Paleoimaging

Medical and industrial imaging methods have come to be recognized as powerful tools for documentation and data collection in many nontraditional settings. In Paleoimaging: Field Applications for Cultural Remains and Artifacts, two of the most preeminent experts in the field provide an in-depth examination of a range of imaging techniques and explain how these techniques can be applied to all aspects of forensic and archaeological analysis. The first part of the book examines paleoimaging multimodalities, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each imaging technique in different scenarios. The authors explore photography, conventional radiography, endoscopy, and various forms of computer-based imaging. Next, they present methodological and procedural standards for the various imaging techniques. They also demonstrate how multimodal imaging can assist nondestructive data collection of non-biological cultural artefacts. A final section addresses radiation safety and field safety concerns. Case studies, tables, and templates of forms for documentation of findings enhance the text with practical information. Filled with over 380 images, this book is supplemented with an accompanying downloadable resource in which the authors draw from their global experience in the paleoimaging of cultural remains and artefacts, offering a view of the diverse environments in which field paleoimaging is conducted. The breadth of the authors’ expertise and the rich images contained in the book and downloadable resources make this resource an essential reference for those who seek to explore the mysteries of the past.

Advances in Paleoimaging: Applications for Paleoanthropology, Bioarchaeology, Forensics, and Cultural Artifacts builds on the research and advances in technology since the writing of the authors’ first book, Paleoimaging: Field Applications for Cultural Remains and Artifacts (ISBN: 978-1-4200-9071-0). Since Paleoimaging was published in 2009, additional research settings for the application of advanced imaging technologies have been identified. Practices are now more widespread and standardized with the capabilities and utilization of imaging methodologies increasing dramatically. Given the numerous advances in paleoimaging technique and technology, this book chronicles the evolution that has taken place in all the imaging modalities. Chapters include the coverage of magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, plane and digital radiography, endoscopy, and applications of x-ray fluorescence, as well as the principles of industrial radiography. While the book focuses on a multimodal imaging approach to anthropological and archaeological research, the authors and contributing authors have vast experience in other areas and present coverage of biological applications as well. The multidisciplinary chapters provide a foundation to understand the application of various imaging modalities in archaeological, anthropological, bioanthropological, and forensic settings. As such, Advances in Paleoimaging will serve as an essential reference for conservators, museum archivists, forensic anthropologists, paleopathologists, and archaeologists, who perform non-destructive research on historical or culturally significant artifacts, remains, or material from a forensic investigation. The concepts and methods presented in this text are supported with case presentations of the authors' vast experience in the new companion book, Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging (ISBN: 978-0-367-25166-6) by Beckett, Conlogue, and Nelson (2020).

Diagnostic paleoradiology is the use of X-ray studies to detect ancient diseases. The broad range of themes and imaging techniques in this volume reflects four decades of research undertaken by Don Brothwell in anthropology, human paleopathology, and zooarchaeology, combined with two decades of skeletal radiology experience during which Rethy Chhem read over 150,000 X-ray and CT studies. All the authors are leading experts in the fields of Radiology and Bioanthropology.

Perfect for school and public libraries, this is the only reference book to combine pop culture with science to uncover the mystery behind mummies and the mummification phenomena. Mortality and death have always fascinated humankind. Civilizations from all over the world have practiced mummification as a means of preserving life after death—a ritual which captures the imagination of scientists, artists, and laypeople alike. This comprehensive encyclopedia focuses on all aspects of mummies: their ancient and modern history; their scientific study; their occurrence around the world; the religious and cultural beliefs surrounding them; and their roles in literary and cinematic entertainment. Author and horror guru Matt Cardin brings together 130 original articles written by an international roster of leading scientists and scholars to examine the art, science, and religious rituals of mummification throughout history. Through a combination of factual articles and topical essays, this book reviews cultural beliefs about death; the afterlife; and the interment, entombment, and cremation of human corpses in places like Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Additionally, the book covers the phenomenon of natural mummification where environmental conditions result in the spontaneous preservation of human and animal remains.

