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'Tritsaroli P,, 2017: Life and death at Early Byzantine Akraiphnio, Greece; a biocultural approach. Anthropologie (Brno) 55, 3: 243-263'. |
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| Abstract | | Historical sources and bioarchaeological analysis from Greece have shown that the variable and intensive
socio-political and cultural phenomena that characterize the Early Byzantine period had various effects on the populations
(e.g. demographic decline, migration and mixing of population). The biological and cultural ability of populations to
adapt to this continuously changing environment often characterized by deprivation and insecurity is debated. The paper
reports on the Early Byzantine cemetery sample from Akraiphnio (5th–7th c. AD) in Boeotia, Greece. The analysis was
carried out on 45 individuals in order to investigate health, disease and burial practices at the transition from Antiquity
to the Early Byzantine period. Skeletal data and archaeological information on the burials were considered conjointly.
Results showed a physically active and resistant, rural population involved in occupations requiring heavy labor. Several
archaeological (disposal of the body) and skeletal features (developmental defects of the spine, average stature) raise
questions about the cultural and biological identity of the sample. Finally, the behavior of the living society towards the
deceased, particularly children is discussed. It seems that infants and children were largely family depended and their
presence in the burial place might be the result of social choices. | | | | Keywords | | Health ‒ Disease ‒ Burial practices ‒ Early Byzantine period ‒ Boeotia | | |
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