Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography & Anthropology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Using a sample from New Orleans’ Charity Hospital Cemetery (16OR108), an analysis between ordinal scores and digital quantitative analysis (DQA) measurements of the entheses (muscle attachment sites) was performed. The skeletal elements (n = 235) examined were the humerus, radius, femur, and tibia. The entheses were 3D scanned using an Artec Space Spider scanner and processed with the Artec Studio Professional© v.2018 and Geomagic Wrap® v.2021 software. Entheses were analyzed by: left and right sides, male and female, and distribution of scores across elements. The analyses yielded significant differences between proliferative and erosive score distribution. Scores between elements exhibited variation. Side preferences were not observed, except the left humerii had a longer Y than the right. Males generally had larger DQA measurements with significant differences found in the radius and tibia SA and X values. The comparison between visual and quantitative methods revealed that the Artec Studio Professional© v.2018 program used was able to properly model entheses so a visual method could be utilized, but the software lacked the ability to create the measurement needed to compare the ordinal scale to the DQA. Geomagic Wrap® v.2021 was then used to obtain the appropriate measurement for analysis. Of this sample, specific habitual activity cannot be discerned, but generalities can be inferred. Methodological impacts of these results serve to further the search for an objective method to analyze entheses. Future research should utilize samples with better known demographics to verify statistical findings.

Date

3-25-2026

Committee Chair

Listi, Ginesse

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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