El ritual funerari a la necròpolis del Coll del Moro, Gandesa (Terra Alta)

One of the five burials excavated in 1984 at the necropolis of Coll del Moro in Gandesa (Terra Alta-Tarragona) bore evidence of primary cremations. The tomb, a tumulus, yielded a cremation burial with a pottery urn and other vessels as funerary offerings. The chamber of the grave also contained bronze jewellery, basically bracelets. It is interesting to notice that the dead were cremated in the same place where the tomb was built. The complexity of the burial rite and the magnitude of some of the tumuli indicated a social structure consolidated with different grades of authority. We date these burials in the late Hallstatt but there is already evidence of commercial trade with punic people who arrived at the east coast in the second half of the seventh century BC and, from there, reached inland sites on the Ebro river and its afluents.

Entorn al testament de Brunissèn d'Alentorn i alguns costums funeraris de la Lleida medieval

In this research from the late medieval period, we want to analyze diferent aspects related to funerary world through Brunissèn d’Alentorn’s will. The document is compared with other wills from Lleida’s area that acquire knowledge to these customs, for instance, the draps d’or’s uses. These were provided of deceased’ heraldry, and were comissioned to cover the tomb. Also, in Lleida’s case, they were used to decorate the ancient cathedral’s presbitery during the main festivities, and the patrons’ wedding bed. Artistic patronage, social prestige, family arms ostentation, pomp and devotion are other aspects that would be emphasized in this tour, just as the private devotions in the chapels and altars that were founded regarding this topic.

Por un espacio público no estatal. Contra la hegemonía neoliberal y el declive de la democracia

Este artículo plantea la necesidad de crear un espacio público no estatal para defender el "bien común" en las democracias occidentales. La importante crisis de los partidos políticos y de las instituciones representativas exige la creación de nuevas instituciones desde la sociedad civil que tengan como principal fin la defensa del "bien común". La participación de los ciudadanos que formen parte de estas instituciones deberá estar regida por los principios del voluntarismo, la transparencia y el compromiso cívico. En la primera sección se realiza una breve descripción de las políticas que están poniendo hoy en cuestión el Estado de derecho y la democracia en los países occidentales: el neoliberalismo y el autoritarismo (1). En la segunda parte, se abordan los límites que presentan las teorías neoconstitucionalistas y del garantismo frente a la actual deriva autoritaria y neoliberal de las instituciones estatales (2). El texto concluye reivindicando la elaboración de una nueva antropología de la democracia que abra la puerta a la construcción de este nuevo espacio público independiente de las instituciones del actual modelo de Estado de derecho (3).

Dimorfismo sexual de la clavícula: un estudio basado en una muestra actual española.

Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron estudiar el dimorfismo sexual de la clavícula, teniendo en cuenta su asimetría direccional, y aportar algoritmos útiles para el diagnóstico sexual. El material utilizado fueron 77 individuos adultos actuales de origen madrileño (45 hombres y 32 mujeres) de edades comprendidas entre 20 y 92 años pertenecientes a la colección de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Se tomaron 2 tipos de medidas, unas directas sobre el hueso (longitud máxima, perímetro en la mitad, anchura de la epífisis acromial y esternal) y otras indirectas sobre imágenes fotográficas (ángulo y sagita). Después de comprobar la constancia de las mediciones mediante una muestra de época medieval originarias de Palencia, se analizó el dimorfismo sexual en las clavículas izquierdas y derechas así como la asimetría bilateral en cada serie sexual, mediante la t de Student. Posteriormente, se aplicó un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) para evaluar el grado de implicación de las variables en el dimorfismo sexual. Por último, se llevó a cabo un análisis discriminante para cada lado clavicular. Los resultados mostraron que: 1) los hombres presentan valores medios superiores a las mujeres en todas las variables excepto en el ángulo; 2) los valores de la anchura acromial y esternal de la serie masculina son mayores en la clavícula derecha que en la izquierda; y 3) el dimorfismo sexual viene dado principalmente por las variables relacionadas con las dimensiones claviculares. Finalmente, se obtuvieron dos funciones, una para clavículas izquierdas y otra para las derechas, basadas en la longitud de la clavícula y el perímetro en la mitad, las cuales presentan una fiabilidad mayor del 92 %.

Agua, basuras y alcantarillado: reciprocidad y políticas ambientales en un suburbio brasileño

The main purpose ofthis work is to analyse the relationship existing between reciprocity and moral by studying the main sanitation system, the drinking water supply, the sewerage, the drainage andgarbage collecting in a brasilian suburb. We agree with the hypothesis that the lack ofbasic sanitation and/ or aprecarious system genérate certain way of social exchange related to the system of circulation and distribution ofgoods andservices between people and the household units and to local political actions associatedto some ideas about moral andpoor people justice.

