Infection in the Tropics
A Complex Case Study From Bronze Age (1200–700 bc ) Thailand
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12371524 |
|---|---|
| Authors | T Koesbardiati (0000-0001-7446-261X, Department of Anthropology Airlangga University Surabaya Indonesia), Sukanya Lertwinitnun (0009-0008-9023-6055, Silpakorn University), Napatsorn Yaemkhongmueang (0009-0000-0646-8323, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University), Sophorn Nhoem (0000-0002-6459-2119, James Cook University), Kate Domett (0000-0001-5091-3105, James Cook University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 423-432 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/oa.70101 |
| OpenAlex | W7138329178 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
The tropical environment is well known for harboring a significant and diverse pathogen load. The aim of this study is to present a Bronze Age (1200–700 bc ) case from northeast Thailand in which the incomplete skeleton of a young woman exhibited diffuse osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions spanning the periosteum, cortex, and medullary cavity in the right radius, ulna, and distal humerus. Detailed descriptions from macroscopic and radiographic observations are provided for each lesion. While not a simple case, it is suggested that osteomyelitis from a contiguous cutaneous injury is the most parsimonious diagnosis that may well have contributed to her premature death. This case discusses the range of possible tropical pathogens relevant to the social and environmental context. Alongside land clearance, rice farming, animal husbandry, and hunting and gathering, it is perhaps surprising that there is very little skeletal evidence of infectious disease, including osteomyelitis, identified in prehistoric communities from Thailand to date. The over 1000 burials excavated in the Mun River Valley of northeast Thailand warrant further attention
Bronze Age · Medullary cavity · Osteomyelitis · Paleopathology · Prehistory · River valley · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Osteomyelitis and Bone Disorders Research · Paleopathology and ancient diseases
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Social Status and Its Relationship to Non-specific Stress at Late Iron Age Non Ban Jak, Northeast Thailand
Do diseases cause entheseal changes at fibrous entheses
Considering the palaeoepidemiological implications of socioeconomic and environmental change in Southeast Asia
The Mun Valley and Central Thailand in prehistory
Human adaptation to mid- to late-Holocene climate change in Northeast Thailand
Brief communication
Reliability test of the visual assessment of cranial traits for sex determination
Leprosy and tuberculosis in Iron Age Southeast Asia
Patterns of molar wear in hunter–gatherers and agriculturalists
Aspects of health in prehistoric mainland Southeast Asia
Social responses to climate change in Iron Age north-east Thailand
From the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in Thailand
The New 'Coimbra Method
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |