Continuity and change in subsistence at Tell Barri, NE Syria

The history of the Fertile Crescent is well documented through archaeology and epigraphy. However, contrary to adjacent regions in the Mediterranean and Middle East, the reconstruction of diet and food ways through isotope analysis is limited for Mesopotamia and, consequently, matters of subsistence change are not well understood. To address this, collagen carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of human (N=84) and animal (N=8) samples from Tell Barri, Syria, predominantly ranging from the Early Bronze Age to Roman/Parthian times, were analysed to ascertain diachronic dietary patterns as well as gender- and age-related differences

Reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices in the Bronze Age Near East using stable nitrogen isotopes.

OBJECTIVES: Breastfeeding and childhood diet have significant impact on morbidity and mortality within a population, and in the ancient Near East, it is possible to compare bioarchaeological reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices with the scant textual evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15 N) are analyzed here for dietary reconstruction in skeletal collections from five Bronze Age (ca. 2,800-1,200 BCE) sites in modern Lebanon and Syria. We employed Bayesian computational modeling on cross-sectional stable isotope data of collagen samples (n = 176) mainly from previous studies to test whether the bioarchaeological evidence aligns with the textual evidence of breastfeeding and weaning practices in the region, as well as compare the estimated weaning times to the global findings using the WARN (weaning age reconstruction with nitrogen isotope analysis) Bayesian model. RESULTS: Though the Near East sites in this study had different ecological settings and economic strategies, we found that weaning was introduced to the five sites at 0.5 ± 0.2 years of age and complete weaning occurred around 2.6 ± 0.3 years of age on using the WARN computational model. These weaning processes are within the time suggested by historical texts, though average estimated weaning age on the Mediterranean coast is later than inland sites. DISCUSSION: Compared globally, these Near Eastern populations initiated the weaning process earlier but completed weaning within the global average. Early initial weaning may have created short spacing between pregnancies and a high impact on demographic growth within these agricultural populations, with some variation in subsistence practices accounting for the inland/coastal discrepancies

Hidden in Bones: Tracking the Hyksos Across the Levant

Though the term Hyksos commonly refers to the rulers of the Egyptian Second Intermediate Period, it is also used to describe the larger population from which these rulers derived. Archaeological, artistic and textual sources suggest a Levantine origin of the ‘Hyksos people’; however, whether this was a single homogenous group or several groups from a wider area has remained uncertain.Non-metric traits, also called epigenetic traits, are normal variations of the human skeleton. The traits, though seemingly random in a single person, often have a genetic component that links biologically closely related people together, enabling an exploration of biological affiliations not only within but also between populations.As a non-invasive method, non-metric trait analysis can be used to study biological closeness when there is no wish or possibility to use DNA analysis. An increasing number of non-metric trait analyses is being conducted on human skeletal remains, creating trait distribution maps for a wider exploration of biological closeness. As part of the Hyksos Enigma Project, non-metric traits from human skeletal remains from Tell el-Dabʿa, the ancient Hyksos capital of Avaris, are recorded. The results help to understand familial relationships within the site but also compare the site and its subgroups to Levantine sites, potentially offering new insight into the Hyksos origin and the wider migration of people in the Levantine area

Weapon injuries in the crusader mass graves from a 13th century attack on the port city of Sidon (Lebanon).

Archaeological excavations close to St Louis' castle in Sidon, Lebanon have revealed two mass grave deposits containing partially articulated and disarticulated human skeletal remains. A minimum of 25 male individuals have been recovered, with no females or young children. Radiocarbon dating of the human remains, a crusader coin, and the design of Frankish belt buckles strongly indicate they belong to a single event in the mid-13th century CE. The skeletal remains demonstrate a high prevalence of unhealed sharp force, penetrating force and blunt force trauma consistent with medieval weaponry. Higher numbers of wounds on the back of individuals than the front suggests some were attacked from behind, possibly as they fled. The concentration of blade wounds to the back of the neck of others would be compatible with execution by decapitation following their capture. Taphonomic changes indicate the skeletal remains were left exposed for some weeks prior to being collected together and re-deposited in the defensive ditch by a fortified gateway within the town wall. Charring on some bones provides evidence of burning of the bodies. The findings imply the systematic clearance of partially decomposed corpses following an attack on the city, where adult and teenage males died as a result of weapon related trauma. The skeletons date from the second half of the Crusader period, when Christian-held Sidon came under direct assault from both the Mamluk Sultanate (1253 CE) and the Ilkhanate Mongols (1260 CE). It is likely that those in the mass graves died during one of these assaults

The Hyksos in Egypt: A Bioarchaeological Perspective

The term Hyksos commonly refers to the foreign dynasty that inhabited and held power in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, circa 1640–1530 BCE. Recent research has integrated archaeological, artistic and textual evidence, revealing the Hyksos origin and presence in Egypt more complex than previously envisioned. Answers to questions regarding the Hyksos origin (and reasons for migration), ethnic and biological homogeneity, nature of rule and impact on the Egyptian worldview are sought by the ‘Hyksos Enigma Project’. One of the research tracks is dedicated solely to the analysis of human remains.Bioarchaeology is a subfield of archaeology focusing on the analysis of human remains in the archaeological record. Here, bioarchaeology refers to the analysis and contextualization of human remains to answer the questions of Hyksos mobility and life history. This paper focuses on methods available for the investigation of mobility from human remains to illustrate the usefulness of bioarchaeological analyses.Mobility studies have experienced a new awakening in archaeology, caused by recent theoretical and methodological developments in both non-destructive and biochemical techniques. Ancient DNA analysis can be used to investigate both individuals and populations. Stable isotope analysis using strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) act as proxies for provenance and diet. Non-destructive biodistance analysis, using dental non-metric trait analysis and geometric morphometrics, reflects morphological closeness of individuals and groups. The analysis of human remains cannot only reveal movement of the Hyksos but can increase understanding of mobility in the eastern Mediterranean

Cyprus as an ancient hub for house mice and humans

© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Biogeography Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: The distribution of the western house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) around the world has been strongly influenced by the movement of humans. The close association between the house mouse and human phylogeography has been primarily studied in the peripheral distribution of the species. Here, we inferred the complex colonization history of Cyprus, situated close to the centre of the house mouse distribution and one of the first European islands to be colonized by the species. We investigated the resulting complexity of house mouse population genetics as well as considering the value of the house mouse as a bioproxy for studying modern human movement. Location: The study was carried out on Cyprus. Methods: The analysis was performed using 221 new mitochondrial D-loop sequences and assessed the fine-scale population genetic structure using 18 autosomal microsatellite loci from 191 modern house mice specimens. Results: We found a high genetic variability in the island that is illustrated by the presence of individuals from 9 of the 11 previously identified house mouse haplogroups for the D-loop, reflecting the hub-like nature of the island to mice. Two main waves of mouse introductions were tentatively identified based on coalescent and mismatch analysis. The first is apparently related to the Bronze Age expansion and the second one to more recent human movements. Cyprus represents an island with high complexity due to different introductions related to human transport and activity. Main conclusions: The dispersal of mice along with humans has left a complex footprint on the island with two main waves of introductions suggested. The phylogeography of the house mouse on Cyprus is in concordance with the complex human colonization history of the island and validates the use of the house mouse as a proxy to study human migration