GESTANTES EN CONTEXTOS ARQUEOLÓGICOS.

A través de la lista PALEOPAT, nos han llegado dos interesantes artículos, referentes a gestantes en contextos arqueológicos, que compartimos con ustedes.

Death of Mother and Child Due to Dystocia in 19th Century Portugal.

C.B.CRUZ (1) AND S.CODINHA
(1)    Department of Anthropology, University of Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra Portugal

ABSTRACT

While historical documents indicate that complications during pregnancy, labour or soon after birth was a common cause of death in past populations, to date only a few archaeological cases have been reported. Here we present an example, unearthed in a small Portuguese churchyard, of an adult female buried with an infant at her pelvis. The pair appear to have died during labour, as the infant’s estimated age at death corresponds to a full term pregnancy, while the distribution of the bones at the adult’s pelvic girdle is consistent with birth positioning.

The association between the skeletons and their cause of death is analysed, discussed and compared with similar archaeological evidence.

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A Case of Maternal and Perinatal Death in Neolithic Southern Vietnam, c. 2100–1050 BCE

ANNA WILLIS (1) AND MARC F OXENHAM (1)
(1)    School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

ABSTRACT

Despite ostensibly elevated rates of young female mortality in the past, believed to be associated with the risks of pregnancy and child birth, surprisingly few cases of pregnant female burials are reported in the bioarchaeological literature. This paper describes and discusses the case of a young female who died and was interred with an unborn full-term breech foetus at the Neolithic site of An Son, southern Vietnam c. 2100–1050BCE. Her exceptionally poor oral health, evidence for cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia, small stature and compromised gynaecological competence, contributes to a differential diagnosis that explores a range of additional complications that may have contributed to the death of both mother and unborn child. An examination and appreciation of this case contribute to our knowledge of the reproductive age and health of young females in Neolithic Southern Vietnam and the challenges they faced during pregnancy and childbirth.

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