V E Gibbons
Biographic Data
| ID | 46332 |
|---|---|
| NAME | V E Gibbons |
| GIVEN NAMES | V E |
| FAMILY NAME | Gibbons |
| SIGNATURE | GIBBONS V E |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cape Town |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7875-3297 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 19 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Custodians of Controversy
South Africa, like many countries, holds collections of human skeletonized individuals historically acquired through anatomical dissection programs. This paper examines non‐consensual anatomized and unclaimed (NCAU) state‐directed skeletonized individuals, whose presence in collections pose significant legal, ethical, and professional challenges. Although the National Health Act (2003) outlines procedures for body donation, the inclusion of uncla…
Negotiating Terminology
Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
Analysis of dental wear, pathology and diet in urban and rural people who lived in the 18th and 19th century Cape Town, South Africa
centuries. Dental pathology and macrowear in 55 individuals (595 teeth) were examined to assess overall health and diet. Despite limitations from skeletal fragmentation and commingling, which restricted age and sex estimation, the findings provide valuable insights into health conditions in the Cape during this period and demonstrate the contribution of bioarchaeological research to understanding past lived experiences. We recorded 868 pathologic…
An Antemortem Malaligned Femoral Fracture in a Pre‐Colonial Southern African Hunter‐Gatherer/Herder
Physical trauma has significant ramifications on a person's way of life depending on social structure and access to support. Understanding trauma for past people is valuable for assessing the impact of trauma on mobility, functionality, and social integration of individuals. The Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) is a significant period in southern Africa and was dominated by hunter‐gatherers and herders. A case of antemortem femoral trauma in a prec…
Human cadaver decomposition islands and forensic taphonomy
Soil forensics examines edaphic properties of evidentiary value in the immediate vicinity of human remains in a region called the cadaver decomposition island (CDI). As a body decomposes, soil in the CDI is permeated with liquified human nutrients and becomes gravesoil. This study is the first to specifically investigate how stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) change in human gravesoils during decomposition over the postmortem in…
Quantifying forensically relevant vertebrate scavenging
Currently, forensic death investigations in the Western Cape, South Africa do not account for vertebrate scavenging activity; however, previous research in the city of Cape Town has shown a significant impact on the rate of decomposition due to scavenging by the local Cape grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta). This pilot study aimed to develop a framework to more robustly quantifiably describe and analyse the scavenging behaviour of this specie…
Restitution versus repatriation
A visual guide for the Brabant index to score dental macrowear quantity and direction
This study aimed to reduce subjectivity bias in scoring dental macrowear quantity and direction using the Brabant index, which previously relied solely on written descriptions. To achieve this, we present a new, optimized visual guide incorporating buccal and lingual scores. The optimization process involved conceptualizing and illustrating a visual guide using Holocene southern African hunter‐gatherer and herder teeth, featuring both buccal and …
Traumatic cubitus valgus consequent of distal humeral fracture
OBJECTIVES: Distal fractures of the humerus and their complications have rarely been described or analysed in the palaeopathological literature. The objective of this study was to evaluate two cases of distal humeral fracture with associated cubitus valgus observed in two individuals from the context of the Later Stone Age (LSA) in southern Africa. MATERIALS: Skeletal remains of two individuals. A middle-aged female radiocarbon dated to c.160 BP …
Bilateral hip dysplasia in a South African male
OBJECTIVE: To identify, critically analyse and describe severe bilateral skeletal pathology involving the ossa coxae of an individual from historic era Cape Town. MATERIALS: A single individual from the University of Cape Town's Human Skeletal Repository was analysed under research approval (HREC# 035/2021). METHODS: An osteobiography was constructed, radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses were conducted. Pathological description and contextual…
Assessment and improvement of sex estimation standards for application in Holocene San and Khoekhoe populations
Accurate population-specific sex estimation standards do not exist for southern African Holocene San and Khoekhoe populations. Due to markedly small stature, skeletal gracility, and physically active lifestyle, this population exhibits reduced sexual dimorphism, complicating application of standards developed elsewhere. The effectiveness of common sex estimation approaches were assessed and optimized for San and Khoekhoe populations. One-hundred …
Metastatic cancer along ancient Silk Road
UCT Human Skeletal Repository
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Human Skeletal Repository began in 1913 and its composition a century later reflects the history of biological anthropology at the University, in South Africa and internationally. It consists of 1059 skeletons from archaeological (472; 44%), cadaveric (372; 36%) and forensic contexts (160; 14%). They are used for educational and research purposes to provide engaged scholarship and experiential learning for underg…
