Did parity affect bone mineral density of women in past populations? Parturition scars and BMD of Neolithic to modern skeletons from north-central Poland

摘要

Alterations in the region of the pubic symphysis and of the sacroiliac joints referred to as pelvic scarring are investigated by forensic scientists as potential indicators of pregnancy and parturition. Although pelvic scarring is not exclusively related to obstetrical events, the analysis of the relationship between this trait and skeletal mineral density in archaeological samples can give us a new insight into women's lives. The present study analyzes the relationship between the presence and the degree of pelvic scarring observed on the pelvic bones and bone mineral density (BMD) measured in the proximal femur in 190 skeletons of adult females representing archaeological populations from the region of Kujawy in north-central Poland and dating from 4500 BCE to the early 19th century CE. Multiple regression analysis has shown that 48% of the variability of bone mineral density of the female skeletons is explained by the time periods of the archaeological population, the individual's age at death, the depth of the proximal femur and the pelvic scarring. In all the analyzed skeletal samples, the females with a high degree of pelvic scarring regardless of age at death were characterized by higher bone mineral density than the females without such alterations. A high degree of scarring explains over 3% of the variability of BMD in the analyzed female skeletons. It seems that pelvic scarring together with bone mineral density can shed some light on reproductive phenomena in past populations.