The accurate age estimation of adults is an important step in the construction of the biological ... more The accurate age estimation of adults is an important step in the construction of the biological profile of skeletonized remains. The auricular surface of the ilium as it was developed in 1985 by Lovejoy et al., is one of the methods employed for age estimation. This study presents the results of a blind test of the revised auricular surface aging method developed by Buckberry and Chamberlain. A sample of 120 individuals from the Athens Collection was used to test this revised aging technique. Almost all features and composite score were positively correlated with known age-at-death. The calculation of bias demonstrated no obvious trend for either overestimation or underestimation of age when all individuals were pooled together. Inaccuracy showed that absolute errors of estimated ages against known ages are substantial. The data generated from this study suggest that the revised method can be reliable for age estimation on a modern European population.
Within the geographical scope of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, commingled human skelet... more Within the geographical scope of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, commingled human skeletal remains appear frequently in archaeological contexts. This chapter presents recent issues and approaches to analyzing commingled remains at four sites in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. The first case, in Late/Roman Early Christian Kalavasos-Kopetra, discusses the misinterpretation of a primary burial grave site for an ossuary as a result of post-excavation commingling. In the Hellenistic and Roman sites of Paphos, Cyprus, and Corinth, Greece, examples of commingled remains are explained as traditions in secondary burial rites. Within two Late Byzantine graves at Thebes, larger skeletal elements were favored in ritualized exhumations, resulting in a preponderance of smaller skeletal elements (e.g., hand and foot bones) within the primary burial. Finally, in the study of a Roman period mass grave from Oymaağaç Höyük (ancient Nerik), Turkey, the authors demonstrate commingling of human remains during excavation and exhumation procedures. From recent work on human skeletal material at Oymaağaç, a methodology for recording and analysis of commingled remains has been developed and implemented.
During the second and third centuries CE, multiple interment graves were incorporated into the hö... more During the second and third centuries CE, multiple interment graves were incorporated into the höyük at Oymaağaç-Nerik, adjacent to the nearby Roman town Neoklaudiopolis (modern day Vezirköprü). These graves have been categorically and chronologically divided into earlier Roman period multigenerational tombs and later imperial period mass burials. Osteological examination of skeletal remains from the mass burial graves thus far implicates epidemic disease or famine as the cause of death for, minimally, these 120 individuals. Despite the commingled state of human remains within these graves, demographic burial profiles could be constructed from the preserved skeletal elements. For this study, specifically, preliminary anthropological data have been compared between several mass graves and multigenerational tombs. Disproportionate representations of adults and juveniles between mass and multigenerational graves highlight the theoretically transformative role that epidemic disease assumes against established social practices. The sudden emergence of disease at Oymaağaç demanded that local burial protocols be abandoned to more pragmatic, expedient solutions for the disposal of both adults and children; these solutions blurred sociocultural burial prescriptions and consequently transformed persons, notably children, into newly constructed entities and identities outside traditional Roman mores.
Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East 30 April - 4 May 2012, University of Warsaw, Vol. 2, Excavation and Progress Reports, Posters, edited by P. Bieliński et al., 140-63. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz., 2014
This paper originates from the 8th ICAANE. It presents a preliminary report of the excavation sea... more This paper originates from the 8th ICAANE. It presents a preliminary report of the excavation seasons 2011 and 2012 in Tell Nader. The archaeological finds are discussed by K. Kopanias, the pottery by C. Beuger, and the anthropological material by S. Fox.
Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean: Convergence Of Theory And Practices. Conference hosted by the University of Cyprus, 10-12 April 2012, Nicosia, Cyprus, edited by M. Mina, Ι. Papadatos, and S. Triantaphyllou. Oxford: Oxbow Books., 2016
This paper originates from the conference "Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediter... more This paper originates from the conference "Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean: Convergence Of Theory And Practices". It discusses an important find of the 2011 excavation season in Tell Nader, namely a single primary inhumation burial from a simple circular kiln reused for the grave of this individual. The kiln was lined with clay, tiles and stone. A middle-aged adult female was recovered from this context. She was found in a prone position with forearms folded beneath her chest and abdomen, and her legs were flexed. Her head was oriented toward the west and her legs were situated to the east. It appeared that she had been placed in the kiln in a rather haphazard manner. In addition to exhibiting evidence for having survived at least one episode of stress early in life based upon the presence of dental linear enamel hypoplasias, this individual also demonstrates a healed depressed fracture from blunt force trauma to the right parietal bone of the cranial vault. Furthermore, a type of cultural modification of the body in the form of headshaping had been practiced from binding her head in infancy. This type of headshaping is commonly observed among individuals from the cultural sphere of the Ubaid in both time period and general region, although the reconstruction of the placement of the bindings does not exactly follow the standard “Byblos a” type proposed by Özbek (1974). A new reconstruction of the positioning of the bindings is proposed that produced this shape It should be noted that these results are preliminary as they are based on only one individual who led an apparently challenging life in northern Mesopotamia during the Ubaid period. Future excavations should help to clarify the practice of headshaping at Tell Nader. Although her persona may have changed during life, particularly after sustaining her cranial trauma, what is understood is that her group identity had been permanently shaped from infancy.
Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists usually determine sex by analyzing quantitative an... more Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists usually determine sex by analyzing quantitative and qualitative characters of the human skeleton. In general, the pelvis and skull are the skeletal parts used most often, but in many cases these parts are missing or fragmentary. In such circumstances, it is necessary to use techniques based on other skeletal elements. The primary aim of this work is to determine whether metacarpals can be used for the determination of sex specifically in a Greek population. A secondary step is to describe and develop linear discriminant function equations for sex determination based on a contemporary Greek population using metacarpal biometric data. The skeletal sample of modern Greeks is housed at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and is comprised of 993 metacarpals (left and right), corresponding to 151 adult individuals (84 males and 67 females). The correct sex classification reached an accuracy of 83.7-88.1% for left and 83.8-89.7% for right metacarpals. Our results suggest that metacarpals can be used for sexing in bioarchaeological, and forensic studies, in addition to other sex determination techniques.
A simple technique for imaging the human skleeton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the a... more A simple technique for imaging the human skleeton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the auricular surface of the ilium as an example. A flatbed scanner with resolution capabilities of 600 dpi or greater allows for images of human bones. The auricular surface of the ilium was selected to demonstrate this technique as it is a fairly three-dimensional area that can be difficult to record photographically. Fifty left ilia of various ages at death from the Athens Collection were selected from which three observers (SCF, CE, and IM) scored the morphology of the auricular surface using a well-established aging method. Observations were taken of the dry bone, of digital photographs of the bone, and of scanned images of the bone, and in that sequence. results indicate that scores of scanned images are equivalent or better than digital images of the same ilia. This technique allows for sharing data electronically with ease.
Page 1. Prastio-Agios Savvas tis Karonis Monastery (Pafos District, Cyprus): 1994-1995 Field Seas... more Page 1. Prastio-Agios Savvas tis Karonis Monastery (Pafos District, Cyprus): 1994-1995 Field Season and 1992-1995 Artifact Analyses DAVID W. RUPP Department of Classics Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada drupp @ spartan.ac.brocku.ca ...
The accurate age estimation of adults is an important step in the construction of the biological ... more The accurate age estimation of adults is an important step in the construction of the biological profile of skeletonized remains. The auricular surface of the ilium as it was developed in 1985 by Lovejoy et al., is one of the methods employed for age estimation. This study presents the results of a blind test of the revised auricular surface aging method developed by Buckberry and Chamberlain. A sample of 120 individuals from the Athens Collection was used to test this revised aging technique. Almost all features and composite score were positively correlated with known age-at-death. The calculation of bias demonstrated no obvious trend for either overestimation or underestimation of age when all individuals were pooled together. Inaccuracy showed that absolute errors of estimated ages against known ages are substantial. The data generated from this study suggest that the revised method can be reliable for age estimation on a modern European population.
