Pathology of bedouin skeletal remains from two sites in Israel

Frequency of pathology and of some anomalies in skeletons of Bedouin living about 200 BP, uncovered in the Israeli Negev, is considered in relation to particular bone, sex, age-group, and kinds of defects. The environment of the Bedouin in relation to his "health-status" is noted. Two-thirds of the skeletons had one or more different bones with defects. Incidence of crania with defects was: males, 26%, females, 18%; the highest incidence occurred at age 35-49. Alveolar abscesses occurred in 28% of maxillae, 9% of mandibles. Of the long bones, the tibia was most frequently affected (15%): swelling of the shaft, relatively common, was apparently caused by bejel, a non-venereal form of syphulis, similar to yaws, endemic to the Bedouin. Forty-eight percent had defective vertebrae, usually an arthritic manifestation of one kind or another; half of this group had defects in more than one region of the spine. Defects also occurred relatively frequenly in the innominata, sacrum, scapula, and clavicle, mostly arthritic lesios except in the sacrum in which the percentage with sacral hiatus was high. Average age at death was, males, 43 years, females, 33 years (adults only), and 28 years for all ages.