University of Sheffield z. Parras The Biological affinities of the Eastern Mediterranean in the ...

264 Pages·2011·18.86 MB·English

University of Sheffield
z.
Parras
The Biological affinities of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Chalcolithic and
Bronze Age: A regional dental non-metric approach
Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
2004
The Biological affinities of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Chalcolithic and
Bronze Age: A regional dental non-metric approach
By Zissis Parras
Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Archaeology and Prehistory
Submitted March 2004
Dedicated to the memory of Anna Diamantakos
1965-2001
Abstract
This study investigated biological population affinities amongst Eastern
Mediterranean Chalcolithic and Bronze Age human skeletal samples. Seven hundred
and eighty-six human remains from eight different sites in Cyprus, Greece and Syria
were studied. The sites range in age from the Cypriot Chalco lithic (Souskiou
Vathyrkakas, Lemba-Lakkous and Kissonerga-Mosphilia) to Cypriot Late Bronze
Age (Enkomi and Ayios Iakovos), Syrian Early Bronze (Jerablus-Tahtani) and Greek
Middle Bronze Ages (Lema and Asine). Age, sex and non-metric traits from the
dentition, crania and post-crania were recorded. Using the non-metric dental data the
biological affinities of these sites were determined. Two statistics were utilised with
the non-metric traits to determine biological affinities, the Mean Measure of
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Divergence (MMD) and the Coefficient of (D.e). The comparisons bet\veen the
sites from southwest Cyprus show all three sites, which are in close spatial
proximity, to be statistically biologically similar. Also they appeared to show some
relation to the Syrian Early Bronze age site of Jerablus-Tahtani. These findings are
in contrast to the different material cultures of these two regions, which may suggest
the biological relation may be based on the ancestral contact between Cyprus and the
mainland. The Cypriot Late Bronze sites show a mixed relation with the
Chalco lithic samples with some relations with the Middle Bronze Age Greek
samples and Syria. Where geographical distance is usually a factor in these types of
comparisons, this study suggests time may also be a factor.
Acknowledgements
I would like to begin by saying that my Ph.D. experience has been an amazing
journey. Over 700 human remains were studied from 3 countries, with trips to
Scotland, Greece, Cyprus and Sweden for data collection. This study represents the
successful combination of physical anthropology with archaeology to produce a
unique union of the two.
I would first like to extend my warmest gratitude to my two supervIsors
Andrew Chamberlain and Paul Halstead. Their guidance and encouragement over
these past few years have been invaluable. Also the administration at the Department
of Archaeology (and Prehistory) at the University of Sheffield have been very kind
and accommodating. I am especially thankful to Kathryn Goldsack (Graduate
School) for her helpful and positive attitude. Thanks very much, you made the whole
PhD process 10 times easier. I would also like to extend thanks to Prof. Barbara S.
Ottaway the former head of the Research School and Prof. Paul Buckland the current
head. Prof. Keith Branigan and Dr. Peter Day with their help with getting access to
human remains for Greece. Dr. Martin Evison, Dept of Forensic Pathology
(University of Sheffield), whose correspondence was very helpful in formulating the
method of this PhD. Dr Terence Brown from the University of Manchester
(Biomolecular Sciences - UMIST) for his helpful correspondence on the possibility
of extracting ancient DNA from human bones and teeth.
I would also like to thank some friends from the University of Sheffield who
were very helpful with this study. Dr. Eva Panagiotakopulu was always helpful and
supportive. Dr. Sevi Triantaphyllou assisted me with our discussions about how to
conduct the data collection of the human remains. Dr. Yiannis Papadatos was most
helpful with the many discussions on possible collections of human remains from
Greece. Dr. Andy Tyrrell was very helpful in the statistical approach to this study.
Costa Eliopoulos whose friendship and support throughout the many years in
England, Greece and Canada were invaluable.
I would also like to thank Prof. Eddy J. Peltenburg of the University of
Edinburgh who allowed me access to the samples from Cyprus of Lemba-Lakkous
and Kissonerga-Mosphilia and J erablus-Tahtani from Syria. His support and
comments on my thesis and his help in granting me access to the human remains
from Souskiou-V athyrkakas (Cyprus) are appreciated, as well as allowing me to stay
at the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre on two trips to Cyprus. Also am
grateful for the use of the facilities at the Archaeology department at the University
of Edinburgh. I would also like to thank Drs. Dorothy Lunt and Marie Watt of The
University of Glasgow Dental School. Dr. Lunt for her friendly correspondence,
continuous help and advice, and for allowing me access to The University of
Glasgow Dental School and its facilities to study the remains from Jerablus-Tahtani
and Souskiou-Vathyrkakas.
Thanks to the British Council for Research in the Levant who gave me my
only grant which I used for one trip to Cyprus. My two trips to Cyprus were very
productive at the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre. I would also like to extend
a very special thanks to Dr. Paul Croft for his tremendous help and friendliness. He
kindly drove me around when I didn't have use of a car and was kind enough to share
some of his time for our discussions of Cypriot archaeology. I would also wish to
thank Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou of the Archaeological Research Unit, University of
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Cyprus for putting me in touch with Paul Croft, Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas Director
Department of Antiquities in Cyprus, his correspondence and generosity in allowing
me access to the remains of Lemba and Mosphilia at the Paphos Museum. Also
special thanks to the Director and staff from the Paphos Museum for their kindness
and helpful nature. They made working there a very pleasant affair. Also thanks to
Eleni Louka and Elena Prokopiou from the Archaeological Museum at Lemesos.