Within the geographical scope of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, commingled human skelet... more Within the geographical scope of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, commingled human skeletal remains appear frequently in archaeological contexts. This chapter presents recent issues and approaches to analyzing commingled remains at four sites in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. The first case, in Late/Roman Early Christian Kalavasos-Kopetra, discusses the misinterpretation of a primary burial grave site for an ossuary as a result of post-excavation commingling. In the Hellenistic and Roman sites of Paphos, Cyprus, and Corinth, Greece, examples of commingled remains are explained as traditions in secondary burial rites. Within two Late Byzantine graves at Thebes, larger skeletal elements were favored in ritualized exhumations, resulting in a preponderance of smaller skeletal elements (e.g., hand and foot bones) within the primary burial. Finally, in the study of a Roman period mass grave from Oymaağaç Höyük (ancient Nerik), Turkey, the authors demonstrate commingling of human remains during excavation and exhumation procedures. From recent work on human skeletal material at Oymaağaç, a methodology for recording and analysis of commingled remains has been developed and implemented.
During the second and third centuries CE, multiple interment graves were incorporated into the hö... more During the second and third centuries CE, multiple interment graves were incorporated into the höyük at Oymaağaç-Nerik, adjacent to the nearby Roman town Neoklaudiopolis (modern day Vezirköprü). These graves have been categorically and chronologically divided into earlier Roman period multigenerational tombs and later imperial period mass burials. Osteological examination of skeletal remains from the mass burial graves thus far implicates epidemic disease or famine as the cause of death for, minimally, these 120 individuals. Despite the commingled state of human remains within these graves, demographic burial profiles could be constructed from the preserved skeletal elements. For this study, specifically, preliminary anthropological data have been compared between several mass graves and multigenerational tombs. Disproportionate representations of adults and juveniles between mass and multigenerational graves highlight the theoretically transformative role that epidemic disease assumes against established social practices. The sudden emergence of disease at Oymaağaç demanded that local burial protocols be abandoned to more pragmatic, expedient solutions for the disposal of both adults and children; these solutions blurred sociocultural burial prescriptions and consequently transformed persons, notably children, into newly constructed entities and identities outside traditional Roman mores.
Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East 30 April - 4 May 2012, University of Warsaw, Vol. 2, Excavation and Progress Reports, Posters, edited by P. Bieliński et al., 140-63. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz., 2014
This paper originates from the 8th ICAANE. It presents a preliminary report of the excavation sea... more This paper originates from the 8th ICAANE. It presents a preliminary report of the excavation seasons 2011 and 2012 in Tell Nader. The archaeological finds are discussed by K. Kopanias, the pottery by C. Beuger, and the anthropological material by S. Fox.
Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean: Convergence Of Theory And Practices. Conference hosted by the University of Cyprus, 10-12 April 2012, Nicosia, Cyprus, edited by M. Mina, Ι. Papadatos, and S. Triantaphyllou. Oxford: Oxbow Books., 2016
This paper originates from the conference "Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediter... more This paper originates from the conference "Embodied Identities In The Prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean: Convergence Of Theory And Practices". It discusses an important find of the 2011 excavation season in Tell Nader, namely a single primary inhumation burial from a simple circular kiln reused for the grave of this individual. The kiln was lined with clay, tiles and stone. A middle-aged adult female was recovered from this context. She was found in a prone position with forearms folded beneath her chest and abdomen, and her legs were flexed. Her head was oriented toward the west and her legs were situated to the east. It appeared that she had been placed in the kiln in a rather haphazard manner. In addition to exhibiting evidence for having survived at least one episode of stress early in life based upon the presence of dental linear enamel hypoplasias, this individual also demonstrates a healed depressed fracture from blunt force trauma to the right parietal bone of the cranial vault. Furthermore, a type of cultural modification of the body in the form of headshaping had been practiced from binding her head in infancy. This type of headshaping is commonly observed among individuals from the cultural sphere of the Ubaid in both time period and general region, although the reconstruction of the placement of the bindings does not exactly follow the standard “Byblos a” type proposed by Özbek (1974). A new reconstruction of the positioning of the bindings is proposed that produced this shape It should be noted that these results are preliminary as they are based on only one individual who led an apparently challenging life in northern Mesopotamia during the Ubaid period. Future excavations should help to clarify the practice of headshaping at Tell Nader. Although her persona may have changed during life, particularly after sustaining her cranial trauma, what is understood is that her group identity had been permanently shaped from infancy.
Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists usually determine sex by analyzing quantitative an... more Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists usually determine sex by analyzing quantitative and qualitative characters of the human skeleton. In general, the pelvis and skull are the skeletal parts used most often, but in many cases these parts are missing or fragmentary. In such circumstances, it is necessary to use techniques based on other skeletal elements. The primary aim of this work is to determine whether metacarpals can be used for the determination of sex specifically in a Greek population. A secondary step is to describe and develop linear discriminant function equations for sex determination based on a contemporary Greek population using metacarpal biometric data. The skeletal sample of modern Greeks is housed at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and is comprised of 993 metacarpals (left and right), corresponding to 151 adult individuals (84 males and 67 females). The correct sex classification reached an accuracy of 83.7-88.1% for left and 83.8-89.7% for right metacarpals. Our results suggest that metacarpals can be used for sexing in bioarchaeological, and forensic studies, in addition to other sex determination techniques.
A simple technique for imaging the human skleeton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the a... more A simple technique for imaging the human skleeton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the auricular surface of the ilium as an example. A flatbed scanner with resolution capabilities of 600 dpi or greater allows for images of human bones. The auricular surface of the ilium was selected to demonstrate this technique as it is a fairly three-dimensional area that can be difficult to record photographically. Fifty left ilia of various ages at death from the Athens Collection were selected from which three observers (SCF, CE, and IM) scored the morphology of the auricular surface using a well-established aging method. Observations were taken of the dry bone, of digital photographs of the bone, and of scanned images of the bone, and in that sequence. results indicate that scores of scanned images are equivalent or better than digital images of the same ilia. This technique allows for sharing data electronically with ease.
Page 1. Prastio-Agios Savvas tis Karonis Monastery (Pafos District, Cyprus): 1994-1995 Field Seas... more Page 1. Prastio-Agios Savvas tis Karonis Monastery (Pafos District, Cyprus): 1994-1995 Field Season and 1992-1995 Artifact Analyses DAVID W. RUPP Department of Classics Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada drupp @ spartan.ac.brocku.ca ...
The First Fossil Hunters. by Sherry C. Fox The First Fossil Hunters. By Adrienne Mayor. (Princeto... more The First Fossil Hunters. by Sherry C. Fox The First Fossil Hunters. By Adrienne Mayor. (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2000. Pp. xx, 361. $17.95.) This six-chapter book is a creative work that draws upon evidence from the fiel.
During the second and third centuries CE, multiple mass graves were incorporated into the höyük a... more During the second and third centuries CE, multiple mass graves were incorporated into the höyük at Oymaağaç-Nerik, adjacent to the nearby Roman town, Neoclaudiopolis (modern day Vezirköprü). Bioarchaeological investigations of skeletal remains from two mass graves have thus far precluded interpersonal conflict as the cause of this sudden mass death, while ancient DNA studies are being undertaken to incriminate or eliminate possible pathogenic agents. Despite the commingled state of human remains, physiological profiles have been constructed from preserved skeletal elements. Additionally, biological relatedness has been inferred from non-morphological traits (e.g., os naviculare). Current research of the Oymaağaç skeletal remains endeavors to illuminate the historical circumstances surrounding (and following) this population decline. For this study, specifically, the demographic profiles of two mass graves, 7384:009 and 7484:021, are compared within the scope of the [biological] family. The family unit is considered and interpreted within the sociobiological, sociocultural, and sociopolitical environs of Roman Oymaağaç-Nerik and the wider Roman world.
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