This book was first published in 1998. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Paleopathology is a major reference work for all those interested in identification of disease in human remains. Many diseases leave characteristic lesions and deformities on human bones, teeth and soft tissues that can be identified many years after death. This comprehensive volume includes most conditions producing effects recognizable with the unaided eye. Detailed lesion descriptions and over 300 photographs facilitate disease recognition and each condition is placed in context with discussion of its history, antiquity, etiology, epidemiology, geography, and natural history. Diseases affecting the soft tissues are also included as these are commonly present in mummified remains. This book will be an indispensable resource for paleopathologists, anthropologists, physicians, archaeologists, demographers, and medical historians alike.
• Includes all conditions recognizable to unaided eye, with over 300 illustrations • Uniquely, also covers lesions in soft tissue found in mummified remains, not just in bones and teeth • Also describes antiquity, epidemiology, etiology and natural history of each condition, allowing reader to put disease in context
Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. History of paleopathology; 2. Pseudopathology; 3. Traumatic conditions; 4. Congenital anomalies; 5. Circulatory disorders; 6. Joint diseases; 7. Infectious diseases; 8. Diseases of the viscera; 9. Metabolic diseases; 10. Endocrine disorders; 11. Hematological disorders; 12. Skeletal dysplasias; 13. Neoplastic conditions; 14. Diseases of the dentition Odin Langsjoen; 15. Miscellaneous conditions; References; Index.
Reviews
Review of the hardback: 'Far more than a laboratory manual for the practising palaeopathologist, it effectively combines the subject with perspectives from archaeology, demography and historical epidemiology. It exemplifies the potential of such integration for understanding the health dynamics and ecology of past communities and it will undoubtedly be the subject's standard reference for many years to come.' Alan Bilsborough, Times Higher Education Supplement
Review of the hardback: 'All human life, death and disease is here, meticulously described and remorselessly illustrated in forensic detail. This is an indispensable guide to the downside of being human.' New Scientist
Review of the hardback: 'Far more than a laboratory manual for the practising paleopathologist, it effectively combines the subject with perspectives from archaeology, demography and historical epidemiology … it will undoubtedly be the subject's standard reference for many years to come.' Alan Bilsborough, The Times Higher Education Supplement
Printer friendly version