Osteoarchaeology

Abstract

The inclusion of faunal remains in funerary practices is widely documented in Iberian Prehistory. For late Prehistory (Neolithic to Bronze Age), there is relatively more data than in earlier periods, with limb segments being very common while complete animals are rarer. In Bronze Age contexts from South‐Western Iberia, a high percentage of human burials in subterranean chambers (hypogea) are associated with limb bones of cattle (Bos taurus) and sheep/goats (Ovis/Capra), along with other grave goods. Traditionally, this practice is interpreted as the result of rituals of commensality. In this paper, we present a different perspective. Besides commensality, we show that the inclusion of the same species and the same anatomical parts is a highly standardised behaviour. Beyond the tight connection between humans and animals, this pattern also points to a strong symbolism of these domestic species and to symbolic meaning of the anatomical parts themselves.

The current paper examines issues of diachronic life quality and mobility in Boeotia, central Greece. Boeotia is a region with a tumultuous history as its strategic location facilitated its active involvement in major socio-political events, such as the Pelopon-nesian war, the Third Sacred War, Roman invasions, and civil conflicts, to list just a few. The bioarchaeological study of 293 skeletons from the Akraiphia cemetery aimed at testing whether the Hellenistic period and early Roman era were more stressful than preceding time periods, as attested by historical evidence, as well as whether the Roman era was characterised by increased human mobility, as expected on the basis of isotopic studies from other parts of the Roman Empire. The combination of palaeopathological lesions, nonspecific stress markers, and dental wear supported increased hardship for the Akraiphia population during the Hellenistic, Roman, and post-Roman periods, as well as similar living conditions for men and women diachron-ically. Finally, biodistances calculated on the basis of dental nonmetric traits suggested a phenetic divergence between the Hellenistic period and the Roman era, likely linked with increased human mobility within the Roman Empire.

The historical and archaeological record identifies Pithekoussai (island of Ischia, Italy, VIII cent. BCE-III cent. CE) as the first Greek settlement in Italy (Strabo Geographia V-4-9), afterwards followed by more extensive Greek migrations characterizing the rise of Magna Grecia. The most striking evidence is the so-called Coppa di Nestore, which exhibits the most ancient Greek Euboean inscription so far known. The Pithekoussai's graveyard yielded more than 900 graves, both inhumations and cremations. The funerary record suggests a complex settlement history where Greek and Phoenician immigrants interacted with the local population. The peculiarity of the grave goods and the diverse treatment of the bodies are possibly referable to the origin and/or the social status of the deceased. The aim of this study is to test the multi-ethnicity of Pithekoussai's community through the anthropological and isotopic analysis, mainly by the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio analysis performed on dental enamel (inhumated individuals) and the pars petrosa of the temporal bone (cremated and inhumated individuals). Fifty individuals, from the so-called Pithekoussai II series, have been analysed so far. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio isotopic signal in the human mineralized tissues was compared to the local isotopic ratios derived from the analysis a. of the enamel of small modern mammals; b. of modern grass samples; and from the local volcanic bedrock signal known in literature (D'Antonio et al., 2012). Results confirm the presence of individuals born elsewhere (~ 22%), all adults, reinforcing the idea that Pithekoussai was a multi-ethnic community.