Individual centred social-care approach
In bioarchaeology, cranial trauma studies generally have focused on the frequency in the population to explore violence within or between society. They focus less on further discussion of the consequences and interactions of the injured individual with the surrounding. In this study, macroscopic observation and computed tomography scans (endocast reconstruction) were used to explore a special cranium in the Sampula site of northwest China. The mo…
A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy
criteria for scientific data to be admissible in court. In response, there has been a shift towards quantification of methodology and estimating the postmortem interval. Despite these advances, there are still biases and limitations within the discipline not explicitly addressed in the early stages of experimental design nor in final published works. In this article, unresolved debates with respect to the conductance and reporting of forensic tap…
Holocene Khoesan health
A bioarchaeological assessment of human skeletons provides an objective opportunity to study and understand past peoples. Crania were analysed to evaluate health and well-being of a past Khoesan sample in southern Africa. These data were analysed temporally and spatially (coastal vs inland), and by sex and age. Cranial and dental pathology of 150 adult individuals from the Human Skeletal Collection at the University of Cape Town were assessed. Mo…
A diachronic examination of biomechanical changes in skeletal remains from Tombos in ancient Nubia
Use of high resolution computed tomography to diagnose ante-mortem dental root fractures in archaeological samples
Predictive factors for alveolar fenestration and dehiscence
Dental wear quantity and direction in Chalcolithic and Medieval populations from southwest France
Craniometric examination of Longxian and Qi Li Cun archaeological sites to assess population continuity in ancient northern China
Morphometric Assessment of the Appendicular Skeleton in the New Kingdom and Napatan Components from Tombos in Upper Nubia
Due to its critical location on the Nile River controlling trade from the south, Tombos is an important ancient site to explore the interaction between Egyptians and Nubians. To assess population continuity at Tombos through sociopolitical transitions, the appendicular skeleton of people from the New Kingdom and Napatan periods was examined. Using morphometric and statistical analyses, body proportions on the upper and lower limbs were studied on…
Bioarchaeological Analysis of Iron Age Human Skeletons from Zambia
The Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Iron Age sites in Zambia provide 47 human burials for analyses. Our new study provides demographic information (sex and age), evidence of trauma, infectious diseases as well as physiological and mechanical indicators of stress. We found a high mortality rate for infants and children. Most of the sample (65%) lacked indications of stress or infectious diseases, but a few had cribra orbitalia, osteoarthritis, osteop…
Dental Pathology, Trauma and Attrition in a Zambian Iron Age Sample
Using morphological and radiographic methods, we analysed the dentitions of 24 individuals from Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Zambian Iron Age archaeological sites. In this study, we determined the frequency and distribution of attrition, pathological conditions and dental trauma. This research also presents the first view of dental health for an Iron Age population in southern Africa. In total, 482 teeth were available for this study with 287 tee…
Geometric morphometric analyses of orbit shape in Asian, African, and European human populations
The variation of orbit shape has been investigated, especially its role in population classification. However, previous studies that treated orbit shape as a linear metric or non-metric trait have not produced conclusive quantitative data to show whether orbit shape is an accurate reflection of population affinity. Thus, in this study in order to examine regional variation in the orbit shape of contemporary Asian, African, and European population…
Holocene Khoesan health
A bioarchaeological assessment of human skeletons provides an objective opportunity to study and understand past peoples. Crania were analysed to evaluate health and well-being of a past Khoesan sample in southern Africa. These data were analysed temporally and spatially (coastal vs inland), and by sex and age. Cranial and dental pathology of 150 adult individuals from the Human Skeletal Collection at the University of Cape Town were assessed. Mo…
Dental Pathology, Trauma and Attrition in a Zambian Iron Age Sample
Using morphological and radiographic methods, we analysed the dentitions of 24 individuals from Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Zambian Iron Age archaeological sites. In this study, we determined the frequency and distribution of attrition, pathological conditions and dental trauma. This research also presents the first view of dental health for an Iron Age population in southern Africa. In total, 482 teeth were available for this study with 287 tee…
Bioarchaeological Analysis of Iron Age Human Skeletons from Zambia
The Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Iron Age sites in Zambia provide 47 human burials for analyses. Our new study provides demographic information (sex and age), evidence of trauma, infectious diseases as well as physiological and mechanical indicators of stress. We found a high mortality rate for infants and children. Most of the sample (65%) lacked indications of stress or infectious diseases, but a few had cribra orbitalia, osteoarthritis, osteop…
