Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Impact of the Non-Antimicrobial Properties of the Tetracyclines on a Medieval Nubian Population

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This research will assess the impact of the non-antibiotic properties of naturally occurring tetracyclines on the health of a Medieval Christian population from the site of Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia. The tetracyclines are a family of antibiotics that have had valuable clinical applications since their introduction to the medical profession in 1948, and decades of clinical studies have proven them to be effective for the treatment of a wide range of infectious diseases. More recent medical research, however, also has identified a number of beneficial non-antimicrobial properties of the tetracyclines, including the mitigation of bone loss. In addition, tetracyclines exhibit potentially harmful properties, including iron antagonism. Both bone loss and iron deficiency are of considerable anthropological interest and have been investigated previously within the Kulubnarti population. By investigating the role of tetracycline in either alleviating or exacerbating these conditions, this research will provide new and important knowledge regarding some of the health risks and benefits of the ingestion of naturally occurring antibiotics for ancient populations, and will supply a foundation for future research at Kulubnarti and in other parts of Nubia. The research objectives are three-fold: (1) to investigate patterns of tetracycline labeling within the Kulubnarti population, including those based on age and sex, as well as changes through time; (2) to investigate the relationship between tetracycline labeling and cortical bone maintenance at Kulubnarti; and (3) to investigate the relationship between tetracycline labeling and iron levels at Kulubnarti. The results of a preliminary investigation of relationships between tetracycline labeling and elemental iron levels indicate that the proposed research will produce interesting and meaningful results. The study has intellectual merit because it will address fundamental theoretical and methodological issues in anthropological research. It will investigate the ingestion of tetracycline as a behavioral adaptation to stressful environmental conditions in ancient Nubia, and will explore alternative methods for the examination of bone iron levels. It will be the first in-depth bioarchaeological study of the non-antimicrobial properties of tetracycline. The research will contribute to a large body of literature regarding the relationship between biology and culture, and will be of particular interest to those working in areas of the world where tetracycline is known to have been ingested. Ultimately, it also will improve current understanding of the health risks and benefits of the ingestion of naturally occurring antibiotics for both ancient and modern populations worldwide. The study also will have broader impacts. The project will contribute to undergraduate and graduate student education, and will enhance inter-departmental and organizational partnerships at the University of Colorado. The research also will contribute to the scientific community's understanding of biological and cultural adaptations of past human populations.