External auditory exostoses and aquatic activities during the mesolithic and the neolithic in europe: Results from alarge prehistoric sample

Abstract

External auditory exostosis (EAE) appears to be a faithful marker of water-related activities. The frequency of this condition has been calculated for 449 European Mesolithic and Neolithic individuals from several geographic regions. The condition is more frequent in females but not significantly so. Neolithic skeletons display significantly less EAE than Mesolithic ones. The very high frequency of EAE in Late Mesolithic samples is consistent with fishing subsistence activities, and the significant decrease in frequency in Neolithic populations provides further evidence (along with isotopic and other archaeological evidence) for a rapid abandonment of marine/freshwater resources after the transition.