Geometric morphometric analyses of orbit shape in Asian, African, and European human populations
The variation of orbit shape has been investigated, especially its role in population classification. However, previous studies that treated orbit shape as a linear metric or non-metric trait have not produced conclusive quantitative data to show whether orbit shape is an accurate reflection of population affinity. Thus, in this study in order to examine regional variation in the orbit shape of contemporary Asian, African, and European population…
Individual centred social-care approach
In bioarchaeology, cranial trauma studies generally have focused on the frequency in the population to explore violence within or between society. They focus less on further discussion of the consequences and interactions of the injured individual with the surrounding. In this study, macroscopic observation and computed tomography scans (endocast reconstruction) were used to explore a special cranium in the Sampula site of northwest China. The mo…
Teaching human variation
This paper examines the influence of education on students' attitudes to-wards the race concept. A questionnaire was distributed before and after a short teaching module on human variation. A significant shift in student position from undecided and racial towards non-racial was observed, thus confirming the importance of scientific education in shaping students' opinions
Brief communication
Obtaining a bone sample for DNA analysis has traditionally been a destructive practice, which has resulted in reluctance on behalf of curators for skeletal collections to allow invasive testing. A novel minimally invasive bone sampling method for DNA analysis is presented here. This method uses a conventional hand drill wherein the bone sample is extracted from the intercondylar fossa of the femur; it does not interfere with any known anthropomet…
Geometric morphometric analyses of orbit shape in Asian, African, and European human populations
The variation of orbit shape has been investigated, especially its role in population classification. However, previous studies that treated orbit shape as a linear metric or non-metric trait have not produced conclusive quantitative data to show whether orbit shape is an accurate reflection of population affinity. Thus, in this study in order to examine regional variation in the orbit shape of contemporary Asian, African, and European population…
Bioarchaeological Analysis of Iron Age Human Skeletons from Zambia
The Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Iron Age sites in Zambia provide 47 human burials for analyses. Our new study provides demographic information (sex and age), evidence of trauma, infectious diseases as well as physiological and mechanical indicators of stress. We found a high mortality rate for infants and children. Most of the sample (65%) lacked indications of stress or infectious diseases, but a few had cribra orbitalia, osteoarthritis, osteop…
Dental Pathology, Trauma and Attrition in a Zambian Iron Age Sample
Using morphological and radiographic methods, we analysed the dentitions of 24 individuals from Ingombe Ilede and Isamu Pati Zambian Iron Age archaeological sites. In this study, we determined the frequency and distribution of attrition, pathological conditions and dental trauma. This research also presents the first view of dental health for an Iron Age population in southern Africa. In total, 482 teeth were available for this study with 287 tee…
Craniometric examination of Longxian and Qi Li Cun archaeological sites to assess population continuity in ancient northern China
Morphometric Assessment of the Appendicular Skeleton in the New Kingdom and Napatan Components from Tombos in Upper Nubia
Due to its critical location on the Nile River controlling trade from the south, Tombos is an important ancient site to explore the interaction between Egyptians and Nubians. To assess population continuity at Tombos through sociopolitical transitions, the appendicular skeleton of people from the New Kingdom and Napatan periods was examined. Using morphometric and statistical analyses, body proportions on the upper and lower limbs were studied on…
Predictive factors for alveolar fenestration and dehiscence
Dental wear quantity and direction in Chalcolithic and Medieval populations from southwest France
A diachronic examination of biomechanical changes in skeletal remains from Tombos in ancient Nubia
Use of high resolution computed tomography to diagnose ante-mortem dental root fractures in archaeological samples
A review of experimental design in forensic taphonomy
criteria for scientific data to be admissible in court. In response, there has been a shift towards quantification of methodology and estimating the postmortem interval. Despite these advances, there are still biases and limitations within the discipline not explicitly addressed in the early stages of experimental design nor in final published works. In this article, unresolved debates with respect to the conductance and reporting of forensic tap…
Holocene Khoesan health
A bioarchaeological assessment of human skeletons provides an objective opportunity to study and understand past peoples. Crania were analysed to evaluate health and well-being of a past Khoesan sample in southern Africa. These data were analysed temporally and spatially (coastal vs inland), and by sex and age. Cranial and dental pathology of 150 adult individuals from the Human Skeletal Collection at the University of Cape Town were assessed. Mo…
