Diagnosis of occupationally related paleopathology • 45 



Figure 4. Bilateral Osgood-Schlatter's disease. 



Figure 6. Acetabular flange lesion of left innominate {ar- 

 rows). 



Figure 5. Bilateral os acromiale. 



The rigorous physical demands of their working environ- 

 ment must have put heavy stresses on the developing skel- 

 etons of these young men. The mariners were working with 

 four masts, all of which bore canvas and required servicing. 

 The ship had a small keel and very little ballast and was, 

 therefore, unstable at the best of times. Men and boys must 

 have fallen and slipped while trying to release or furl sails. 

 The loading stresses associated with the operation of the guns 

 and with the longbows has already been discussed. The 

 amount and type of pathology and the degree of bony re- 

 modeling of various fibrous insertions in this sample has to 

 be explained in terms of their environment. These would 

 appear to be changes due to occupation in some members ot 

 the crew of the Mary Rose. Some of these are pathological 

 and some morphological. The former may be due to work- 

 related trauma, while the latter appear to be related to loading 



Zagreb Paleopathology Symp. 1988 



stres.ses. All, therefore, may well be a consequence of occu- 

 pation. The relationships between these changes and specific 

 occupations is, however, another matter. 



Conclusions 



The concept of relating specific skeletal changes to particular 

 activities is a comparatively recent one. As has been shown, 

 clinical work is controversial and paleopathology is faced 

 with problems associated with the nature of the material and 

 the lack of proper controls. Some samples, however, arc able 

 to overcome these pri)blcms to a greater or lesser extent and 

 these should be utilized to implement further studies. An 

 example is the work of Merbs already cited. The sample from 

 the Mary Ro.sc wnuld appear to be another. 