This research discuss human remain GLM LVI from Paleometallic sites called Gilimanuk, which located in Bali. The aims of this study is to find abnormalities, diseases, and culturaland habitual influences to the individual using macroscopical analysis from osteoarchaeological perspective. The results from this research shows this individual was female with age at death between 35-40 years old. She is interesting to be discussed because she shown evidence of kneeling and using her index finger extensively when she was alive. Moreover there were some diseases such as dental calculus, dental caries, periodontal, dental abscess, and cultural influences to her remain which are betel chewing and dental modification. Abstrak Penelitian ini membahas mengenai rangka manusia individu GLM LVI yang berasal dari situs Paleometalik Gilimanuk di Desa Gilimanuk, Bali. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat penyakit dan pengaruh budaya terhadap rangka, dengan menggunakan metode analisis makroskopis dan pendekatan osteoarkeologis. Individu ini adalah seorang perempuan yang berusia 35-40 tahun ketika mati. Karakteristik ekstrimitas bawahnya menunjukkan bahwa individu ini sering melakukan aktivitas berlutut dan secara ekstensif menggunakan jari telunjuk pada masa hidupnya. Analisis patologis menunjukkan adanya beberapa jenis penyakit gigi, antara lain kalkulus, karies, periodontal, dan abses. Selain itu terdapat pengaruh kebudayaan berupa konsumsi pinang dan sirih, dan modifikasi gigi. Kata kunci: Gilimanuk, osteoarkeologi, berlutut, menginang PENDAHULUAN Rangka hewan dan manusia pada konteks arkeologi merupakan sumber informasi yang sangat penting. Salah satunya dapat memberikan informasi mengenai kehidupan pada masa lampau dengan melihat perubahan yang terjadi pada rangka tersebut. Ilmu yang mempelajari mengenai perubahan pada rangka (hewan dan manusia) yang berkaitan dengan konteks arkeologi disebut dengan osteoarkeologi. Tujuan dari ilmu ini adalah untuk menyelidiki rangka hewan dan manusia sehingga dapat memberikan informasi yang mendetail mengenai kehidupan, kebiasaan, dan ideologi pada kebudayaan masa lampau (Overview-International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 2018.) Banyak situs arkeologis Indonesia, khususnya situs prasejarah, menghasilkan temuan sisa-sisa biologis manusia. Banyaknya temuan tersebut dapat menjadi subjek penelitian

Artificial deformation of the skull is a custom of alteration of infant skull by mechanical forces. It is a very interesting phenomenon, presented in many different cultures , historical periods and continents. However, there is still no clear explanation for that practice. Most scientists, led by ethnological parallels with ancient Egypt and Peru (Inca Empire) where an elongated skull was a sign of belonging to the royal family, tend to generalize this practice and to believe that it was a status symbol and that those who had it belonged to the highest class. Nevertheless, in the case of artificially deformed skulls from the territory of Serbia, which belong to the Migration period, these comparisons are not adequate, as mentioned cultures were too far away from each other in both geographical and chronological sense. Rescue excavation in Kikinda in 2007 brought to light a new case of an individual with artificial cranial deformation. The remains belonged to a woman, 50-60 years old, with poor dental health and with various stress markers, indicators of hard physical labour. The only grave good was a spinal disk, found next to deceased's head. The tomb is dated to the Migration period, without a possibility of more precise determination. A comprehensive anthropological analysis of the individual's health status was performed. The obtained results are not in accordance with the usual common explanations of this practice and open a new debate to which more detailed and complete research can offer an answer.

Post mortem abnormal modification of bone are known as pseudopathologies. The geochemical characteristic of the burial soil and/or the presence of biological agents may produce marked changes in bone preservation. This could be the case for a young individual, E74, from Herculaneum, which was a Roman town near Naples completely destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. E74 is an incomplete skeleton of a male individual of 7-8 years of age. Its second and third cervical vertebrae, the eighth thoracic vertebra and the first lumbar vertebra show a septum dividing the vertebral foramen. This condition could be diagnosed as diastematomyelia that consists of the splitting of the spinal cord or cauda equina. In particular Type I malformations consist of two hemicords separated into two dural tubes by a bone septum. The gross anatomy and histological aspects of the vertebrae and their septa were investigated through macroscopic, microscopic, radiographic and chemical analyses. The results demonstrate that the vertebral septum is constituted by three layers of inorganic substances deposited at different times on a thin, probably organic, substrate (original meninges?). The central layer contain framboidal pyrite, that is a sedimentary mineral rarely found in ancient human skeletons. The septum splitting the vertebral canal of individual E74 is consequent to a taphonomic event and is not due to a pathological condition. Distinguishing between ante and post mortem alterations can be a challenging exercise even for the experienced paleopathologists and, as this case indicates, paleopathological diagnoses should be supported by detailed examinations.

We hereby invite you to attend the conference "Sandby borg: New perspectives for Iron Age archaeology in the Baltic region" that takes place in Kalmar, Sweden on May 8–10th 2019. To sign up for the conference, use the following link: https://www.nortic.se/dagny/event/21350?campaignCode=sandbyborgconf For details of the various conference packages offered, click "more info".