- Athens, Greece
- Funerary Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Paleopathology, Greco-Roman World, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Byzantium, and 9 moreDaily Life in Byzantium, Greece, Late Antiquity, Human Skeletal Remains, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, Mortuary Practices, Ottoman Studies, Archaethanatology, and Cultute Contact Studiesedit
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The paper concerns the contextual analysis of human remains from the Late Bronze Age tumulus cemetery of Pigi Artemidos, sited at the southeast border of the region of Macedonian Olympus. It presents the available body of evidence from... more
The paper concerns the contextual analysis of human remains from the Late Bronze Age tumulus cemetery of Pigi Artemidos, sited at the southeast border of the region of Macedonian Olympus. It presents the available body of evidence from this funerary assemblage and compares it to other LBA cemeteries from the same region. Bearing in mind the limitations imposed by the small sample size and the absence of a demographic profile for adults, infectious diseases (e.g. posttraumatic osteomyelitis), skeletal trauma and markers of occupational activity show that the few individuals buried in the tumulus of Pigi Artemidos were physically active; furthermore, stress and deprivation during growth and development suggest poor environmental conditions. A differential burial treatment is inferred between adults and subadults. At this early stage of the contextual analysis of prehistoric populations from the region of Macedonian Olympus in Pieria, the inter-cemetery variations reveal locally diverse lifestyles and funerary expressions at the dawn of the LBA.
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AbstrAct: The paper reports on a collective burial from a 13th c. AD cist grave in Attica, Greece. The grave was located inside a basilica and held the remains of at least ten adults. Bone representation analysis showed secondary... more
AbstrAct: The paper reports on a collective burial from a 13th c. AD cist grave in Attica, Greece. The grave was located inside a basilica and held the remains of at least ten adults. Bone representation analysis showed secondary manipulation of previous deceased including long bone selection for reburial in the same grave and/or bones transported from a different burial place. Paleopathological analysis used macroscopy and radiology, and revealed several lesions on the axial and appendicular skeleton expressed mainly by spinal ligament ossification and multiple peripheral enthesopathies. Individuation of the remains pointed to a middle-aged male with DISH, a condition often correlated to high social rank. Byzantine period is marked by increasing development and prosperity in Greece including among others the creation of many local monastic centers. Although the precise social and professional profile of these individuals cannot be revealed, the combined investigation of skeletal and archaeological evidence suggests that the grave gathered the remains of individuals belonging to an upper class social group.
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This paper presents a children's grave, found in 2009 during rescue excavations at the settlement of Ancient Pallantion (Arcadia, GR). The grave contained human remains of five individuals aged between 1 and 5 years, a clay jug, a belt... more
This paper presents a children's grave, found in 2009 during rescue excavations at the settlement of Ancient Pallantion (Arcadia, GR). The grave contained human remains of five individuals aged between 1 and 5 years, a clay jug, a belt buckle, two earrings and a cross pendant, all dating to the 6th –early 7th c. This assemblage was examined through an interdisciplinary approach (archaeology & bioarchaeology) that revealed evidence regarding the biological identity and health status of the deceased as well as information concerning children's clothing and burial practices. In this particular grave the individuals – in all probability relatives – consist of primary burials as well as secondary deposits thus possibly displaying the parents' desire to gather the very young. Finally, the age-at-death of all individuals confirmed the high infant mortality of the first age category that can be caused by infections, injuries, malnutrition, unhygienic living conditions as well as the onset of weaning and its accompanying biological adaptations.
