Musculoskeletal evidence for activity: problems of evaluation

Abstract

The evaluation of muscle insertions on the humerus, by measurement or by subjective scoring, is discussed. Two archaeological groups, the burials from the Mary Rose and those from a medieval parish cemetery are evaluated, together with a modern X-ray sample of divers, and a method of relating muscles scores to X-ray measurements is tested, with mixed results. These results support other research on the humerus for the men from the Mary Rose, suggesting a professional element within the crew. The X-ray results alone show that the modern sample had more cortical bone than the medieval pooled group and that the ship's crew had less asymmetry but larger dimensions than the other archaeological sample. The importance of understanding how muscles work together in groups, and not singly, is stressed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.