Thanks to Eleni for taking me to Lamaka Museum to meet the people there.
I also wish to thank Dr. Martha H. Wiencke, Director of the Lerna
Publications Project who allowed me access to the human remains from Lerna and
helped with my application to the Ephoria. Thanks to the Nauplion Ephoria and Dr.
Elisabet Spathari for allowing me access to the human remains from Lerna, which are
being housed at the museum of Argos. Thanks to the staff at the Museum of Argos
for their prompt and friendly assistance. I would also wish to thank the manager and
staff at the Hotel Mycenan in Argos, where I stayed while I studied the collection
from Lerna at the museum. Thanks for our long conversations about archaeology and
history.
My trip to Sweden was very enjoyable and productive, with special thanks to
Anne Ingvarsson-Sundstrom of Uppsala University and her husband Andres. Anne
was generous enough to allow me access to some of her research on the human
remains from Asine and she did all of the work of going through Prof. Persson's
notebook and others site books (in Swedish) to determine provenience and other
details of the original excavation. Thanks to Anne's friend Lena Johansson in
Uppsala who let me stay at her house for the week I was there. I appreciated the use
of the facilities at Uppsala University and the Library. It was a pleasure to meet with
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Prof. Gullog C. Nordquist also at Uppsala University. I would also like to thank
Marie-Louise Windbladh curator of the Museum of Mediterranean and :0.'"ear Eastern
Antiquities, Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm and her assistant Ole Sylvean who
allowed me access to the human remains from Enkomi and Ayios Iakovos (Cyprus)
from the Swedish Expedition in the 1920's. I would like to thank the photographer
who was kind enough to supply me with photographs of some of the human remains.
I appreciate all the help and kindness from Dr. Karin Niklasson Hagg and Prof.
Robin Hagg of the University of Goteborg during my time spent in Goteborg
studying the human remains from Enkomi and Ayios Iakovos. Also thanks to
Professor Paul Astrom for allowing me to purchase some volumes from the Studies
in Mediterranean Archaeology series at a reduced rate.
Some others must also be thanked, Prof. Dave Smith, Prof. Jerry Melbye and
Prof. B.A. Sigmon from the University of Toronto at Mississauga (Anthropology
Department) whose support and encouragement was greatly appreciated. Also Dr.
Todd Morris, Department of Biology (University of Toronto Department of Biology)
who help with statistics was also appreciated. Dr. Wim van Neer of The Royal
Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren (Belgium) whose letter of reference helped
me get accepted to the University of Sheffield. I am also grateful for the University
of Toronto Library system for help with my research. I would also like to thank The
Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, Mississauga Library, Working Ventures
Inc. and Tim Horton's Inc. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Dr. David
Reese of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Illinois. I have known Dr,
Reese since 1995, but we have never met in person. He has regularly sent me
relevant articles regarding my thesis topic and given me much information regarding
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skeletal collections and excavations in the Eastern Mediterranean. Special thanks
also goes out to the many people on the archaeology news group Aegeanet. their
discussions and information about where to look for human remains and their kind
comments on my web site (Physical Anthropology of the Eastern Mediterranean
during the Bronze Age). Also thanks to the hundred or so people that I wrote,
emailed and faxed, who assisted in small but meaningful ways.
Overall I would like to extend gratitude to my parents and to my entire family
whole total and unwavering support and commitment to my studies has been
invaluable. Finally the warmest thanks to my dearest wife Aida, whose support
cannot be explained in words and has been with me since the beginning of my studies
who never lost sight of the end even when I did.
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List of Contents
Abstract
Acknow ledgmen ts
List of Contents
\'l
List of Tables
Xl
List of Figures
XlI
Abreviation
Xlll
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 Principal Aims 2
1.2 Archaeological Questions -+
1.3 Method 5
Chapter 2: Time Period, Region and Skeletal Samples 7
2.1 Introduction 7
2.2 Cyprus: 8
2.2.1 Souskiou 8
2.2.l.1 Location 9
2.2.l.2 Setting 9
2.2.l.3 History 10
2.2.1.4 Time Period 11
2.2.1.5 Type of Site 12
2.2.1.6 Location, type and number of tombs 12
2.2.1.7 Grave Goods 13
2.2.2 Lemba-Lakkous 14
2.2.2.1 Location 14
2.2.2.2 Setting 14
2.2.2.3 History 15
2.2.2.4 Time Period 16
2.2.2.5 Type of Site 16
2.2.2.6 Location, type and number of tombs 17
2.2.2.7 Grave Goods 18
2.2.3 Kissonerga-Mosphilia 19
2.2.3.1 Location 19
2.2.3.2 Setting 19
2.2.3.3 History 20
2.2.3.4 Time Period 20
2.2.3.5 Type of Site 21
2.2.3.6 Location, type and number of tombs 21
2.2.3.7 Grave Goods 22
2.2.4 Ayios Iakovos 22
2.2.4.1 Location 22
2.2.4.2 Setting 23
2.2.4.3 History 23
2.2.4.4 Time Period 23
2.2.4.5 Type of Site 24
2.2.4.6 Location, type and number of tombs 2-+
2.2.4.7 Grave Goods 25
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