Exploring inequality through degenerative joint disease in a colonial Spanish-American city (foundational area in the city of Mendoza, Argentina).

GIANNOTTI, S.; CHIAVAZZA, H.; LUNA, LEANDRO; MANSEGOSA, D.

Evora

Jornada; VII Jornadas Portuguesas de Paleopatologia; 2021

Universidad de Evora

The colonial society of Mendoza (middle west of Argentine, 16th-19th century) was a stratified caste system characterized by inequality. These asymmetries were evaluated from a paleopathological perspective in sectorized burials of the templesaccording to the socioeconomical background of the diseased/family. The objective here is to evaluate the distribution of the Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) among groups from different socioeconomical (interior vs. exterior) backgrounds buried in five temples at the Foundational Area of Mendoza site. Appendicular joint surfaces of 67 adults of either sex were analized detecting a statistically significant prevalence between male in the interior (I) and the exterior (E) in shoulders (I=35,3%; E=23,8%; p=0,009), wrists (I=35,3%; E=25%; p=0,050) and knees (I=62,2%; E=51,5%; p=0,021). Sex, age and body size are the principal cause of DJD. The Spearman Correlation coefficients (r) on these factors present a statistically significant positive association only between sex (male) and body size for the knee (r = 0.441). The distribution and prevalence associated with biomechanical demand are discussed. In addition, the higher prevalences in female (E) (vs. female I) and the absence of significant differences with male (E), allows exploring the role of women within productive activities and contrasting them with local historical sources.