Biological evidence will be presented in two ways: first mortality rates; and then the frequency of cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia and carious lesions present in individual assemblages. This will provide a snapshot of sub-adult population health from each site which can be discussed in greater detail in chapter five. Detailed health data is available in the literature used to develop this health profile.
Khok Phanom Di
Tayles (1999:38) observed that the mean mortality rate for adults over 15 was 32.17 years for females and 28.56 years for males. When sub-adults were included in this profile the mean average dropped to 14.37 years of age. Sub-adults comprise 55.8% of the cemetery population at Khok Phanom Di (Domett, 2001; Domett and Tayles, 2006; Tayles, 1999). Infants constitute 74% of the sub-adult population. LEH and caries are summarised by tooth count for sub-adults and adults in Table 4.9. Two manifestations of hypoplasia occur at Khok Phanom Di, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and the presence of discrete areas of defective enamel, occurring primarily on the buccal surfaces of the canines (Tayles, 1999). When the sample for LEH only had sub-adults less than 5 years of age an increase to 38% had this condition (5/13). Forty-five (65%) adults were affected by LEH. Twenty eight sub-adults had dentition surviving that could be examined for LEH and carious lesions (18 with deciduous dentition and 10 with permanent dentition). Five individual sub-adults with permanent dentition are affected by LEH (5.8%). Six individuals with deciduous
dentition are affected by caries (7%) and 4 sub-adults with permanent dentition are affected (4.7%). Of the 67 adults examined for caries 67% had lesions. Carious lesions occur primarily on maxillary 1st and 2nd molars (Tayles 1999:231). Where surviving orbital plates allowed examination, 10/13 (77%) of sub-adults and 3/57 (5.3%) adults had evidence of cribra orbitalia (Tayles, 1996, 1999). In children aged over five, 87.5% (7/8) had cribra orbitalia. No infants (0/63) presented evidence of cribra orbitalia (Tayles 1996:12).
Table 4.9: Frequency of LEH and carious lesions by teeth at Khok Phanom Di.
Sub-adults Adults Pathology Deciduous teeth Permanent teeth Permanent teeth
LEH 0 10/186 (5.3%) 95/225 (42%)
Caries 11/178 (6.2%) 10/158 (6.3%) 139/1282 (11%)
Ban Lum Khao
Sub-adults constitute 46.4% of the cemetery population. Infants (19.1%) and young children (12.8%) comprise a large proportion of the cemetery population. Low mortality rates were recorded for children aged 5-9 years and 10-14 years. Domett (2001:40) notes the majority of the adult population died between 30-39 years of age, although females constitute more than double the males in the 20-29 age category. LEH and caries are summarised by tooth count for sub-adults and adults in Table 4.10. No deciduous teeth at Ban Lum Khao displayed evidence of LEH (Domett 2001, 2004). Very low rates of caries occur in sub-adults. No information is available on individual rates of LEH and caries. No evidence of cribra orbitalia is recorded from Ban Lum Khao.
Table 4.10: Frequency of LEH and carious lesions by teeth at Ban Lum Khao.
Sub-adults Adults
Pathology Deciduous teeth (%) Permanent teeth (%) Permanent teeth (%)
LEH 0 30/106 (28.3%) 89/737 (12.1%)
Non Nok Tha
Douglas (1996:303) recorded mean age-at-death at 30.85 years. Sub-adults comprise 27% of the cemetery population. Young children, aged 1-4 years comprise the majority of sub-adults represented (24/49, 49%). LEH and caries are summarised by tooth count for sub-adults and adults in Table 4.11. Two types of hypoplastic defects were recorded from deciduous teeth, LEH and Localised Hypoplasia of the Primary Canine (LHPC). LHPC occurs in 5/8 sub-adult individuals (62.5%) recorded. Only 3/13 sub-adults had evidence of LEH. Seventy-seven adults had dentition which could be examined for LEH and 79 for caries of which 20 (25.9%) had LEH and 30 (37.9%) had caries. No carious teeth were found in 13 assessable sub-adults (Douglas 2006:203). Cribra orbitalia is observed in 13.1% of adults (13/99) and no sub-adults (0/17).
Table 4.11: Frequency of LEH and carious lesions by teeth at Non Nok Tha.