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Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Funerary Archaeology, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Human Remains (Anthropology), Twins, and 11 moreGreece, Children, Bioarchaeology of Childhood, Childhood, Mortuary Practices, Archaeothanatology, Infants, Ancient Greece and Rome, Cemetery, Skeletons, and Pieria
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Located at the foot of Mount Olympus, Dion was the Macedonians' religious center and federal shrine from the 5th c. BC onward. In 169 BC the city fell to the Romans, and in 32/31 BC Dion became a Roman colony and flourished until the end... more
Located at the foot of Mount Olympus, Dion was the Macedonians' religious center and federal shrine from the 5th c. BC onward. In 169 BC the city fell to the Romans, and in 32/31 BC Dion became a Roman colony and flourished until the end of the 3rd century AD. Dion was a highly connected urban centre and part of the network of colonies established in the Greek Peninsula by the Romans. Epigraphic texts and coinage bear witness to a bilingual population and a community that gradually evolved in a process of interaction and exchange leading to the fusion of the Roman and Greek cultures, a multi-ethnic population and a complex society. Our investigation aims at evaluating the degree of fusion between the Greek and Roman culture at the colony of Dion through the lense of bioarchaeology. Within this frame, we present here preliminary results on stable isotope and biodistance analysis collected from the Roman burials (1 st-3 rd centuries) unearthed at the North and West necropolis of the city. We test the question whether individuals buried in these two distinct archaeological groupings represent different biological and/or sociocultural units; to reach this aim, we compare the diet (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) and biodistance of individuals buried in the two necropoleis. Results offer new insights into the genetic, social and cultural makeup of Roman colonies in Greece and underline the importance of interdisciplinarity in the analysis of cultural contact of past populations.
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Recent rescue excavations at the necropolis of ancient Dion in central Macedonia (Greece) yield more than 250 burials covering a wide chronological range from the Hellenistic to the Early Christian period, most of them dated to the Roman... more
Recent rescue excavations at the necropolis of ancient Dion in central Macedonia (Greece) yield more than 250 burials covering a wide chronological range from the Hellenistic to the Early Christian period, most of them dated to the Roman era. Within the frame of a collaborative project, we analyzed human osteological remains from 102 burials in order to explore the degree of fusion between the Roman and Greek cultures at the colony of Dion, founded in 32/31BC, through the lense of bioarchaeology. Our analysis combines theoretical reflection on cultural contact with demographic and palaeopathological data, biodistances, palaeodietary reconstruction and mortuary practices. However, this endeavor is not without methodological and practical challenges. One of the main issues is the lack of systematic osteological recording of burials in the field while other have to deal with the dating of the burials, the size of the sample to be analyzed, the completeness of the skeletons, the collection and homogenization of the field documentation as well as the construction of a single, archaeological and osteological, database. Here, we present these challenges and the methodological approach we adopted in order to maximize data collection, contextualize the results but also allow later comparison with other sites. The project, funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie post-doctoral fellowship, is hosted by the University of Groningen and is implemented in direct collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Cyprus Institute and the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science at Athens.
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The Roman Empire was a remarkably diverse and multiethnic state, characterized by intensified interaction and increased mobility among the heterogeneous groups of people who comprised its population. Within this highly interconnected... more
The Roman Empire was a remarkably diverse and multiethnic state, characterized by intensified interaction and increased mobility among the heterogeneous groups of people who comprised its population. Within this highly interconnected world, diverse political, socioeconomic, cultural and environmental tensions were at play leading to the development of new social identities and structures, but also to a change in people’s living standards. Being at the interface of the social and biological sciences, the discipline of bioarchaeology has substantially contributed to our understanding of past life experiences through the contextual study of the human skeleton. Available osteological data from the Roman period suggest variations in health and lifestyle among the diverse groups of people being gradually incorporated to the constantly expanding empire. Under this framework, we examine two archaeological populations from the Roman Province of Macedonia (Greece), a hitherto understudied region and period. The first, comes from the necropolis of the city of Dion, the Macedonian’s religious center and federal shrine, that became a colony in 32/31 BC. The second, was unearthed at the site of Pontokomi-Vrysi a semi-mountainous and remote from the main networks of trade and communication rural site located to the westernmost provincial administrative district of Upper Macedonia. In this talk, we would like to present the preliminary results of our ongoing analyses. We will focus specifically on variation in skeletal and dental diseases used as proxies for health, everyday life, diet and socioeconomic status by carrying out a comparison between an urban, highly connected center and a rural inland community. Capita Selecta/Research Seminar Monday March 15th, 2021, Groningen Institute of Archaeology.
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Journée d'étude "En marge de l'espace funéraire collectif" organisée par l'UMR ArScAn Paris Nanterre le 8 novembre 2019 à partir de 10h. Analyse chrono-spatiale des logiques territoriales et locales Programme : Lieux et espaces... more
Journée d'étude "En marge de l'espace funéraire collectif" organisée par l'UMR ArScAn Paris Nanterre le 8 novembre 2019 à partir de 10h.
