ΤΑ ΟΣΤΑ ΜΙΛΟΥΝ: PRELIMINARY ANALYSES OF CLASSICAL AND HELLENISTIC PERIOD (490-146 BCE) BURIALS FROM ATHENS, GREECE Open Access
Marklein, Kathryn Elaine (2010)
Abstract
Abstract
ΤΑ ΟΣΤΑ
ΜΙΛΟΥΝ: PRELIMINARY ANALYSES OF
CLASSICAL AND
HELLENISTIC PERIOD (490-146 BCE) BURIALS FROM ATHENS, GREECE
By Kathryn E. Marklein
The Classical period, between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, in
Ancient Greece is
recognized as a "Golden Age" and characterized by an influx of
creative thought, artistic
achievements, and economic prosperity. This cultural burgeoning and
economic
prosperity also resulted in a marked improvement in measures of
overall health that
continued into the Hellenistic period, preceding Greece's eventual
absorption into the
Roman Empire. Analyses of contemporary skeletal samples suggest
increases in
nutritional diversity and longevity as well as a reduction in
various skeletal stress
markers. As a contribution to this growing body of knowledge, this
study presents a
synthesis of artifactual, stratigraphic, and skeletal evidence for
eleven previously
unpublished burials recovered from four Classical and
Hellenistic-era, extramural
archaeological sites in Athens that have been under continuous
excavation for the past
twelve years. These sites have yielded fragmentary (N=5) skeletal
individuals dated to
Classical period and both individual (N=4) and commingled remains
(MNI=17) from the
Hellenistic. Results are reported from macroscopic and radiographic
analyses of growth
patterns, skeletal stress indicators, and evident pathologies.
Interpretation of these
findings in relation to historical material on contemporary
Classical and Hellenistic
Greece, and specifically on Athens, informs us that these skeletons
fall within the
historical norms of social, ecological, and demographic trends of
the designated periods.
Biosocial implications of recorded pathologies address issues of
disability, oral hygiene,
and chronic disease. In addition to the skeletal analysis,
artifacts and grave practices
factor into the identification of these Classical and Hellenistic
individuals. By presenting
novel osteological evidence from several Classical and Hellenistic
sites, this study further
contributes to the growing bioarchaeological literature on life and
health in the ancient
Greek world.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1
Background
Introduction to bioarchaeology through an archaeological
lens…………………..3
The innovation and influence of J. Lawrence
Angel……………………………...5
Historical and ecological backdrop of
Athens…………………………………….7
Religion, death, and burial throughout the Classical and
Hellenistic periods…...14
The
Sites…………………………………………………………………….……17
Methods…………………………………………………………………….…………….19
Results
Individual
burials………………………………………………………………...20
Commingled
burials……………………………………………………………...22
Cremations……………………………………………………………………….26
Discussion
Age at
death……………………………………………………………………...28
Cremation………………………………………………………………………...28
Grave goods: Presence and
purpose……………………………………………..30
Biocultural implications of
pathologies………………………………………….32
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….38
References………………………………………………………………………………..40
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