Abstract
The possible association between “biological” and “social” status in the past is a central topic in bioarchaeological studies. For the Italian Iron Age, previous research comparing skeletal and funerary variables depicts a multifaceted scenario consistent with nuanced biocultural patterns. This calls for additional studies on a broader series of archaeological contexts and skeletal assemblages. Here, we contribute new data about the biological correlates of social differentiation during the Italian Iron Age by comparing paleopathological and funerary variables in the Picene necropolis of Novilara (Marche region, 8th–7th c. BC). Novilara is one of the largest Picene necropolises in the Italian Peninsula and one of the most important funerary sites of the Italian Iron Age. The skeletal sample includes 147 individuals (females: 70; males: 35; 10 unsexed adults; 32 non-adults). We use linear enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, non-specific periosteal lesions, and stature to approximate non-specific stressors and compare them with archaeological variables summarizing funerary variability by means of logistic models, Mann–Whitney and Spearman tests. Results are heterogeneous and vary according to the considered variables. On average, they however show that (a) adults featuring a more complex funerary treatment have a lower probability of showing stress-related skeletal changes, and (b) even though funerary features suggests a strong gender differentiation, frequencies of paleopathological variables do not differ between sexes. Our analyses point to a complex link between biological and social status in this population and call for a critical reflection about the theoretical and methodological issues affecting similar studies.
Highlights
The potential association between status, wealth, and health patterns (Marmot and Bell 2016; Nguyen and Peschard 2003; Pechenkina and Delgado 2006; Rathbun and Steckel 2003) informs a long tradition of bioarchaeological studies focused on the exploration of links between “social and biological status”
We evaluated the presence of cribra orbitalia (CO, Fig. 2a), porotic hyperostosis (PH, Fig. 2c), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH, Fig. 2b), and non-specific periosteal lesions (NPL, Fig. 2d)
Females and males show the highest frequencies for the middle adult and young adult classes, respectively
Summary
The potential association between status, wealth, and health patterns (Marmot and Bell 2016; Nguyen and Peschard 2003; Pechenkina and Delgado 2006; Rathbun and Steckel 2003) informs a long tradition of bioarchaeological studies focused on the exploration of links between “social and biological status” (sensu Robb et al 2001). Social status is rarely a fixed variable and not necessarily just a representation of personal wealth. Another issue relates to the social and biological representation of the analyzed skeletal sample. A necropolis may reflect the self-representation of a community rather than its objective mirror image (Cuozzo 1996, 2000; D'Agostino 1985; Parker Pearson 1982, 1993). This may concretize in selective burial practices and/or the allocation of burial areas to specific members/segments of a society. This, in turn, would result in a bias of the social and demographic composition of the analyzed population (e.g., apparent absence of rich burials, underrepresentation of infants) leading to fundamental interpretive challenges
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