Humeral development from neonatal period to skeletal maturity—application in age and sex assessment

The goal of the present study is to examine cross-sectional information on the growth of the humerus based on the analysis of four measurements, namely, diaphyseal length, transversal diameter of the proximal (metaphyseal) end of the shaft, epicondylar breadth and vertical diameter of the head. This analysis was performed in 181 individuals (90 ♂ and 91 ♀) ranging from birth to 25 years of age and belonging to three documented Western European skeletal collections (Coimbra, Lisbon and St. Bride). After testing the homogeneity of the sample, the existence of sexual differences (Student"s t- and Mann-Whitney U-test) and the growth of the variables (polynomial regression) were evaluated. The results showed the presence of sexual differences in epicondylar breadth above 20 years of age and vertical diameter of the head from 15 years of age, thus indicating that these two variables may be of use in determining sex from that age onward. The growth pattern of the variables showed a continuous increase and followed first- and second-degree polynomials. However, growth of the transversal diameter of the proximal end of the shaft followed a fourth-degree polynomial. Strong correlation coefficients were identified between humeral size and age for each of the four metric variables. These results indicate that any of the humeral measurements studied herein is likely to serve as a useful means of estimating sub-adult age in forensic samples.

Diet-related buccal dental microwear patterns in central african pygmy foragers and bantu-speaking farmer and pastoralist populations.

Pygmy hunter-gatherers from Central Africa have shared a network of socioeconomic interactions with non-Pygmy Bantu speakers since agropastoral lifestyle spread across sub-Saharan Africa. Ethnographic studies have reported that their diets differ in consumption of both animal proteins and starch grains. Hunted meat and gathered plant foods, especially underground storage organs (USOs), are dietary staples for pygmies. However, scarce information exists about forager-farmer interaction and the agricultural products used by pygmies. Since the effects of dietary preferences on teeth in modern and past pygmies remain unknown, we explored dietary history through quantitative analysis of buccal microwear on cheek teeth in well-documented Baka pygmies. We then determined if microwear patterns differ among other Pygmy groups (Aka, Mbuti, and Babongo) and between Bantu-speaking farmer and pastoralist populations from past centuries. The buccal dental microwear patterns of Pygmy hunter-gatherers and non-Pygmy Bantu pastoralists show lower scratch densities, indicative of diets more intensively based on nonabrasive foodstuffs, compared with Bantu farmers, who consume larger amounts of grit from stoneground foods. The Baka pygmies showed microwear patterns similar to those of ancient Aka and Mbuti, suggesting that the mechanical properties of their preferred diets have not significantly changed through time. In contrast, Babongo pygmies showed scratch densities and lengths similar to those of the farmers, consistent with sociocultural contacts and genetic factors. Our findings support that buccal microwear patterns predict dietary habits independent of ecological conditions and reflect the abrasive properties of preferred or fallback foods such as USOs, which may have contributed to the dietary specializations of ancient human populations.

Postnatal ontogenesis of the tibia. Implications for age and sex estimation

The growth of five variables of the tibia (diaphyseal length, diaphyseal length plus distal epiphysis, condylo-malleolar length, sagittal diameter of the proximal epiphysis, maximum breadth of the distal epiphysis) were analysed using polynomial regression in order to evaluate their significance and capacity for age and sex determination during and after growth. Data were collected from 181 (90♂ and 91♀) individuals ranging from birth to 25 years of age and belonging to three documented collections from Western Europe. Results indicate that all five variables exhibit linear behaviour during growth, which can be expressed by a first-degree polynomial function. Sexual significant differences were observed from age 15 onward in the two epiphysis measurements and condylo-malleolar length, suggesting that these three variables could be useful for sex determination in individuals older than 15 years. Strong correlation coefficients were identified between the five tibial variables and age. These results indicate that any of the studied tibial measurements is likely to serve as a useful source for estimating sub-adult age in both archaeological and forensic samples.

Comensalitat durant el bronze final i la primera edat del ferro al paratge arqueològic de Can Roqueta: anàlisi dels dipòsits relacionats amb el consum en contextos domèstics i funeraris

La reconstrucció de les pautes de consum d"aliments durant el bronze final i la primera edat de ferro, tant si són de caire domèstic com si no, passa per un anàlisi exhaustiu de les diferents dades arqueològiques. En primer lloc, tenim els espais destinats al consum. Les circumstàncies pròpies del registre arqueològic a Catalunya durant aquests períodes fa que, depèn del territori, aquest nivell d"anàlisi sigui més o menys evident. Així, en territoris on existeix una tradició arquitectònica en pedra i, fins i tot, dissenys urbanístics ben definits (entorn del Segre i l"Ebre), aquest problema resulta relativament fàcil de tractar en funció de la conservació de la resta d"elements i la particularitat de les estructures analitzades. Això ha permès caracteritzar certes pràctiques.de consum diferenciades del que podria ser propi d"un àmbit domèstic en jaciments com Barranc de Gàfols (habitacions 1 y 2), la Moleta del Remei (habitació 7), Tossal Redó (habitació 1), San Cristóbal (habitació 2), Sant Jaume Mas d"en Serrà (habitacions 3 i 4), l"edifici de Turó del Calvari de Vilalba dels Arcs o Genó (habitació 2) (Lucas 1989; López Cachero 1998; Sanmartí et al. 2000; Fatás 2004-05; Garcia 2005; Sardà 2008). Aquesta situació contrasta amb el que passa a la resta del litoral català on les estructures negatives són pràcticament l"única evidència del poblament existent i on resulta molt complicat, fins i tot, la documentació de qualsevol espai habitacional que ens permeti avançar en aquesta direcció.

