Lucy Evangelista presented her PhD thesis to the University of Coimbra.
Abstract:
For this study, the human bone sample recovered from Tomb I
was analysed from a bioarchaeological perspective with the aim of contributing
towards a better understanding of the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic individuals
that used the Perdigões prehistoric enclosures (Reguengos de Monsaraz,
Portugal) as a burial site, and their attitudes towards death.
To achieve this, four main research objectives were defined:
(I) the analysis of the human remains exhumed from Tomb I,
in order to characterize demographic, morphologic and pathological aspects of
the population(II) based on physical anthropological analysis and the
archaeological register, identification of funerary rules and attitudes,
relating them to mental constructions towards death through a study of: the
conception and form of deposition of human remains; the organization of the
internal space of the tomb; evidence of ritualization; signs of management of
the funerary space (III) to understand how the specific mortuary practices
identified in Tomb I fit into the global funerary practices already known for
the rest of the important archaeological site of Perdigões (IV) Tomb I was also
understood within the context the history of the use of other tholoi type structures
in the territory that is now referred to as South Portugal.
Tomb I is a tholos type structure from Perdigões
Archaeological Complex, dated from the first half of the 3rd millennium BC and
excavated between 1997 and 2001.The sample was in poor state of conservation and
highly fragmented, and skeletonized elements were found completely
disarticulated. Anthropic and natural taphonomic alterations were limiting
factors of the study.
A two-fold approach was applied to the study of the skeletal
sample from this funerary structure. First, it was studied according to the
archaeological phases defined after field work, which sought to understand possible
differentiated uses of the tomb through time. The skeletal sample was then
studied as a whole, regardless of phases of use. The data obtained through this
latter anthropological study were utilized for the paleodemographic
reconstruction and for the identification of potential patterns in mortuary
practices and for further comparison of this monument with other funerary
structures inside and outside Perdigões Archaeological Complex. Both approaches
mirror the same reality: the collective, commingled use of this tomb for
deposition of human remains from both sexes and individuals of all ages.
A total of 61926 bone fragments and 1579 teeth were studied.
The paleodemographic approach estimated an MNI of 103 individuals for this
structure: 55 adults and 48 non-adults (below 15 years of age at death).
Results showed both sexes were represented, while non-metric trait data, highly
limited by the conditions of the sample, delivered few results.
Calculus was identified on 20,6% of the analysed teeth
(289/1399) and linear enamel hypoplasia on 10,4% (143/1369) of the tooth
sample, making them the most frequently represented dental pathologies for
permanent teeth. Average tooth wear in this sample was low: 1,9 (n=1428) very
close to the level of wear obtained for deciduous dentition: 1,8 (n=84).
Cariogenic lesions were found on only 0,5% of the 1406 permanent teeth analysed
and antemortem tooth loss was identified in 5,3% (n=29/539) of the observable
alveoli. Skeletal pathological changes related mostly to joint disease, found
mainly on upper and lower limb bones and the spine. The presence of
enthesopathies were most commonly found on the lower limb and foot bones. Some
evidence other diseases, such as infectious, congenital, metabolic and traumatic
conditions, was found, but in low frequencies. However, the rarity of some of
these pathologies for prehistoric contexts must be highlighted, as the probable
case of Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna identified on an individual from Phase
2C.
The analysis of the use of the chamber for funerary
depositions throughout the different phases revealed that different physical
areas were used for the depositions of human remains and artefacts. In terms of
Funerary Anthropology, Tomb I constitutes a burial site where an obvious and
intense manipulation of the skeletal remains took place. No anatomical
connections were identified and evidence suggests the secondary use of this
funerary structure, although the possible presence of primary depositions at
some point of its life cannot be overruled.
Comparison with other tholos/tholoi type structures made it
possible to record differences in demographic, morphological and pathological
features between coeval populations.
