KOUPHOVOUNO - 2006
Informations Générales
Numéro de la notice
2104
Année de l'opération
2006
Chronologie
Mots-clés
Nature de l'opération
Institution(s)
Localisation
Toponyme
Sykarakion
Sykarakion
Notices et opérations liées
Description
Kouphovouno. W. Cavanagh and A. Lagia (BSA) report the results of a physical anthropological study of the 27 individuals from the 16 pit and cist (Fig. 1) graves excavated (and from disturbed contexts). A Middle Helladic date is inferred, despite the paucity of offerings, noting a shoe-socketed spearhead of the end of the MH period (Fig. 2) in grave C0213 (of a male 16-17 years of age), a kantharos in B0186, and clay whorls in B0105 and C0926.
Due to erosion, most skeletons lay close to the modern land surface and had been damaged by cultivation. All age groups and both sexes were present, although females are under-represented and generally older (45+ years), suggesting differential treatment or a skewed sample. Death was most frequent in infancy/early childhood or in late adolescence/young adulthood especially in the case of males (30% in each category). In two graves, A0009 and C0213, infants were found in adult graves: in the former case, DNA shows a genetic relationship between the infant and the adult male with which it was buried.
The overall health of the population was poor, with evidence of infection, nutritional deficiencies and stunting in infancy, and infection, trauma, degenerative bone disease and dental pathologies in adulthood. Infants showed evidence of severe hemorrhagic episodes around birth, indicating nutritional stress for both mother and child. Most adolescents showed linear enamel hyperplasia in their dentition, indicating childhood disease, vitamin deficiencies, infectious disease or malnutrition - sources of stress which may contribute to early death. Adults showed evidence of non-specific infection, and degenerative changes in the upper limbs, knees and spines of both sexes linked to heavy manual labour (Fig. 3). Only males present trauma due to injury, mostly through accident and displaying evidence of healing (Fig. 4) but with one case of severe peri-mortem violence. Stable isotope analysis combined with study of dental wear (Figs 5,6) indicates a mixed diet of mostly terrestrial products, with limited animal protein.
Grave C0213 contained the burial of a male in late adolescence buried in anatomical position, but with the lower limbs severed at the thigh and buried parallel with the body but in reverse orientation (Fig. 7). A shoe-socketed spearhead was included in the grave (see above). The skeleton showed evidence of peri-mortem trauma of the femora via direct force applied to both thighs simultaneously (Fig. 8), with the lower limbs then severed.
Auteur de la notice
Catherine MORGAN
Références bibliographiques
W. Cavanagh and A. Lagia, ‘Burials from Kouphovouno, Sparta, Lakonia’, in A. Philippa-Touchais, G. Touchais, S. Voutsaki and J. Wright (eds), Mesohelladika (BCH supp. 52), Paris/Athens 2010, 333-346.
Légende graphique :
localisation de la fouille/de l'opération
localisation du toponyme
polygone du toponyme Chronique
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Date de création
2011-06-19 00:00:00
Dernière modification
2022-04-04 13:44:16
Figure(s)
Fig. 1/ Kouphovouno: cist grave KE0108
Fig. 2/ Kouphovouno: copper alloy spearhead from grave KE0213.
Fig. 3/ Kouphovouno: spinal osteoarthritis in the lumbar region of a middle adult male (KE0707).
Fig. 4/ Kouphovouno: rib fracture at healing stage at the time of death (KE0705).
Fig. 5/ Kouphovouno: maxillae (KE0707) showing heavy wear of the anterior dentition with considerable loss of crown height and calculus.
Fig. 6/ Kouphovouno: mandible (KE0707) showing caries, dental fractures, approximal attrition and increased wear of the anterior dentition.
Fig. 7/ Kouphovouno: grave 0212, truncated skeleton in situ.
Fig. 8/ Kouphovouno: perimortem comminuted sub- and inter-trochanteric fractures of the femora of the skeleton KE0213. The heads of the femora are articulated with the acetabuli of the Os coxae. Photo in situ.