An Assessment of Health and Lifestyle Among Chamorros Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Abstract Earlier investigations of health and disease in the Mariana Islands suggested that the prehistoric inhabitants of Saipan and the small islands experienced more stress than the prehistoric inhabitants of larger islands such as Guam. This study examined the health and lifestyle in skeletons from two archaeological sites on Saipan, the Chalan Monsignor Guerreo Road Project (CGM) and the Beach Road Sewer System (BRSS) sites. Context is provided by comparison with skeletons from earlier excavations on Saipan and other islands in the Marianas archipelago. The indicators of stress investigated include cribra orbitalia (CO), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), stature, trauma, infection, and dental diseases (e.g., antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), caries, dental abscess, etc.). With the exception of significantly lower dental caries frequency in the skeletons from the CGM and BRSS sites, the prevalence of stress is similar in the skeletal series from Saipan. When compared to the skeletons from Guam, significantly higher frequencies of CO, AMTL, and dental attrition and lower frequencies of dental caries were observed in the Saipan skeletons. Slightly higher, but not significant, frequencies of treponemal infection and limb bone fractures were observed in the Saipan series. The results of this study support, in part, earlier assessments that the prehistoric Chamorro living on Saipan experienced more stress than those living on Guam. The cultural practice of chewing Areca (betel) nut and other environmental and cultural differences are examined to explain these results. This research was funded, in part, by Capital Improvement Funds, Saipan, CNMI. 1Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii at Manoa 2Swift and Harper Archaeological Resource Consulting, Saipan Excavations discussed in this poster were performed by Swift and Harper Archaeological Resource Consulting (SHARC), a Saipan-based partnership composed of a three-person team of archaeologists, Michael A. Fleming, Marilyn Swift, and Randy Harper. Many of SHARC’s projects have required the scientific study of human skeletal remains. On Saipan, these projects have included the Southern Sewer System and Chalan Monsignor Guerrero Phase III Roadway Marianas History Conference 2012 ăƒť 111
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.