Osteoarcheaological studies of human skeletal remains from Nansei Islands

为了解西南岛民的骨骼形态与生存方式的关系，对冲绳县的人类骨骼遗骸进行了病理和形态学调查。本文首先对石垣岛中世纪~早期现代骨骼进行了宏观和x线观察，研究了一些应力标记（眶膜、釉质发育不全、骨折、骨膜炎、骨关节炎等）。大部分观察到的颅骨均可见眶嵴、颅嵴和牙釉质发育不全。此外，骨折、骨髓炎、骨膜炎和骨关节炎的发病率也相当高。这些发现表明，石垣岛中世纪~近代早期的生活条件相当艰苦。然后，利用单变量和多元统计方法对史前冲绳岛民的肢体测量数据进行分析，以阐明冲绳岛民的生存模式。史前冲绳岛民的肢体骨骼具有长度短、上肢发达的特点。这些结果表明，它们的生存模式强烈依赖于海洋环境。

To know the relationship between skeletal morphology and subsistence pattern in Nansei Islanders, pathological and morphological investigations were conducted to human skeletal remains from Okinawa prefecture.At first, some stress markers (cribra orbitalia, enamel hypoplasia, fracture, periostitis, osteoarthritis etc.) were investigated macroscopically and roentgenographically for medieval 〜 early modern skeletons from Ishigaki Island. Cribra orbitalia, cribra cranii, and enamel hypoplasia were found in most of the observed skull. In addition, frequencies of fracture, osteomyelitis, periostitis, and osteoarthritis were considerably high in their limb bones. These findings suggest that living condition at medieval 〜 early modern age were rather hard in Ishigaki Island.Then, to clarify subsistence pattern of prehistoric Okinawa Islanders, limb measurements were analyzed by using both univariate and multivariate statistical methods. Limb bones of prehistoric Okinawa Islanders were characterized by short length and developed upper limb. These results suggest that their subsistence pattern depended strongly to marine environment.