of this has not always been realised. Although there are continued challenges to palaeopathological and biomolecular approaches to disease identification, innovative methodological and interdisciplinary advances are generating more powerful insights.

 

This call for papers invites original and significant research contributions to understanding past zoonoses from both human and animal perspectives. We are interested in receiving work which explores methodological and theoretical advances, integrated or strongly contextualised approaches, and population-level case studies. Work which genuinely links human and animal studies would be particularly welcome. Interested authors should email the editors, Robin Bendrey and Debra Martin ([log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]) and provide a working title and brief description of the study by 1 December 2018.  If accepted to be in the theme issue, the study will still go through peer review as usual and so no assurances of acceptance can be offered. We look forward to receiving your proposals to contribute to a high impact and agenda-setting volume.

 

--------

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10991212