Entheseal changes take place at the interface between a muscle, tendon or ligament and a bone. By... more Entheseal changes take place at the interface between a muscle, tendon or ligament and a bone. By scoring the development of these changes this study measured the labour intensity of five skeletal collections from Ireland. The methodology employed was the Mariotti et al. (2007) entheseal scoring method, used to examine twenty-three postcranial enthesis sites on seventy-two male skeletons. Standard methods were utilised for skeletal sex determination and age estimation. One of the collections studied was excavated from a convict graveyard of the Victorian prison on Spike Island and facilitated an assessment of the biological effect of unfree labour patterns in comparison to free communities. The results found that while many prisoners had very high entheseal development, the entheseal evidence does not indicate a higher intensity of labour than the general population. A number of reasons for this were explored, including an unavoidable sample bias and a discussion of the complex concepts of free and unfree. The four other collections examined provided varied samples so that comparisons could be made between early medieval and post-medieval, urban and rural, Catholic and Anglican, young adults and older individuals. The two controlling factors of age and body size (estimated by humeral measurements) were examined; age was found to correlate with greater entheseal development but body size was found to have no correlation, which may be due to the nature of a single-sex study. The results of this study have salient implications for the bioarchaeological study of the unfree, such as prisoners and slaves, as well as for the burgeoning field of enthesis studies.
A paucity of identifiable archaeological material makes it difficult to locate slavery in the arc... more A paucity of identifiable archaeological material makes it difficult to locate slavery in the archaeological record, but the figurines of slave characters in Roman comedy represent a rich, untapped resource. One character in particular, the ‘clever slave’ (servus callidus), with his devious schemes and sharp wit, captured the imagination of Roman society. This clever slave’s popularity is attested archaeologically, with thousands of charming figurines spanning different time periods and geographical areas of the Classical world. Much discussed in the field of classics, no previous work has been undertaken to examine this character from an archaeological perspective in terms of its societal significance. Slave statuettes have been unearthed in homes, sanctuaries and tombs- diverse contexts that hint at their multitudinous purposes. By examining a representative sample of the material evidence alongside comedic texts I provide an in-depth look at servus callidus figurines: their form and iconography, their archaeological contexts and their potential agency for the society that produced and purchased them.
The voices of Roman slaves have been silenced in death, as in life, and it is with difficulty tha... more The voices of Roman slaves have been silenced in death, as in life, and it is with difficulty that we try to locate slavery in the archaeological record. It is therefore important to use all extant material at our disposal, and the figurines of slave characters in Roman comedy represent a rich, untapped resource. One character in particular, the ‘clever slave’ (‘servus callidus’), with his tricky schemes and charming wit, captured the imagination of all levels of Roman society in a way that real slaves never could. This clever slave’s popularity is confirmed by the rich archaeological record, which preserved thousands of charming figurines in a variety of styles and materials, spanning different time periods and geographical areas of the Classical world. They are not only fascinating for their iconography, but for the insights they give us into the technicalities of ancient acting. They have been unearthed in homes, sanctuaries and tombs- diverse contexts that hint at their multitudinous purposes. By examining the ancient texts along with a representative sample of the material evidence, I can establish the nature of these unruly slave characters, how they became so popular and why their image was a recognisable and welcome sight around the Roman world for centuries. Through this analysis I will elucidate on the significance of these statuettes in Roman society, positing how this character and these types of artefacts may have been perceived by slaves. The methodology employed in this thesis also aims to demonstrate how archaeology and classics can be used in tandem to reveal something novel and meaningful that can add to the studies of Roman slavery.
The Trinity College Dublin Histories and Humanities Journal, 2011
In ancient Greece, heroic figures were known for performing magnificent feats of skill and braver... more In ancient Greece, heroic figures were known for performing magnificent feats of skill and bravery and while they were not gods, the fact that they lived and died as mortals only made their achievements all the greater. After death they were bestowed with honours such as sacrifices and prayers as well as shrines and altars established in their name and they were commemorated in athletic games and works of literature.