Analyse chrono-spatiale des logiques territoriales et locales Programme : Lieux et espaces funéraires (coordination : Brigitte Boissavit-Camus et Katerina Chryssanthaki-Nagle, Olivier de Cazanove) Le choix des emplacements dévolus aux morts répond autant à des logiques culturelles que pratiques. Or, rarement la réflexion ne fait la part entre les deux motivations qui régissent leur implantation. La recherche récente montre que la fonction funéraire est loin d'être, dans le passé, toujours aussi dissociée des lieux cultuels et résidentiels qu'on ne l'a pensé. Ceci questionne ce que recouvre concrètement et implicitement les notions de séparation et de distance et, au-delà, les seuils critiques induits (distance physique ou immatérielle ? distance verticale ou horizontale ? distance entre un lieu et les usages d'un lieu ? etc.). En confrontant différentes aires chronologiques et culturelles, nous proposons d'aborder l'analyse spatiale des espaces funéraires, par une réflexion sur les dynamiques et les logiques détectables au niveau du lieu (émergence, maintien, transformation, disparition…). En examinant les critères susceptibles d'éclairer des choix ou des configurations en matière de localisation (milieu, ressource, fréquentation, accessibilité, productivité, aménité, répulsion, tensions foncière, symbolique, économique, habitus …), il s'agit de saisir les interactions des éléments funéraires avec leur environnement culturel ou naturel, et de comprendre les relations qui unissent un lieu à l'aire ou au réseau dans lequel il prend place. L'analyse peut être envisagée sur des durées courtes comme longues, les éléments du territoire ayant pu perdurer en l'état, avoir changé de contenus et de formes, avoir été négligés et abandonnés dans le temps. Les questions de leur création, de leur transformation et de leur disparition sont donc au coeur des discussions, éclairent les notions d'usage, d'adaptation ou de résilience, mais aussi d'héritage, car les objets spatiaux sont souvent réintégrés à d'autres logiques après leur abandon. En tentant de saisir la part des lieux dans les dynamiques d'appropriation des territoires, la réflexion fait aussi écho aux préoccupations contemporaines.
Analyse chrono-spatiale des logiques territoriales et locales Programme : Lieux et espaces funéraires (coordination : Brigitte Boissavit-Camus et Katerina Chryssanthaki-Nagle, Olivier de Cazanove) Le choix des emplacements dévolus aux morts répond autant à des logiques culturelles que pratiques. Or, rarement la réflexion ne fait la part entre les deux motivations qui régissent leur implantation. La recherche récente montre que la fonction funéraire est loin d'être, dans le passé, toujours aussi dissociée des lieux cultuels et résidentiels qu'on ne l'a pensé. Ceci questionne ce que recouvre concrètement et implicitement les notions de séparation et de distance et, au-delà, les seuils critiques induits (distance physique ou immatérielle ? distance verticale ou horizontale ? distance entre un lieu et les usages d'un lieu ? etc.). En confrontant différentes aires chronologiques et culturelles, nous proposons d'aborder l'analyse spatiale des espaces funéraires, par une réflexion sur les dynamiques et les logiques détectables au niveau du lieu (émergence, maintien, transformation, disparition…). En examinant les critères susceptibles d'éclairer des choix ou des configurations en matière de localisation (milieu, ressource, fréquentation, accessibilité, productivité, aménité, répulsion, tensions foncière, symbolique, économique, habitus …), il s'agit de saisir les interactions des éléments funéraires avec leur environnement culturel ou naturel, et de comprendre les relations qui unissent un lieu à l'aire ou au réseau dans lequel il prend place. L'analyse peut être envisagée sur des durées courtes comme longues, les éléments du territoire ayant pu perdurer en l'état, avoir changé de contenus et de formes, avoir été négligés et abandonnés dans le temps. Les questions de leur création, de leur transformation et de leur disparition sont donc au coeur des discussions, éclairent les notions d'usage, d'adaptation ou de résilience, mais aussi d'héritage, car les objets spatiaux sont souvent réintégrés à d'autres logiques après leur abandon. En tentant de saisir la part des lieux dans les dynamiques d'appropriation des territoires, la réflexion fait aussi écho aux préoccupations contemporaines.
