ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the variety of insights into mobility that are offered by skeletal cross-sectional geometric studies that measure the quantity and distribution of bone in long bone shafts. It demonstrate the utility of biomechanical approaches to archaeological questions concerning mobility, and highlight the extent to which mobility is an embodied action, reflecting the extent of interaction between individuals and their environments. The relationship is of interest to human palaeontologists and bio archaeologists alike, since it offers a potential means of interpreting past human behaviour. By modelling long bones as beams and applying theory from mechanical engineering, they can estimate their mechanical properties by measuring the amount and distribution of bone material in the cross-section. The cross-sectional areas of bone are proportional to axial rigidity or resistance to compressive forces. Skeletal adaptation during growth is critical to the development of the skeleton for adult life; the skeleton is a plastic, mouldable tool.
