Pubic symphyseal face eburnation: an Egyptian sport story?

Abstract

Abstract Strenuous physical activity leaves scars on bone that attest to the demands of occupation, sport, aggression and recreation. During the assessment of 74 C‐Group Nubians from Hierakonpolis (Egypt) dated to the Egyptian Middle Kingdom–Second Intermediate Period (2080–1700 BC), robust muscle insertions along the ilia and ischia were observed among some adults. In addition, a disproportionate degeneration of the pubic symphyseal faces when compared to other age‐related features was also noted. In the case of one male (Burial 32), the pubic symphyseal faces were completely flattened and polished so that they resembled the eburnation that is pathognomic of osteoarthritis. Differential diagnoses are discussed and osteitis pubis, an increasingly diagnosed injury among modern athletes who participate in intense activity that involves running, kicking, twisting or leaping, is proposed as the most likely etiology. The exaggerated muscle insertions and pubic symphyseal wear, epitomised by the individual interred in Burial 32, are unique features that may be linked to the unexplained presence of this Nubian group deep in Egyptian territory during a period of political instability. Artefactual, artistic and documentary evidence records how the Egyptian pharaohs and elites conscripted Nubian athletes to the royal courts for staged contests and entertainment, part of a propaganda program engineered to reinforce among the general populace the dogma of Egyptian supremacy over the enemy. This Nubian community, serviced by Cemetery HK27C, may have functioned as a source for individuals skilled in athletics or other activities that required exceptional physical dexterity. The extraordinary modification of these pubic symphyseal faces underscores the importance of recognising paleopathological conditions that may further confound current macroscopic methods used to ascertain the chronological age of an individual. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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