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Postdoctoral project (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 Marie Skłodowska-Curie, University of
Groningen)
Groningen)
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Postdoctoral project (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 Marie Skłodowska-Curie, University of Groningen)
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... Archaeological and historical research reveals that cemeteries during the Early Byzantine period were only allowed outside city walls, whereas burials in later periods could be placed within fortified cities (Marki, 1990;... more
... Archaeological and historical research reveals that cemeteries during the Early Byzantine period were only allowed outside city walls, whereas burials in later periods could be placed within fortified cities (Marki, 1990; Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou, 1995; 1997; Dou-kata-Demertzi ...
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Pronkjewails in distant places: Mortuary studies in the eastern Mediterranean by the GIA. The Greek Archaeology research group of the GIA specializes in mortuary archaeology, studying sites in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East... more
Pronkjewails in distant places: Mortuary studies in the eastern Mediterranean by the GIA. The Greek Archaeology research group of the GIA specializes in mortuary archaeology, studying sites in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East that date from the Bronze Age through to the Late Roman period. Our methodology includes theoretical approaches; cemetery excavations; the analysis of legacy data; studies of grave architecture, tombstones and grave goods; osteological analyses; digitization of datasets and digital applications; and DNA analysis, as well as isotopic and biomolecular studies, and we are focused on performing integrated studies with thorough contextual analyses. Our central question is how people dealt with death and what their funerary remains tell us about their lives and their world. Together with our local and international network of researchers and laboratories, our staff and students aim to perform innovative research, reach out to the public, and provide diverse ...
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This paper reports on the MH II/III Burial Cluster II excavated at the MH acropolis of Aghios Ioannis in Boeotia, Greece. The burial ground comprises various funerary structures (tumulus, rectangular enclosure, cist graves) and provides... more
This paper reports on the MH II/III Burial Cluster II excavated at the MH acropolis of Aghios Ioannis in Boeotia, Greece. The burial ground comprises various funerary structures (tumulus, rectangular enclosure, cist graves) and provides evidence on primary and secondary mortuary treatment. The analysis is based on the remains of 22 individuals and explores issues of health and mortuary practices. The contextual approach of the human osteological remains reveals variations in the treatment at death of different age groups and evidence of differences in mortuary practices according to biological sex and everyday life; results add further to the discussion on the renegotiated individual and collective identities in the mortuary sphere at this formative period for the subsequent Mycenaean era in Boeotia and Mainland Greece.
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is study reports on the human remains of 39 individuals uncovered at the Early Byzantine cemetery of Maroneia in race, Greece (5-6 c. AD). Results on physiological and activity related stress indicators do not show deteriorating... more
is study reports on the human remains of 39 individuals uncovered at the Early Byzantine cemetery of Maroneia in race, Greece (5-6 c. AD). Results on physiological and activity related stress indicators do not show deteriorating living conditions caused by major geopolitical transformation, social upheavals or natural disasters but rather a peasant lifestyle and adequate diet. e sample includes two individuals with intentional cranial modification, a practice that was not customary in Christian tradition. Biocul-tural evidence supports the hypothesis that these individuals had a cultural origin which was linked to the Huns. e combined analysis of historical, archaeological and skeletal data allows interpretations of health, lifestyle and biosocial complexity during Early Christian times in Greece.
e site of Pigi Athinas is located in the foothills of Mt. Olympus in Pieria, Central Macedonia (Figure 1), in the vicinity of the homonymous water source, 1,200m from the sea and it is surrounded by the ancient cities of Fila, Herakleion... more
e site of Pigi Athinas is located in the foothills of Mt. Olympus in Pieria, Central Macedonia (Figure 1), in the vicinity of the homonymous water source, 1,200m from the sea and it is surrounded by the ancient cities of Fila, Herakleion and Tria Platania (Poulaki 2003; Poulaki-Pantermali 2005, 2008, 2013). e rescue excavation at Pigi Athinas began in 1999 under the auspices of the 16 Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (season 1999-2003) and subsequently by the 27 Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (season 2008-2011), under the direction of Efi Poulaki-Pantermali (currently the director of the 27 EPCA). Figure 1. Map showing the location of Pigi Athinas, Greece. Important archaeological evidence ranging from the Neolithic to the post-Byzan-tine era came to light, including five Middle/Late Bronze Age tumuli (1620/1500 126 Short fieldwork reports BC) and sixteen Late Roman graves (first half of the 4 century A.D.). All skeletal remains are curated in Lei...
