The Bioarchaeology of Classical Kamarina: Life and Death in Greek Sicily by Carrie L. Sulosky Weaver

Abstract

222 PHOENIX this final chapter with the bold suggestion that by commodifying the joke, the Romans invented the “joke” as we know it today. This book’s intriguing topic and accessible style will attract a wide audience. Beard’s ability to draw together a wide array of ancient and modern references in her discussions is impressive. Although it does not arrive (or even seek to arrive) at any definitive conclusions, Laughter in Ancient Rome succeeds in leading sympathetic readers on a stimulating journey through Roman “laughterhood” (x). University of Tasmania Jayne Knight The Bioarchaeology of Classical Kamarina: Life and Death in Greek Sicily. By Carrie L. Sulosky Weaver. Gainesville: University Press of Florida (Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives). 2015. Pp. 336, 61 figs., 5 tables. The study of ancient Greek cemeteries demonstrates an interesting paradox: a synthesis of an examination of material cultural and funerary rituals with an analysis of the human skeletal remains is rare, since the focus is typically on either the materialritualistic context or on the scientific study of the physical remains. It is only recently that there has been some closing of the academic gap between classical archaeology and biological anthropology, as attested by the growing body of bioarchaeological publications on the Mediterranean classical world.1 This book by Sulosky Weaver is an important addition to these studies as it brings together socio-cultural and biological data in an attempt to answer questions regarding life in the past. The author studies the human skeletal remains and the associated cultural and funerary context of the fifth- to third-century b.c.e. Greek colony of Kamarina in Sicily, following years of excavation at the necropolis of Passo Marinaro. The study of literary sources, material assemblages, and funerary rituals is combined with observations drawn from the study of the human remains, thus providing a holistic reconstruction of a turbulent and dynamic era as experienced by the Greek diaspora. The book comprises six chapters and is enriched by a glossary, figures, and tables. Chapters One and Two set the context for the population under study. Chapter One, “Death and Burial in the Greek World,” is a thorough review of the cultural aspects of death rituals and burial practices in the Greek world, both the mainland as well as the colonies. Chapter Two, “Kamarina,” narrows the focus to the site of Kamarina, presenting specifics of its geography, history, and relevant archaeological research throughout the years with an emphasis on research conducted on the cemeteries. Chapter Three, “Demographic Attributes,” presents data derived from the macroscopic analysis of the human skeletal remains. The 272 individuals under study were fragmentarily preserved, and although this is a significant bias in any sample, the author makes the best of the available material in pursuing the determination of sex, estimation of age, stature, and recording of non-metric traits. This section also includes a thorough analysis of the demographic profile of the population, offering as well a possible explanation of the patterns observed. Chapter Four, “State of Health,” provides a detailed 1 For example, D. C. Haggis and C. M. Antonaccio (eds.), Classical Archaeology in Context: Theory and Practice in Excavation in the Greek World (Berlin 2015). BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 223 analysis of the observed pathological cases. As a bioarchaeologist, I found this section in particular to be truly balanced, lucid in its presentation, and, most importantly, clear in explaining health and disease patterns to non-specialists in the study of human skeletal remains. The case of the Kamarinean plague, which is here meticulously documented, presents additional information in the form of the new biological evidence. The author provides a good overview of the current research on malaria, porotic lesions on the cranium, and thalassemia genotypes in past Mediterranean populations, a topic that has been greatly influenced by the pioneering work of Lawrence J. Angel.2 It is notable that current studies in bioarchaeology are benefiting from the use of complex approaches involving multiple parameters of analysis, as well as innovative techniques such as Geographical Information Systems3 and paleohistological analysis.4 It should also be noted that, unlike most publications, the author presents the raw data (both in the...