Ellis, Meredith B.

This thesis focuses on identifying the presence of porotic hyperostosis in a sample made up of 119 individuals to a) assess the possible causes of porotic hyperostosis in the ancient Ecuadorian coastal societies, b) reconsider porotic hyperostosis as a nutritional stress marker, and c) propose bartonellosis as an alternative cause for the appearance of porotic lesions in the skull over 4,000 years in the Northern Andes. By applying the BoPLE (Bone Porous Lesions Evaluation) method, results obtained and clinical evidence propose that parasite infections and iron deficiencies are two of the probable causes of porotic hyperostosis in the prehistory of the Ecuadorian coast. Furthermore, the results suggested that a female skull associated with Valdivia culture phase II (3,300 – 2,800 BCE) is Ecuador's oldest record of this symptom. Likewise, the clinical characteristics of bartonellosis suggests it to be a plausible cause of porotic hyperostosis in ancient Ecuador.

This thesis compares the human dentition of three coastal populations in Salango, Ecuador, dating to Late Guangala (Site 141C: 100 B.C. – A.D. 800), Early Manteño (Site 35: A.D. 645 +/- 45 and A.D. 430), and Late Manteño (Site 140: A.D. 1300 – 1600). The human remains in Sites 141C and 140 have not been previously analyzed and provide new information about coastal Ecuador in the form of statistical analysis and osteobiographies. Dental pathologies such as caries, abscesses, calculus, hypoplasia, as well as dental wear patterns indicate subsistence, or diet, behavioral and cultural practices, and early childhood development. The data suggests that agriculture became more intensively practiced during Site 35’s occupation, whereas Site 141C preferred fishing, and Site 140 used both methods in a simultaneous manner where neither dominated. Further, the disruption in childhood development is statistically significant during Site 140’s occupation, suggesting these individuals were heavily affected by climate, Spanish colonization and subsequent disease, social struggles, and/or dietary deficiency.