The following references relate to arthritis in the New World
from a paleopathological point of view.
 
     Authors
       Bridges PS.
      Institution
       Department of Anthropology, Queens College and Graduate
       Center CUNY, Flushing, New York 11367.
      Title
       Vertebral arthritis and physical activities in the
       prehistoric southeastern United States.
      Source
       American Journal of Physical Anthropology.  93(1):83-93,
       1994 Jan.
 
      Authors
       Rothschild BM.  Woods RJ.
      Institution
       Arthritis Center of Northeast Ohio, Youngstown 44512.
      Title
       Geographic distribution of calcium pyrophosphate (CPPD)
       deposition disease in pre-Columbian North America:
       independent validation of CPPD criteria.
      Source
       Clinical & Experimental Rheumatology.  11(3):315-8, 1993
       May-Jun.
 
     Authors
       Rothschild BM.  Woods RJ.
      Institution
       Arthritis Center of Northeast Ohio, Youngstown 44512.
      Title
       Character of precolumbian North American
       spondyloarthropathy.
      Source
       Journal of Rheumatology.  19(8):1229-35, 1992 Aug.
 
     Authors
       Bridges PS.
      Institution
       Department of Anthropology, Queens College, Flushing, New
       York.
      Title
       Degenerative joint disease in hunter-gatherers and
       agriculturalists from the Southeastern United States.
      Source
       American Journal of Physical Anthropology.  85(4):379-91,
       1991 Aug.
 
     Authors
       Rothschild BM.  Woods RJ.
      Institution
       Arthritis Center of Northeast Ohio, Youngstown, OH 44512.
      Title
       Symmetrical erosive disease in Archaic Indians: the origin
       of rheumatoid arthritis in the New World?.
      Source
       Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism.  19(5):278-84, 1990
       Apr.
 
     Authors
       Rogers JM.  Dieppe PA.
      Title
       Symmetrical erosive arthritis in Ohio woodland indians
       [comment].
      Source
       Journal of Rheumatology.  16(7):1012-3, 1989 Jul.
 
     Authors
       Bridges PS.
      Institution
       Department of Anthropology, Queens College, Flushing, New
       York 11367.
      Title
       Spondylolysis and its relationship to degenerative joint
       disease in the prehistoric southeastern United States.
      Source
       American Journal of Physical Anthropology.  79(3):321-9,
       1989 Jul.
 
     Authors
       Woods RJ.  Rothschild BM.
      Institution
       Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, OH.
      Title
       Population analysis of symmetrical erosive arthritis in
       Ohio Woodland Indians (1200 years ago) [see comments].
      Source
       Journal of Rheumatology.  15(8):1258-63, 1988 Aug.
 
     Authors
          Domen RE.
         Title
          Peleopathological evidence of rheumatoid arthritis
          [letter].
         Source
          JAMA.  246(17):1899, 1981 Oct 23-30.
 
     Authors
          Short CL.
         Title
          The antiquity of rheumatoid arthritis.
         Source
          Arthritis & Rheumatism.  17(3):193-205, 1974 May-Jun.
 
Hope these and MBW's references help your efforts.
 
Dr. Tim Shickley (shickley@vm.temple.edu)