Sambaquis are huge shellmounds built along almost the entire Brazilian coast between 8000 and 600 years ago. In the present article, 14 osteological markers from 89 individuals excavated at the Sambaqui Jabuticabeira II (2890+/-55/2186+/-60 BP) are analyzed in order to reconstruct the population's health status and way of life. The present palaeopathological findings (such as lower frequency of degenerative
joint diseases in legs, as compared to arms, and the rarity of
traumas) together with archaeological findings support the idea of nearby resource abundance and infrequent interpersonal competition. The presence of auditory
exostoses mainly in males corroborates previous findings indicating the importance of marine resources. The low caries frequency and the high degrees of
dental wear point to a diet poor in cariogenic food, and rich in abrasives such as
sand, shell fragments and phytoliths. This suggests a broader diet, based on marine
protein as well as plants, than previously thought. The etiology of cribra orbitalia could be explained by gastrointestinal parasites or other sources of physiological stress. These parasites, in turn, could have led to higher frequencies of
infectious diseases, either by the debilitation of the immune system or by the direct contact with infectious agents. Despite the periods of illness various individuals experienced, the daily life among the builders of the Sambaqui Jabuticabeira II seems to have been relatively easy due to the abundance and predictability of resources and the paucity of violent
traumas.