Tuberculosis in Alaska:

Aufderheide (1998) claims that diagnosing TB in dry bone can be difficult if there is no involvement of the spine. Luckily, the five sets of remains found at the Point Hope site with skeletal lesions indicative of tuberculosis, who are most likely only a portion of the infected individuals, all had involvement of the spine. According to Dr. Hilton (personal communication, 2006) it takes up to 5-10 years for TB to show up in skeletal tissue. Therefore, there could have been others who died from the disease itself long before it spread to their bones, or due to other complications that cannot be seen in the skeletal remains. It should be noted here that only 1% of the people who contract tuberculosis will develop skeletal lesions (Pfeiffer 1991).

There have been two distinct Eskimo cultures that have occupied Point Hope, the Ipiutak (earliest) and the Tigara (later). Evidence of tuberculosis was only found in Tigara individuals, and thus, I will only discuss these remains.

Male

• Tigara Period-This individual has vertebral lesions (which are not shown here) that are in all likelyhood related to TB. The vertebral bodies are nearly completely destroyed. The left ischial region (shown below and to the left), and the posterior acetabular region (not shown) both exhibit large lesions which are most likely related to TB. The picture to the right shows two femora from the same individual. The femur on the right shows clear destruction to the head which can be seen when compared with the one on the left.; Age: 20-24 (AS)

Male

• Tigara Period-This individual has what appears to be vertebral lesions caused by TB (shown below). Clearly, the vertebral bodies are nearly completely destroyed. The left ischial region and the posterior acetabular region (no illustration) both exhibit large lesions which are most likely related to TB as well; Age: 20-24 (AS)

 

Male

• Tigara Period-This is a young individual (unfused iliac crests which are not shown) with evidence of TB in the vertebrae (shown below). There are only four lumbars due to a congenital absence (missing L5). Lumbars two, three, and four exhibit TB. The right side of lumbar number two is mostly eaten away, the inferior body of lumbar number three is eroded away, and the superior body of lumbar number four exhibits TB destruction as well. Thoracic vertebrae number seven and six also have TB. Age: 20-24 (AS)

Female

• Tigara Period-This individual has TB in the lumbar region (6 lumbar vertebraes). The inferior body of lumbar number four has a small erosive lesion, there is some destruction of lumbar number five on the right lateral side, lumbar number six has a possible inferior lesion, and there is no apparent thoracic involvement. However, there is what could be a possible sacral lesion; Age: 25-29 (AS) (no available illustrations)

Female

• Tigara Period-This individual shows clear evidence of fused and collapsed vertebrae which is indicative of TB. There are also signs of Spondyolysis. However, no age estimate could be ascertained based on the remains. (no available illustrations)

The distribution of tuberculosis among the Tigara remains seems relatively even as far as gender is concerned, which would seem to suggest that males and females were at equal risk of contracting tuberculosis. One possible explanation proposed by Hilton (n.d.) explains that females in traditional Iñupiat groups responsibilities included, but were not limited to, animal butchering, periodic rowing of umiaks, preparing and processing hides for clothing, tents, and other implements. If the theory regarding the contraction of tuberculosis via seals is correct, although women most likely did not hunt the animals directly, they would have clearly been very involved in the butchering of the animals and reuse of the skins which would have made them extremely vulnerable to infection.

The age distribution of all the infected individuals is also noteworthy. Because the remains have been aged at the youngest between 20-30, and at the oldest 24-34, the individuals could have contracted tuberculosis as young as 10 and as old as 24. Although I cannot at this time theorize about the reason for this distribution, it does seem rather significant. On the other hand, perhaps it simply means that if older members of the community contracted tuberculosis later in their life, they may not have lived long enough for the disease to spread into the skeletal tissue.