UCT Human Skeletal Repository
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Human Skeletal Repository began in 1913 and its composition a century later reflects the history of biological anthropology at the University, in South Africa and internationally. It consists of 1059 skeletons from archaeological (472; 44%), cadaveric (372; 36%) and forensic contexts (160; 14%). They are used for educational and research purposes to provide engaged scholarship and experiential learning for underg…
Individual centred social-care approach
In bioarchaeology, cranial trauma studies generally have focused on the frequency in the population to explore violence within or between society. They focus less on further discussion of the consequences and interactions of the injured individual with the surrounding. In this study, macroscopic observation and computed tomography scans (endocast reconstruction) were used to explore a special cranium in the Sampula site of northwest China. The mo…
Metastatic cancer along ancient Silk Road
Traumatic cubitus valgus consequent of distal humeral fracture
OBJECTIVES: Distal fractures of the humerus and their complications have rarely been described or analysed in the palaeopathological literature. The objective of this study was to evaluate two cases of distal humeral fracture with associated cubitus valgus observed in two individuals from the context of the Later Stone Age (LSA) in southern Africa. MATERIALS: Skeletal remains of two individuals. A middle-aged female radiocarbon dated to c.160 BP …
Bilateral hip dysplasia in a South African male
OBJECTIVE: To identify, critically analyse and describe severe bilateral skeletal pathology involving the ossa coxae of an individual from historic era Cape Town. MATERIALS: A single individual from the University of Cape Town's Human Skeletal Repository was analysed under research approval (HREC# 035/2021). METHODS: An osteobiography was constructed, radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses were conducted. Pathological description and contextual…
Assessment and improvement of sex estimation standards for application in Holocene San and Khoekhoe populations
Accurate population-specific sex estimation standards do not exist for southern African Holocene San and Khoekhoe populations. Due to markedly small stature, skeletal gracility, and physically active lifestyle, this population exhibits reduced sexual dimorphism, complicating application of standards developed elsewhere. The effectiveness of common sex estimation approaches were assessed and optimized for San and Khoekhoe populations. One-hundred …
Restitution versus repatriation
A visual guide for the Brabant index to score dental macrowear quantity and direction
This study aimed to reduce subjectivity bias in scoring dental macrowear quantity and direction using the Brabant index, which previously relied solely on written descriptions. To achieve this, we present a new, optimized visual guide incorporating buccal and lingual scores. The optimization process involved conceptualizing and illustrating a visual guide using Holocene southern African hunter‐gatherer and herder teeth, featuring both buccal and …
An Antemortem Malaligned Femoral Fracture in a Pre‐Colonial Southern African Hunter‐Gatherer/Herder
Physical trauma has significant ramifications on a person's way of life depending on social structure and access to support. Understanding trauma for past people is valuable for assessing the impact of trauma on mobility, functionality, and social integration of individuals. The Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) is a significant period in southern Africa and was dominated by hunter‐gatherers and herders. A case of antemortem femoral trauma in a prec…
Human cadaver decomposition islands and forensic taphonomy
Soil forensics examines edaphic properties of evidentiary value in the immediate vicinity of human remains in a region called the cadaver decomposition island (CDI). As a body decomposes, soil in the CDI is permeated with liquified human nutrients and becomes gravesoil. This study is the first to specifically investigate how stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) change in human gravesoils during decomposition over the postmortem in…
Quantifying forensically relevant vertebrate scavenging
Currently, forensic death investigations in the Western Cape, South Africa do not account for vertebrate scavenging activity; however, previous research in the city of Cape Town has shown a significant impact on the rate of decomposition due to scavenging by the local Cape grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta). This pilot study aimed to develop a framework to more robustly quantifiably describe and analyse the scavenging behaviour of this specie…
Custodians of Controversy
South Africa, like many countries, holds collections of human skeletonized individuals historically acquired through anatomical dissection programs. This paper examines non‐consensual anatomized and unclaimed (NCAU) state‐directed skeletonized individuals, whose presence in collections pose significant legal, ethical, and professional challenges. Although the National Health Act (2003) outlines procedures for body donation, the inclusion of uncla…
Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (23 works) · Medicine (17 works) · Population (12 works) · Paleopathology and ancient diseases (11 works) · Archaeology (8 works) · Demography (7 works) · Dentistry (7 works) · Geography (7 works) · Biology (6 works) · Forensic and Genetic Research (5 works)