Rachel M. Scott
Affiliate, Biological Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago.
Assistant Research Fellow (2017), University of Otago investigating skeletal trauma in northern Vietnam during the Da But period c. 6700 - 6200 BP.
Assistant Research Fellow (2015 - 2017), University of Otago investigating the diet of adults from prehistoric northern Chile (Archaic to the Late Inka period) using dental microwear texture analysis.
PhD Candidate (submitted June 2015), Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland. My PhD thesis examined the diet and health of ancient Egyptians from the Predynastic period to the Middle Kingdom using dental microwear analysis and non-specific indicators of stress (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis).
My Masters thesis used a biocultural approach to look at types and frequencies of skeletal trauma in five Pacific Island groups from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, and New Zealand.
Supervisors: Professor Judith Littleton, Professor Hallie Buckley, Associate Professor Siân Halcrow, and Professor Simon Holdaway
Assistant Research Fellow (2017), University of Otago investigating skeletal trauma in northern Vietnam during the Da But period c. 6700 - 6200 BP.
Assistant Research Fellow (2015 - 2017), University of Otago investigating the diet of adults from prehistoric northern Chile (Archaic to the Late Inka period) using dental microwear texture analysis.
PhD Candidate (submitted June 2015), Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland. My PhD thesis examined the diet and health of ancient Egyptians from the Predynastic period to the Middle Kingdom using dental microwear analysis and non-specific indicators of stress (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis).
My Masters thesis used a biocultural approach to look at types and frequencies of skeletal trauma in five Pacific Island groups from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, and New Zealand.
Supervisors: Professor Judith Littleton, Professor Hallie Buckley, Associate Professor Siân Halcrow, and Professor Simon Holdaway
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Papers by Rachel M. Scott
teeth to investigate weaning processes fromarchaeological remains, and provides an approach to assess
changes in food consumption during weaning. We review the process of weaning, which can be informative of
subsistence transitions, maternal labour, demographic factors including birth spacing and infant health, and
highlight the relationships between weaning, immune status, and exposure to pathogens. Prior microwear research
has largely focused on adults necessitating consideration of the methods concerning deciduous teeth.
Microwear can be used to discern between the consistency and fracture properties of food as enamel is removed
duringmastication, and is influenced by howfood is prepared (for example premasticated, raw, cooked). As such,
microwear provides a directway to explore the introduction of complementary foods during weaning. A conceptual
model of the potential confounders of assessing microwear in deciduous teeth including tooth biology, bite
force, and the development of oral mechanics is presented. These are pertinent to understanding infant feeding,
which changes in tandemwith physical development and the sequence of dental eruption. This is relevant to future
research for the interpretation of the microwear signatures of infants compared with adults. Understanding
weaning practices and early life diet is crucial to expand and developwhatwe knowabout cultural systems, population
health, nutrition, and subsistence practices in the past.
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
centralized chiefdom. However, little is known about
society in the archipelago prior to the establishment of the
chiefdom. It has been surmised that during its formation
society was violent, but there is no archaeological evidence
to support this. This research investigates if skeletal trauma
in a collection of remains from the Kingdom of Tonga reflects
deliberate violence representative of warfare through themacroscopic
and radiographic examination of fractures and other
traumatic lesions. Because of the history of warfare in the
Tongan archipelago recorded ethnographically, it was expected
that interpersonal violence would manifest itself as
isolated ulnae fractures and cranial trauma. Results showed
a significant difference (P p .05) between the number of
ulnae fractured (n p 8/53) compared with the number of
radii (n p 2/51). Radiographs revealed that ulnae fractures
were indicative of direct force trauma, probably reflecting
defensive ”parry” fractures. There were few instances of cranial
trauma, not supporting the expectation that the population
was engaging in warfare. Based on the skeletal pattern
of trauma, it is suggested that these injuries could be attributed
more to ritualized violence or sporting activities rather
than warfare during the creation of the chiefdom.
Book Chapters by Rachel M. Scott
teeth to investigate weaning processes fromarchaeological remains, and provides an approach to assess
changes in food consumption during weaning. We review the process of weaning, which can be informative of
subsistence transitions, maternal labour, demographic factors including birth spacing and infant health, and
highlight the relationships between weaning, immune status, and exposure to pathogens. Prior microwear research
has largely focused on adults necessitating consideration of the methods concerning deciduous teeth.
Microwear can be used to discern between the consistency and fracture properties of food as enamel is removed
duringmastication, and is influenced by howfood is prepared (for example premasticated, raw, cooked). As such,
microwear provides a directway to explore the introduction of complementary foods during weaning. A conceptual
model of the potential confounders of assessing microwear in deciduous teeth including tooth biology, bite
force, and the development of oral mechanics is presented. These are pertinent to understanding infant feeding,
which changes in tandemwith physical development and the sequence of dental eruption. This is relevant to future
research for the interpretation of the microwear signatures of infants compared with adults. Understanding
weaning practices and early life diet is crucial to expand and developwhatwe knowabout cultural systems, population
health, nutrition, and subsistence practices in the past.
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
centralized chiefdom. However, little is known about
society in the archipelago prior to the establishment of the
chiefdom. It has been surmised that during its formation
society was violent, but there is no archaeological evidence
to support this. This research investigates if skeletal trauma
in a collection of remains from the Kingdom of Tonga reflects
deliberate violence representative of warfare through themacroscopic
and radiographic examination of fractures and other
traumatic lesions. Because of the history of warfare in the
Tongan archipelago recorded ethnographically, it was expected
that interpersonal violence would manifest itself as
isolated ulnae fractures and cranial trauma. Results showed
a significant difference (P p .05) between the number of
ulnae fractured (n p 8/53) compared with the number of
radii (n p 2/51). Radiographs revealed that ulnae fractures
were indicative of direct force trauma, probably reflecting
defensive ”parry” fractures. There were few instances of cranial
trauma, not supporting the expectation that the population
was engaging in warfare. Based on the skeletal pattern
of trauma, it is suggested that these injuries could be attributed
more to ritualized violence or sporting activities rather
than warfare during the creation of the chiefdom.
Adult skeletal remains from Nebira, Papua New Guinea (AD1230-AD1560), Taumako, the Solomon Islands (AD1530-AD1698), Teouma, Vanuatu (1000BC-500BC), Tongatapu, Tonga (AD1100-AD1250), and Palliser Bay, New Zealand (AD1261-AD1480) were macroscopically examined for evidence of cranial trauma, postcranial fractures, dislocations, ossificans exostoses, and piercing or perforating wounds to assess the relationship the inhabitants had with their environment, with each other, and to identify how different groups in the Pacific were affected by the ecological boundaries and social systems they lived in.
Three hypotheses were tested. First, that frequencies and patterns of skeletal trauma would differ between coastal and inland samples. Hypothesis 1(A) stated that the island environments of Teouma and Taumako would produce similar patterns of trauma. This hypothesis was proven as the samples exhibited a similar prevalence of trauma. The distribution of the injuries at Teouma suggested a balanced sexual division of labour, possibly while establishing a new settlement on the island. Cranial trauma in the Taumako sample indicated some level of non-lethal interpersonal violence between men and women while piercing trauma in the sample suggested the inhabitants actively participated in warfare, perhaps compounded by environmental pressure and resource stress. Hypothesis 1(B) stated that the inland sample from Nebira would exhibit a higher prevalence of accidental injuries compared with the coastal sites. The inhabitants from Nebira did not exhibit higher numbers of accidental injuries but instead showed a high prevalence of cranial trauma (21.42%) indicative of interpersonal violence. One explanation for this may be that the inhabitants were encouraged by climate change to compete for resources causing disputes between groups.
Hypothesis 2 stated the founder populations of Teouma and Palliser Bay would exhibit a higher prevalence of accidental injuries because of their unfamiliarity of the terrain and the extra physical pressures placed on them to construct a community and establish agriculture. The sample from Palliser Bay, while small (n=8), has individuals who have experienced accidental injuries suggesting that, like Teouma, the foundation of a new settlement in unfamiliar geography was difficult, supporting the hypothesis.
Hypothesis 3 stated the inhabitants from Tongatapu, who lived during a tumultuous period, would exhibit a high prevalence of traumatic injuries from interpersonal violence or warfare. This hypothesis was not conclusively proven. The sample consisted of forearm fractures indicative of defence fractures. However, the lack of cranial trauma in the sample contradicted the hypothesis. A tentative explanation for this is that the people of Tongatapu practiced non-lethal ritualised violence as a way of dispute resolution in the form or boxing or wrestling.
The results illustrate that the physical surroundings of the Pacific Islands in prehistory influenced the risk of injury in the past. Injuries occurred accidentally while practicing occupational or subsistence strategies, and intentionally because of social pressures that could have been influenced by many factors including climate change and resource stress.