2002 Ban Chiang, a Prehistoric Site in Northeast Thailand I: The Human Skeletal Remains. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Click to Order Monograph
Pietrusewsky,
Michael and Michele T. Douglas
2002 Ban Chiang, a Prehistoric Site in Northeast Thailand I: The Human
Skeletal Remains. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum
of Archaeology and Anthropology. Click
to Order Monograph
The inaugural volume in the Thai Archaeology Monograph Series
describes in detail the human skeletal remains from Ban Chiang in northeast
Thailand. The skeletal material spans a period from 2100 B.C. to A.D. 200 and
includes pre-metal, bronze age, and iron age deposits from a series of prehistoric
societies. The history of Homo sapiens in Asia has long been a topic
of interest among scholars investigating human biology. This study, which is
based on one of the larger, comprehensively analyzed skeletal series ever excavated
in the region, makes fundamental contributions to understanding human settlement
in eastern Asia.
The volume includes detailed summaries of metric
and non-metric variation recorded in teeth, skulls, and the rest of the skeleton,
and evidence of disease of the Ban Chiang people. These data are used to examine
a number of questions. Where did the people of Ban Chiang come from? Did more
intensified agriculture influence the health of the people? How do the people
of Ban Chiang compare to the inhabitants of other ancient sites in Thailand
and to the modern peoples of Thailand and neighboring regions?
Contrary to other groups experiencing similar
transitions elsewhere in the world no clear evidence for a decline in health
over time is noted in the Ban Chiang skeletal series, suggesting continuity
in a broad-based subsistence strategy even in the face of intensifying agriculture.
The skeletal evidence further suggests a rigorous physical lifestyle with little
evidence for infectious disease or interpersonal violence.
The twelve databases listed below contain metric and non-metric observations by individual burial excavated from the BC (1974 excavation) and BCES (1975 excavation) locales at Ban Chiang, Thailand. The databases are in two formats, Microsoft Access 2000 and comma-delimited text files. Users should be able to import one of these formats into most major spreadsheet, database, or statistical analysis software packages.
PROPER CITATION
Published studies using the copyrighted Ban Chiang
skeletal data must reference it as "Appendix
E, Databases E1-E12, (web ver 1.1 at http://seasia.museum.upenn.edu/skeletal/),"
in Ban Chiang, a Prehistoric Village Site in Northeast Thailand I: The Human
Skeletal Remains by Michael Pietrusewsky and Michele Toomay Douglas. Thai
Archaeology Monograph Series Volume 1. University of Pennsylvania Museum of
Archaeology and Anthropology: Philadelphia. 2002.
CORRECTIONS to CD-ROM provided with the first edition
of the monograph
The CD-ROM provided with the first edition of
the monograph on the Ban Chiang skeletons has been found to contain a few errors.
Changes should be applied to the CD-ROM version enclosed with the monograph
either manually by following this link corrections
to database, webversion 1.1, or by replacing the corresponding database
entirely using the links below. A CD-ROM of the latest database version is available
for free upon request.
The user is cautioned that use of the datasets may also require careful consideration of the ages of certain individuals, such as adolescents (15-20 years of age), based upon the goals of the analyses. For example, analysis of all permanent teeth might include children, adolescents, and adults but analysis of "adult" teeth might include only individuals aged over 15 years, or individuals aged over 18 years, or individuals aged over 20 years.
Directions for viewing files
Files need to be downloaded onto your hard drive in order to view contents.
Using Microsoft Internet Explorer, right click
on link and click Save Target As.
Using Netscape, right click on link and click
Save Link As.
Then open in the appropriate software.
Microsoft Access 2000 database files
E1 Cranial Measurements, Indices,
and Capacities
E2 Mandibular Measurements and Indices
E3 Cranial Non-metric Variation
E4 Measurements of Permanent Dentition
E5a Dental Non-metric Observations in Permanent
Dentition
E5b Pathological Conditions in Permanent Dentition
E6 Non-metric Observations and Pathology in
Deciduous Dentition
E7 Hypoplasias and Carious Lesions in Permanent
Dentition
E8 Infracranial Measurements
E9 Infracranial Non-metric Variation
E10 Vertebral Non-metric Variation
E11 Osteoarthritis in Skulls and Appendicular
Skeletons
E12 Osteoarthritis and Osteophytosis in Vertebral Columns
Download all databases as one Microsoft Access 2000 datafile
Comma-delimited text format
If Microsoft Access 2000 or 97 is not available, comma delimited files can be
opened in a word processor, spreadsheet (e.g., Excel, Quattro Pro), or some
other database program (e.g., Filemaker Pro, Paradox).
copyright © 2002
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology
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