Sub-adults Adults Pathology Deciduous teeth Permanent teeth Permanent teeth LEH 8/212 (3.8%) 11/69 (15.9%) 87/1095 (7.9%) Caries 0/52 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 34/1233 (2.7%)
Comparing Health and Mortuary Variables
A health index was generated to explore if unhealthy sub-adults and adults were exposed to differential burial treatment at Khok Phanom Di and Non Nok Tha. This study compared healthy/unhealthy individuals versus graves without goods,
inclusion/exclusion in double burials, orientation, grave depth and burial style. Burials from Ban Lum Khao were excluded as individual health profiles are currently
unavailable.
Results of the comparison of healthy and unhealthy individuals without grave goods are presented in Table 4.12. Healthy sub-adults from Khok Phanom Di and unhealthy sub-adults from Non Nok Tha are significantly more likely to be buried without grave goods.
Table 4.12: Comparison of health and burials without grave goods. Bold figures are regarded as
significant. Degree of freedom = 1
Sub-adults Adults
Site Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No.
Khok Phanom Di 47/69 / 3/16 0.00* 3/18 / 6/51 0.68*
Non Nok Tha 7/46 / 2/3 0.08* 10/98 / 6/35 0.36*
* Where any observed rate was below 5 a Fisher Exact Test was performed.
Results of the comparison of healthy and unhealthy individuals in double burials are presented in Table 4.13. Only healthy sub-adults at Khok Phanom Di are in double burials.
Table 4.13: Comparison of health and double burials. Bold figures are regarded as significant. Degree
of freedom = 1
Sub-adults Adults
Site Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No.
Khok Phanom Di 18/69 / 2/16 0.33* 1/18 / 7/51 0.67* Non Nok Tha 6/46 / 0/3 N/A** 8/98 / 6/35 2.20 / 0.13 * Where any observed rate was below 5 a Fisher Exact Test was performed.
** Where observed rate is 0 χ² or FET not performed.
Results of the comparison of healthy and unhealthy individuals buried outside
normative orientation are presented in Table 4.14. All unhealthy sub-adults from Non Nok Tha are buried outside the normative orientation of 225-270°.
Table 4.14: Comparison of health and burials outside normative orientation. Normative orientation at
Khok Phanom Di ranges from 45-90° and 225-270° at Non Nok Tha. Bold figures are regarded as significant. Degree of freedom = 1
Sub-adults Adults
Site Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No.
Khok Phanom Di 10/69 / 1/16 0.68* 1/18 / 3/51 1* Non Nok Tha 20/46 / 3/3 0.09* 42/98 / 20/35 2.11 / 0.14
Results of the comparison of healthy and unhealthy individuals buried outside normative grave depths are presented in Table 4.15. The evidence suggests that unhealthy sub-adults at Khok Phanom Di and healthy adults at Non Nok Tha are statistically significantly likely to be buried outside the normative grave depth.
Table 4.15: Comparison of health and burials outside normative grave depth. Normative grave depths
at Khok Phanom Di are from 0-20cm and 40-60cm at Non Nok Tha. Bold figures are regarded as significant. Degree of freedom = 1
Sub-adults Adults
Site Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No.
Khok Phanom Di 5/69 / 5/16 7.20 / 0.00 2/18 / 10/51 0.71*
Non Nok Tha 7/46 / 1/3 0.42* 33/98 / 3/35 0.00*
* Where any observed rate was below 5 a Fisher Exact Test was performed.
Results of the comparison of healthy and unhealthy individuals buried in the non- extended position are presented in Table 4.16. Only healthy adults at Khok Phanom Di and Non Nok Tha are not buried in the extended style. All sub-adults at Non Nok Tha were buried in an extended position.
Table 4.16: Comparison of health and non-extended burial styles. Bold figures are regarded as
significant. Degree of freedom = 1
Sub-adults Adults
Site Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Healthy / Unhealthy χ² / p-value Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No. Obs. / No.
Khok Phanom Di 11/69 / 1/16 0.44* 1/18 / 0/51 N/A** Non Nok Tha 0/46 / 0/3 N/A** 5/98 / 0/3 N/A** * Where any observed rate was below 5 a Fisher Exact Test was performed.
** Where observed rate is 0 χ² or FET not performed.