A Craniometrical Analysis of the Early Bronze Age Dogs from Vu~edol Site (East Slavonia, Croatia)

During archaeological campaigne on Vu~edol site 7 crania and cranial fragments together with 10 halfs of lower jawswere found. Due to existance of crania and lower jaws damages and therefore lack of preserved craniometrical points, it was not possible to measure the same craniometrical lengths on all the samples. Apart from craniometrical measurements, 6 craniometrical indices and ratios were calculated. Comparison of calculated values and values of craniometrical indices and ratios identify dog\u27s crania from Vu~edol site as dolichocephalic cranial type. Mutual comparison of all analyzed craniometricalvalues for crania and lower jaws of dog\u27s crania don\u27t show a significant difference in size and ratios of individual measures, nor significant deviation in value of the samples of other Vu~edol culture sites. This point out on type of dogs with similar appearance which tallness and form respond to smaller dog\u27s breed, in the first place a type of Croatian sheepdog or Hungarian Mudi

Anthropological Analysis of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Skeletons – A Classical and Molecular Approach (East Slavonia, Croatia)

Theories about the first Indo-European migration are numerous. Significant contribution in attempt to resolve these theories is given by analysing skeletal material from two biggest prehistoric archaeological sites from N-E Croatia. Eight skeletons of Star~evo culture from sites »Nama« and »Hotel« at Vinkovci (6100–5500 BC) and seven skeletons of Vu~edol culture from the site Vineyard Streim at Vu~edol near Vukovar (3000–2500 BC) were analysed. Methods of classical anthropological analysis tried to distinguish the differences among members of both populations, while the methods of molecular genetics were used in defining possible genetic structure of both ancient populations. Established differences speak on the behalf of the theory of Maria Gimbutas about the first Indo-European migration with a cattle breeding population from the east around 3500 BC

Histological and Macromorphological Method of Burned Bones Analysis of Humans and Animals on the Example of Roman Period Graves of the Northwestern Necropolis of Siscia (Sisak, Croatia)

Prožimanje makromorfološke i histološke metode analize spaljenih kostiju iz arheološkoga konteksta pruža mogućnost boljega razumijevanja tafonomskih procesa koji mijenjaju osteološki materijal tijekom gorenja i nakon polaganja u zemlju. Također, omogućavaju bolje razumijevanje pogrebnih običaja. Analizirani su spaljeni ostaci ljudi i životinja iz dvadeset jednoga groba rimskodobne nekropole iz Siscije (Sisak, Hrvatska). Samo u dva groba spaljeni ostaci bili su očuvani u urnama, dok su ostali bili položeni u zemlju, u grobnu jamu. Očuvanost koštanih i dentalnih ostataka humanoga i animalnoga podrijetla je vrlo niska. Riječ je o fragmentima čija je duljina iznosila do 10 mm, a masa uzoraka rijetko je prelazila 30 g po osobi. Histološka metoda analize omogućila je preciznije odjeljivanje humanih od animalnih fragmenata kosti i odredbu doživljene starosti u rasponu od pet ili deset godina. Za slabo očuvane uzorke bilo je moguće utvrditi je li riječ o humanome materijalu te odrediti doživljenu starost u relacijama dijete – odrasla osoba. Rezultati analize potvrđuju važnost mikroskopske metode u ispitivanju doživljene starosti humanih i taksonomske pripadnosti životinjskih spaljenih ostataka.The permeation of the macroscopic and histological method of analysis of burned bones from an archaeological context provides an opportunity to understand better the taphonomic processes which change osteological material during the burning process and after laying it in the ground. They also allow a better understanding of funeral customs. The burned remains of humans and animals from 21 graves of a Roman-age necropolis from Siscia (Sisak, Croatia) were analyzed. Only in two graves, the burned remains were preserved in urns, while the rest were laid in the ground, in a grave pit. The preservation level of bone and dental remains of human and animal origin is very low, these are fragments whose length was up to 10 mm, and the weight of the samples rarely exceeded 30 g per person. The histological method of analysis enabled a more precise separation of human from animal bone fragments and the determination of age at death in the range of 5 or 10 years. For poorly preserved samples, it was possible to determine whether it was human material and to determine the age at death in the child-adult relationship. The analysis results confirm the importance of the microscopic method in examining the age of human and taxonomic affiliation of animal burned remains