The case studies provided in Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging will provide the reader with real-world scenarios and case examples that will help prepare researchers to discover new ways to apply the various modalities associated with the technology. This book is a follow-up to the Beckett and Conlogue’s classic work Paleoimaging (2009) and companion to their new contribution Advances in Paleoimaging (2020). The case studies outlined demonstrate the problem-solving nature of imaging research and the application of critical thought to unique problems. Further, Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging demonstrates the incredible depth of application of these modalities including photography, endoscopy, x-ray fluorescence, plane radiography, digital radiography, and advanced imaging modalities like multi-detector computed tomography, micro-computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Of particular note, case study seven, Contrast Media Injections, informs the researcher regarding methods to bring out specific anatomic structures that may be the target of a given research question. Intended for students, faculty, and seasoned researchers, Case Studies for Advances in Paleoimaging presents actual cases from the authors’ vast experience in the application of paleoimaging modalities in order to answer unique research problems. The book also serves as a field manual for current and future researchers as they approach similar or new cases that present unique challenges. These cases demonstrate how the varied imaging methodologies can provide data which greatly enriches our understanding of the subject at hand, be it ancient cultural remains, forensic recovery, museum holdings, or other anthropological and archaeological artifacts.

The benchmark first edition of Forensic Radiology, published in 1998, was a milestone in the forensic community — a bestseller throughout the world and a standard reference for practitioners and educators alike. Like its predecessor, Brogdon’s Forensic Radiology, Second Edition covers the entire scope of radiological applications in the forensic sciences, profiling current and anticipated uses of new modalities and techniques. Features: Provides an introduction to forensic radiology, including historical perspectives and definitions used in the field Offers instruction on trial preparation and effective courtroom testimony Demonstrates the use of forensic radiology in identification of the dead Explores the use of radiology to help in gunshot and abuse cases and in nonviolent crimes Contains an entirely new section on virtual imaging and virtopsy Examines technological and safety issues For radiologists, forensic scientists, forensic dentists, medical examiners, investigators, and attorneys Over the past twelve years, the fields of forensic science and radiology have developed considerably, necessitating a revision of this critical work. New Topics in this Edition include: The radiologist as an expert witness Modern cross-sectional imaging in anthropology New approaches to radiology in mass casualty situations The use of virtual imaging and virtopsy — new modalities developed and advanced since the publication of the last edition Forensic and clinical usage of x-rays in body packing for drug smuggling Imaging in the medical examiner’s facility and in the field Radiology of special objects, antiquities, and mummies

The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology provides readers with an overview of the study of ancient disease. The volume begins by exploring current methods and techniques employed by paleopathologists as means to highlight the range of data that can be generated, the types of questions that can be methodologically addressed, our current limitations, and goals for the future. Building on these foundations, the volume introduces a range of diseases and conditions that have been noted in the fossil, archaeological, and historical record, offering readers a foundational understanding of pathological conditions, along with their potential etiologies. Importantly, an evolutionary and highly contextualized assessment of diseases and conditions will be presented in order to demonstrate the need for adopting anthropological, biological, and clinical approaches when exploring the past and interpreting the modern world. The volume concludes with the contextualization of paleopathological research. Chapters highlight ways in which analyses of health and disease in skeletal and mummified remains reflect political and social constructs of the past and present. Health and disease are tackled within evolutionary perspectives across deep time and generationally, and the nuanced interplay between disease and behavior is explored. The volume will be indispensable for archaeologists, bioarchaeologists, and historians, and those in medical fields, as it reflects current scholarship within paleopathology and the field’s impact on our understanding of health and disease in the past, the present, and implications for our future.

The modern manifestation of mummy studies began to take shape in the 1970s and has experienced significant growth during the last several decades, largely due to biomedical interest in soft tissue pathology. Although this points to a vibrant field, there are indications that we need to take stock of where it is today and how it may develop in the future, and this volume responds to those demands. In many ways, mummy studies and skeletal bioarchaeology are "sister-disciplines," sharing data sources, methodologies, and practitioners. Given these close connections, this book considers whether paradigmatic shifts that influenced the development of the latter also impacted the former. Whilst there are many available books discussing mummy research, most recent field-wide reviews adopt a biomedical perspective to explore a particular mummy or collection of mummies. The Bioarchaeology of Mummies is a unique attempt at a synthetic, state-of-the-field critical analysis which considers the field from an explicitly anthropological perspective. This book is written for both skeletal bioarcheologists that may not be familiar with the scope of mummy research, and mummy researchers from biomedical fields that may not be as acquainted with current research trends within bioarchaeology.