SKELETAL BIOLOGY OF APURGUAN - A PRECONTACT CHAMORRO SITE ON GUAM

The human skeletal remains of a minimum of 152 individuals from the pr econtact Latte Period (AD 1000-1521) on Guam, Mariana Islands, are des cribed. The sample, recovered at Apurguan, in the Tamuning District, i s one of the largest series of well-provenienced Chamorro skeletal rem ains to be analyzed in recent years. The size and systematic nature of this database are a major contribution to the human biology of the re gion. Paleodemographic characteristics, dental and skeletal morphology , and paleopathology are presented, along with a limited examination o f sex differences in frequencies of nonmetric variation. The mortuary sample, consisting of 51 subadults and 101 adults, exhibits underrepre sentation of females, highest subadult mortality between 2 and 10 year s, and an adult average age-at-death of 43.5 years. Cranial and infrac ranial indices and nonmetric variation are consistent with the Chamorr o's Southeast Asian origins. There are few statistically significant s ex differences in nonmetric variation which suggests close genetic aff inity. The frequency of dental pathology overall is low, reflecting a well-balanced, varied diet, and consistent with preagricultural subsis tence; however statistically significant sex differences suggest the i nfluence of differential cultural behaviors or resource access. Paleop athological observations include healed fractures (more common in male s), little advanced osteoarthritis, evidence for gouty arthritis, and treponemal disease (yaws). One individual, a young adult male, was int erred with 10 human bone spear points in situ. Twenty percent of the p rimary burials exhibit evidence of postdepositional removal of selecte d skeletal elements for cultural purposes such as keepsakes or raw mat erial. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.