Cremated Human and Animal Remains of the Roman Period – Microscopic Method of Analysis (Šepkovčica, Croatia)

Human and animal cremated osteological remains from twelve graves of Roman Period from archaeological site [epkov~ica near Velika Gorica (Turopolje region, NW Croatia) were analysed. Beside the content of urns and grave pits, fillings of grave vessels like bowls, pots and amphoras from twentytwo grave samples were included in this study. The preservation of osteological and dental remains of human and animal origin was very poor, majority of fragments hardly reach lengths of 10 mm. Weight of each specimen barely exceeds 100 g per person. Apart from traditional macroscopic methods of analysing cremated remains, microscopic method for determination of age at death was also tested. Fragments of femoral bone diaphysis of eighteen persons whose remains had been found on the site were analysed. Person’s age at death was presented in the range of five or ten years, and the long bone fragments of a child (infants) were detected. Taxonomic position for each analysed specimen was determined by microscopic analysis of animal cremated bones. Analysis results confirm validity of microscopic method in determination of age at death for human remains and taxonomic qualification of cremated animal remains from archaeological sites

The Cranial Analysis of Eight Skulls from Collective Grave of the Early Bronze Age Vucedol Site (East Slavonia, Croatia)

The collective grave of the Vu~edol culture signed as »grave 3/1985« with skeletons of eight persons, represents the most important burial of this culture on the eponimic site in East Croatia, with several indications of human sacrifice. Anthropological and radiological analysis were performed on crania remains of the individuals, specifically on the skulls of one male and seven females. Nondestructive methods embraced craniometrical analysis, analysis of cranial non-metric traits and multivariate distance analysis, with a help of radiological methods, to detect every distinct anatomical characteristic of the skulls. All methods used in this work tried to present similarities and a possible homogeneity of the analysed individuals

RECONSTRUCTING THE LIFE OF AN UNKNOWN MAN – INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

U radu se prikazuje mogućnost i važnost interdisciplinarnog pristupa analizi bioarheološkog materijala humanog podrijetla. prikazuju se podatci dobiveni različitim aspektima biološke antropologije iz otvorenog groba i obradom prisutnih posmrtnih ostataka, dajući priču osobe, muškarca. Primarna antropološka identifi kacija, koja uključuje spol, dob u trenutku smrti i visinu, zajedno s analizom patoloških promjena na kostima i razvijenosti mišićno-koštanih hvatišta, uvijek nam daje obilje podataka, koji su iznimno važni u antropologiji, ali otvaraju i nove vidike arheolozima te povjesničarima. Analiza stabilnih izotopa 13C, 15N, 18O dala je uvid u moguću migraciju osobe, kemijski opis regije u kojoj je istraživani muškarac proveo rano djetinjstvo, kao i obilježja područja gdje je boravio posljednjih godina života. Pomoću višeslojne tomografi je (CT) skeniranja lubanje i uz korištenje računalne tehnike za rekonstrukciju mekotkivnih struktura lica dobiven je prikaz lica analizirane osobe. Općenito, takva je rekonstrukcija korisna u forenzičkom aspektu, a može koristiti, kao u prikazanom slučaju, i za vizualizaciju stvaranja morfološko - antropoloških pokazatelja.The remains of a tomb were discovered below the foundations of the Roman church of “Majka Bozja Gorska” in Lobor in 2002. It was a vaulted tomb carved from a single stone. The narthex of ancient Christian and pre-roman churches often served as the resting place of religious, secular and noble dignitaries, who were credited for founding the church at the time. By anthropological methods, the age, gender, height, pathological changes, tendon and ligament hinges and degree of development were able to be analysed. The stable isotopes of Carbon-13, Nitrogen-15 and Oxygen-18 were analysed and expressed a

The Cranial Analysis of Eight Skulls from Collective Grave of the Early Bronze Age Vu~edol Site (East Slavonia, Croatia)

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