Entheseal changes take place at the interface between a muscle, tendon or ligament and a bone. By... more Entheseal changes take place at the interface between a muscle, tendon or ligament and a bone. By scoring the development of these changes this study measured the labour intensity of five skeletal collections from Ireland. The methodology employed was the Mariotti et al. (2007) entheseal scoring method, used to examine twenty-three postcranial enthesis sites on seventy-two male skeletons. Standard methods were utilised for skeletal sex determination and age estimation. One of the collections studied was excavated from a convict graveyard of the Victorian prison on Spike Island and facilitated an assessment of the biological effect of unfree labour patterns in comparison to free communities. The results found that while many prisoners had very high entheseal development, the entheseal evidence does not indicate a higher intensity of labour than the general population. A number of reasons for this were explored, including an unavoidable sample bias and a discussion of the complex concepts of free and unfree. The four other collections examined provided varied samples so that comparisons could be made between early medieval and post-medieval, urban and rural, Catholic and Anglican, young adults and older individuals. The two controlling factors of age and body size (estimated by humeral measurements) were examined; age was found to correlate with greater entheseal development but body size was found to have no correlation, which may be due to the nature of a single-sex study. The results of this study have salient implications for the bioarchaeological study of the unfree, such as prisoners and slaves, as well as for the burgeoning field of enthesis studies.
A paucity of identifiable archaeological material makes it difficult to locate slavery in the arc... more A paucity of identifiable archaeological material makes it difficult to locate slavery in the archaeological record, but the figurines of slave characters in Roman comedy represent a rich, untapped resource. One character in particular, the ‘clever slave’ (servus callidus), with his devious schemes and sharp wit, captured the imagination of Roman society. This clever slave’s popularity is attested archaeologically, with thousands of charming figurines spanning different time periods and geographical areas of the Classical world. Much discussed in the field of classics, no previous work has been undertaken to examine this character from an archaeological perspective in terms of its societal significance. Slave statuettes have been unearthed in homes, sanctuaries and tombs- diverse contexts that hint at their multitudinous purposes. By examining a representative sample of the material evidence alongside comedic texts I provide an in-depth look at servus callidus figurines: their form and iconography, their archaeological contexts and their potential agency for the society that produced and purchased them.
The voices of Roman slaves have been silenced in death, as in life, and it is with difficulty tha... more The voices of Roman slaves have been silenced in death, as in life, and it is with difficulty that we try to locate slavery in the archaeological record. It is therefore important to use all extant material at our disposal, and the figurines of slave characters in Roman comedy represent a rich, untapped resource. One character in particular, the ‘clever slave’ (‘servus callidus’), with his tricky schemes and charming wit, captured the imagination of all levels of Roman society in a way that real slaves never could. This clever slave’s popularity is confirmed by the rich archaeological record, which preserved thousands of charming figurines in a variety of styles and materials, spanning different time periods and geographical areas of the Classical world. They are not only fascinating for their iconography, but for the insights they give us into the technicalities of ancient acting. They have been unearthed in homes, sanctuaries and tombs- diverse contexts that hint at their multitudinous purposes. By examining the ancient texts along with a representative sample of the material evidence, I can establish the nature of these unruly slave characters, how they became so popular and why their image was a recognisable and welcome sight around the Roman world for centuries. Through this analysis I will elucidate on the significance of these statuettes in Roman society, positing how this character and these types of artefacts may have been perceived by slaves. The methodology employed in this thesis also aims to demonstrate how archaeology and classics can be used in tandem to reveal something novel and meaningful that can add to the studies of Roman slavery.
The Trinity College Dublin Histories and Humanities Journal, 2011
In ancient Greece, heroic figures were known for performing magnificent feats of skill and braver... more In ancient Greece, heroic figures were known for performing magnificent feats of skill and bravery and while they were not gods, the fact that they lived and died as mortals only made their achievements all the greater. After death they were bestowed with honours such as sacrifices and prayers as well as shrines and altars established in their name and they were commemorated in athletic games and works of literature.
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Papers by Amy Quinn
correlation, which may be due to the nature of a single-sex study. The results of this study have salient implications for the bioarchaeological study of the unfree, such as prisoners and slaves, as well as for the burgeoning field of enthesis studies.
correlation, which may be due to the nature of a single-sex study. The results of this study have salient implications for the bioarchaeological study of the unfree, such as prisoners and slaves, as well as for the burgeoning field of enthesis studies.