ABSTRACT
This paper presents a brief overview of the history of study of human remains from archaeological sites. Skeletal data collected are usually presented as individual studies of skeletons with specific diseases, broad population studies of ill health in people buried at a particular site during a specific period, or studies of one disease both temporally and spatially; methodological papers focusing on disease are also of relevance. Frequencies of sinusitis varied from 16% to 80% of individuals affected for the early period and 31% to 71.9% for the later period, with an overall higher rate observed for the later sites. A well-balanced diet is essential for life, a strong immune system and a healthy body. Thus, the type of subsistence practised in the past was instrumental for providing people with food. Trepanation, or making a hole in the skull, was used to treat a number of complaints such as headache, epilepsy, migraine, and head injuries.