e site of Pigi Athinas is located in the foothills of Mt. Olympus in Pieria, Central Macedonia (Figure 1), in the vicinity of the homonymous water source, 1,200m from the sea and it is surrounded by the ancient cities of Fila, Herakleion... more
e site of Pigi Athinas is located in the foothills of Mt. Olympus in Pieria, Central Macedonia (Figure 1), in the vicinity of the homonymous water source, 1,200m from the sea and it is surrounded by the ancient cities of Fila, Herakleion and Tria Platania (Poulaki 2003; Poulaki-Pantermali 2005, 2008, 2013). e rescue excavation at Pigi Athinas began in 1999 under the auspices of the 16 Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (season 1999-2003) and subsequently by the 27 Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (season 2008-2011), under the direction of Efi Poulaki-Pantermali (currently the director of the 27 EPCA).
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Le but de ce travail est de mettre en evidence des variations dans les modalites de gestion de l’espace funeraire en Grece Centrale a la periode byzantine en utilisant les donnees bioarcheologiques. Les resultats montrent que les... more
Le but de ce travail est de mettre en evidence des variations dans les modalites de gestion de l’espace funeraire en Grece Centrale a la periode byzantine en utilisant les donnees bioarcheologiques. Les resultats montrent que les changements socio-economiques et politiques se sont certainement exprimes dans les pratiques funeraires. Les inhumations dans le cimetiere paleochretien formeraient deux groupes sociaux differents, ceci dans une eventuelle periode de crise politique et economique regionale. A la periode mesobyzantine, la variete dans l’architecture funeraire et les indications paleobiologiques temoigneraient de l’amelioration de la vie quotidienne. L’utilisation differentielle des structures funeraires, le type d’inhumation et sa signification selon son emplacement par rapport a l’edifice religieux, seraient fonction des criteres sociaux. Le recrutement des cimetieres et l’organisation de l’espace funeraire seraient en rapport avec des facteurs socio-economiques.
The Middle-Late Bronze Age (1620–1500 B.C.) was a period of emerging and intensifying social complexity involving small-scale settlement hierarchies, but the archaeological understanding of social organization at this time has remained... more
The Middle-Late Bronze Age (1620–1500 B.C.) was a period of emerging and intensifying social complexity involving small-scale settlement hierarchies, but the archaeological understanding of social organization at this time has remained limited. In a comparative case study of funerary treatment and skeletal biology, the authors consider the distribution of multiple skeletal pathological conditions between distinct tumuli-style burials at Pigi Athinas. Though social rank may have started to displace the centrality of kinship, subtle variations in both funerary and bioarchaeological data indicated the most important structuring factors were sex and age distinctions. Over time, the influence of differential diets, divisions of gender, and ritual feasting appear as the people participated in a widespread Mycenaean system that shaped both gender and health in ancient Greece.
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This chapter examines the contribution of the contextual study of human skeletal remains of Early Christian burials in the eastern Mediterranean. Bioarchaeological studies of sites in Greece, Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Palestine are... more
This chapter examines the contribution of the contextual study of human skeletal remains of Early Christian burials in the eastern Mediterranean. Bioarchaeological studies of sites in Greece, Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Palestine are presented to better understand the people and their burial practices from this region during a tumultuous period in the fourth through seventh centuries. The use of multiple lines of evidence such as funerary archaeology, taphonomy, and skeletal biology reveals the lifestyles and burial customs of the inhabitants from a selection of eastern Mediterranean sites. Despite regional variations, there is a great degree of uniformity in the burial customs across the areas under consideration. Finally, the populations of the eastern Mediterranean share similar demographic profiles and health outcomes. Future research will likely engage in scientific applications in archaeology that may address significant questions, such as reconstructing diet from stable isotope a...