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OBJECTIVES: This research assesses external auditory exostoses (EAEs) as markers of aquatic activity in individuals from the Early Neolithic inland site of Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan (c.7700-7100 BCE). MATERIALS: Thirty-four individuals (6 non-adults and 28 adults) represented by 50 external auditory canals (27 left and 23 right), both fragmentary and intact, were included in the study. METHODS: Auditory canals were macroscopically examined for the presence or absence of bone growths, with their location and severity recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-four individuals (70.6 %) and 31 auditory canals (62 %), 18 left (66.7 %) and 13 right (56.5 %), displayed EAEs. No significant differences in -frequency were found according to biological sex, age-at-death or burial location. CONCLUSIONS: Supported by archaeological evidence, the frequency of EAEs at Bestansur suggests male, female and non-adult engagement in fishing, mollusc harvesting and, possibly, other activities in aquatic environments, shedding light on social participation and the importance of freshwater habitats in Neolithic economies in the Zagros. SIGNIFICANCE: While adding to previous studies of EAEs in fragmentary remains, this research highlights the benefit of contextualised palaeopathological analysis as a means of exploring human behaviour and human-environment interactions. The assessment of EAEs in past populations can offer insights into the variables shaping human behaviour and complex subsistence strategies. LIMITATIONS: Sample size and distribution were affected by poor preservation, requiring interpretative caution. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Future research should acquire regional comparative data and explore correlations between EAE location and severity, and co-occurrences of bone changes in the auditory canal.
Giulia Ragazzon (Sat,) studied this question.