A paleopathological survey of ancient Peruvian crania housed at the Peabody museum of archaeology and ethnology at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts: a special emphasis on scurvy

This thesis is a paleopathological survey of ancient Peruvian crania housed at the
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Chapter one discusses the significance of this research, work prior to this thesis’s formulation, and defines paleopathological and bioarchaeological terms relevant to this thesis. Chapter two presents this thesis’s materials and methods. Of the 196 Peruvian crania in this study sample, 11 case studies are presented. Chapter three reports a case of probable scurvy and likely anemia comorbidity. This case study is accompanied by a critical analysis and review of the literature surrounding scurvy, a detailed macroscopic examination, and a rigorous differential diagnosis process. Chapter four offers cases representing pseudopathology, hematopoietic disease, infectious disease, joint disease, neoplastic disease, trauma, and trauma-induced disease. Chapter five presents a summary of this thesis.