Remains at Crenshaw site are local, ancestors of Caddo, study finds

Using new dating technique, researchers determine that hundreds of human skulls and mandibles are not foreign enemies, as previous researchers hypothesized.

2023-06-14

(Press-News.org) Hundreds of human skulls and mandibles recovered from the Crenshaw site in southwest Arkansas are the remains of ancestors of the Caddo Nation and not foreign enemies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Collaborating with the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma, researchers at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Archeological Survey tested lead and strontium isotopes in the teeth of human remains and compared them to ancient animal teeth from several surrounding regions to determine that the 700-year-old human remains were local people.

“Our study tested and ultimately refutes hypotheses that the Crenshaw remains are ‘trophy skulls’ killed during raiding expeditions,” said lead author John Samuelsen. “Demonstrating that the remains are Caddo ancestors provides both researchers and the Caddo Nation a clear answer to questions that have long persisted about the site and the remains.”

Samuelsen serves as science and technology administrator at the Arkansas Archeological Survey and a graduate faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the U of A. He specializes in geochemical analysis of remains and archeological materials to detect geographical movement of ancient people and animals.

For the Crenshaw study, he worked with Adriana Potra, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at the U of A. Potra, who studies ore geology and radiogenic isotope geochemistry to enhance an understanding of the geochemistry and tectonic framework of ore deposits, helped improve scientific methods using the lead isotopes.

Their study of the Crenshaw site is the first to use lead isotopes in ancient animal teeth from many different regions to evaluate where humans lived. These isotopes in tooth enamel are set during childhood tooth formation and reflect the isotopes in the underlying geology where the children grew up.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

Remains at Crenshaw site are local, ancestors of Caddo, study finds 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The Viking disease can be due to gene variants inherited from Neanderthals

2023-06-14

Many men in northern Europe over the age of 60 suffer from the so-called Viking disease, which means that the fingers lock in a bent position. Now researchers at Karolinska Institutet, together with colleagues, have used data from over 7,000 affected individuals to look for genetic risk factors for the disease. The findings, which have been published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, show that three of the strongest risk factors are inherited from Neanderthals. Up to 30 percent of men in northern Europe over 60 suffer from ...

Further hope for base-edited T-cell therapy to treat resistant leukaemia

2023-06-14

Three young patients with relapsed T-cell leukaemia have now been treated with base-edited T-cells, as part of a ‘bench-to-bedside’ collaboration between UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH). The data from the NHS clinical trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the MRC, shows how donor CAR T cells were engineered using cutting edge gene editing technology to change single letters of their DNA code so they could fight leukaemia. The experience of using the cells in three patients is shared, and includes 13-year-old Alyssa from Leicester, who last year was the first person in the world to ...

A new way to visualize force-sensing neurons

2023-06-14

A recent study by researchers at Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and Scripps Research Institute has discovered fluorescent dye FM 1-43 as an effective and versatile tool to visualize PIEZO2 ion channel activity in mechanosensory neurons. The study, published in Neuron, was led by Dr. Kara Marshall, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, with Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, Nobel Laureate and professor at Scripps Research Institute. Mechanosensation is the ability ...

Study finds that proven medications for alcohol use disorder are rarely given to adolescents and young adults on public insurance

2023-06-14

BOSTON – Heavy drinking commonly begins in adolescence and is a known risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Data from adult clinical trials suggest offering evidence-based medications for AUD to younger adults could promote their engagement in treatment and improve clinical outcomes. But are those medications being used when and where they are needed? In a review of claims data for youths insured by Medicated in 15 U.S. states, a team of researchers found that most youths with a diagnosis of AUD do not receive medications as part of their therapy, despite ...

Phosphate, a key building block of life, found on Saturn’s moon Enceladus

2023-06-14

An international team including a University of Washington scientist has found that the water on one of Saturn’s moons harbors phosphates, a key building block of life. The team led by the Freie Universität Berlin used data from NASA’s Cassini space mission to detect phosphates in particles ejected from the ice-covered global ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, is vital for all life on Earth. It forms the backbone of DNA and is part of cell membranes and bones. The new study, published June 14 in ...

Conflict in marriage less harmful for kids when dad keeps it constructive

2023-06-14

URBANA, Ill. — Conflict is unavoidable in all marriages. When it erupts in families with children, stressed or angry parents may take their pain out on the kids, projecting their anger or withdrawing emotionally or physically. In the worst cases, children’s socioemotional development can suffer. But the way parents, especially fathers, deal with marital conflict can make a difference to kids, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “In the past, marital conflict ...

Ten ways to increase Latino participation in Alzheimer’s research from leaders in health equity science

2023-06-14

CHICAGO, June 14, 2023 -- Leaders in health equity have issued an urgent call to address the underrepresentation of U.S. Latinos in Alzheimer's and dementia clinical trials. Their recommendations are outlined in an article published online today by Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. “A call to address structural barriers to the representation of Hispanics/Latinos in clinical trials on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: A micro-meso-macro perspective,” was led by first author María P. Aranda, ...

National economies recover faster when countries are powered by renewable energy – new research

2023-06-14

National economies recover significantly faster from shocks when countries are powered by renewable energy sources, according to new research that has profound implications for global energy policy. Researchers from Trinity College Dublin looked for patterns in data from 133 systemic economic crises that affected 98 countries over a 40-year span. And while their analyses show that countries relying on a broader range of energy sources experience longer recovery times, the best predictor of economic recovery was the extent to which a country relied on renewable energy. Underlining the significance of the finding is the fact that while data ...

A machine learning approach to freshwater analysis

2023-06-14

From protecting biodiversity to ensuring the safety of drinking water, the biochemical makeup of rivers and streams around the United States is critical for human and environmental welfare. Studies have found that human activity and urbanization are driving salinization (increased salt content) of freshwater sources across the country. In excess, salinity can make water undrinkable, increase the cost of treating water, and harm freshwater fish and wildlife. Along with the rise in salinity has also been an increase in alkalinity over time, and past research suggests that salinization may enhance alkalinization. But unlike excess salinity, ...

Inflammatory bowel disease linked to increased risk of stroke

2023-06-14

MINNEAPOLIS – People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more likely to have a stroke than people without the disease, according to a study published in the June 14, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that IBD causes stroke; it only shows an association. Inflammatory bowel disease causes chronic inflammation of the intestines. It includes Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and unclassified inflammatory bowel disease. The study found that people with IBD were 13% more likely to have a stroke up to ...