Diversity of the Quality Criteria in Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences: Lessons from a Lexicometric Analysis Composed of 133 Guidelines

A review of health sciences literature shows a substantial increase in qualitative publications. This work incorporates a certain number of research quality guidelines. We present the results of the Alceste® lexicometric analysis, which includes 133 quality grids for qualitative research covering five disciplinary fields of the health sciences: medicine and epidemiology, public health and health education, nursing, health sociology and anthropology, psychiatry and psychology. This analysis helped to cross-check the disciplinary fields with the various objectives assigned to the different criteria in the grids examined. The results obtained with Alceste® show the variability of the objectives sought by the authors of the guidelines. These discrepancies are not directly associated to disciplinary fields, and appear to be more closely linked to different qualitative research conceptualizations within the disciplines, and with essential qualitative research validation criteria. These conceptualizations must be clarified to help users better understand the objectives targeted by the grids, and promote more appreciation for qualitative research in the health sciences.

In memoriam Antonio Prevosti (1919-2011), a pioneer of genetics of natural populations

Prof. Dr. Antonio Prevosti was born on the 15th of February, 1919, at Barcelona where he grew up and lived with his wife Maria Monclús and his family until his death. Between the years 1939 and 1942 he registered at the University of Barcelona and finished his studies there with the"University Degree in Natural Science" obtaining the extraordinary award of his promotion. Immediately afterwards he started his research about the growth rate of Barcelona school children from two very different social groups at the Anthropology Laboratory of the University of Barcelona. The obtained results were published in his Doctoral Thesis (1948). Further investigations on quantitative traits in human populations improved his knowledge of statistical analyses and provided the basis for a scholarship from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work at the Institute of Statistical and Demographical Sciences in Rome directed by Prof. C. Gini.

Necrópolis de incineración y prácticas funerarias en el noreste de la Penínnsula Ibérica durante el Bronce Final y la Primera Edad del Hierro

[spa]En este artículo presentamos un estado de la cuestión sobre las necrópolis de incineración del Bronce Final y Primera Edad del Hierro en el noreste peninsular. Para ello, analizamos el ritual funerario, la organización interna de las necrópolis y muy especialmente su arquitectura funeraria para, en base a ella, caracterizar el proceso de regionalización que se observa en el territorio.

Anàlisis antropològica de les restes neolítiques de la Caserna de Sant Pau (Biometria, Dentició, ADN i Microestriació Dentària).

Les restes esquelètiques analitzades corresponen tant al nivell neolític (n=26) com a l"època del bronze (n=2), encara que aquí es presenten tan sols els resultats de la població neolítica (taula 1). En tots els casos les sepultures són individuals, amb l"única excepció de la sepultura 20, on s"han recuperat les restes corresponents a un individu femení adult (CSP201) i un fetus (CSP202) (taula 1). Per tal de caracteritzar biomètricament la població s"ha emprat la metodologia proposada per Martin i Saller (1959), Brothwell (1981) i Bass (1971). La determinació del sexe s"ha realitzat a través dels caràcters sexuals secundaris del crani i de la pelvis, i se"n pot trobar una descripció més detallada a Estebaranz et alii (2007). En el cas específic de les paleopatologies es van seguir les recomanacions de Campillo (Campillo, 1977).

Buccal dental microwear and stable isotopes of El Collado: A mesolithic site from Spain,

This study examines the correlation between buccal dental microwear and stable isotopes. The buccal surface of post-canine teeth casts from El Collado, the largest Mesolithic site in Spain, were examined under Scanning Electron Microscope; photomicrographs were taken from the middle third of the buccal surface with magnification 100X. Only six individuals passed the criteria for buccal dental microwear analysis. The photomicrographs were treated by adobe Photoshop 8.01 to cover an area 0.56 mm² of middle third of buccal surface, the output photomicrographs were digitized using Sigmascan Pro 5 by SPSS. Then the correlation between buccal microwear pattern and stable isotopes of the same individuals, of the previous study of Guixe et al., 2006, was examined using a Pearson test. Statistical analysis revealed that there is no significant correlation between stable isotopes and buccal dental microwear of the people of the Mesolithic site of El Collado. The historical and archaeological documentation suggest that the Mesolithic people tended to consume marine food. Fish-drying techniques were used during the Mesolithic period which allowed the introduction of dust and sand to the fish. These abrasive particles affected the buccal dental microwear pattern, so that no correlation between the isotopes and microwear may be expected. This also suggests that the buccal dental microwear pattern exceeds dietary reconstruction to reconstruct food processing techniques.