Instances of avian osteoarthritis from the Unalaska Sea Ice Project, Unalaska Island, Alaska

This project is designed to examine the prevalence of skeletal pathology in two archaeological avian bone assemblages.

Archaeological avian bone assemblages with Number of Identified Specimens of 14,909 (UNL-055) and 36,866 (UNL-048).

Visual examination of humeri, coracoids, tarsometatarsi, and cranial elements for pathology during taxonomic identification.

83 instances of skeletal pathology were observed in these assemblages and were most prevalent in the UNL-048 assemblage. Marginal osteophytes around the articular surfaces of the coracoid were the primary bone pathology in the UNL-048 avian assemblage.

The prevalence of osteoarthritis in surface diving birds at the UNL-048 site could be due to changing climate.

Considering the environmental factors that contribute to instances of animal pathology allows for a more contextual interpretation of the cultural processes that occurred at archaeological sites.

Time and budgetary constraints did not allow for examination of the entire avian assemblage.

Further intensive review of archaeological avian assemblages alongside consideration of environmental and cultural processes occurring during the site occupation is advised.