The rise of coastal Middle Bronze Age Levant - a multidisciplinary approach for investigating in Sidon, Lebanon
The rise of coastal Middle Bronze Age Levant - a multidisciplinary approach for investigating in Sidon, Lebanon
Objectives: the Levantine Middle Bronze Age (MBA, circa 2000-1500 BCE) marks a period of increased trade and regional interaction, spurred on by technological developments. In light of previous research exhibiting limited mobility in Sidon, further investigation was conducted using biodistance analysis to understand local population history and site development.
Materials and Methods: dental nonmetric traits, a proxy for genetic information, were explored using ASUDAS on a sub-sample of primary inhumations (n=35). The biodistance matrix was generated using Gower distance measures, and further tested using PERMDISP, PERMANOVA, Mantel test and hierarchical cluster analysis. The data was also contrasted to 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O as well as δ13C and δ15N values.
Results: there were no significant diachronic differences in isotopes values, and there was biological continuity (n= 35, Mantel test r=0.11, p=0.02, comparing local phases and biodistance). The analysis also suggested of a sub-group of individuals with biological proximity shared a more limited range of mobility and dietary habits.
Conclusions: the isotopes (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C, δ15N) and biodistance analysis conducted on the Sidon College site skeletal assemblage exhibits stability and continuity of the people, despite the site’s increasing role in the maritime network. This continuity may have been a key factor in Sidon’s success, allowing it to accumulate wealth and resources for centuries to come.
Levant, biodistance, dental anthropology, isotopic analysis, Gower, Mediterranean, biodistance analysis, Western Asia, ASUDAS
428-439
Maaranen, N.
6adcd01d-8455-4071-bcdf-a53253587bf2
Stantis, C.
01164109-20ae-404a-963c-efdc31dd9c75
Kharobi, A.
2920e357-c89d-4b72-a15a-c4b35fe3e83a
Zakrzewski, S.
d80afd94-feff-4fe8-96e9-f3db79bba99d
Schutkowski, H.
97605e77-bfc5-4424-9eca-75d5392ea7d2
Doumet-Serhal, C.
e34dad27-ef96-444e-836a-e3f98fd57437
November 2023
Maaranen, N.
6adcd01d-8455-4071-bcdf-a53253587bf2
Stantis, C.
01164109-20ae-404a-963c-efdc31dd9c75
Kharobi, A.
2920e357-c89d-4b72-a15a-c4b35fe3e83a
Zakrzewski, S.
d80afd94-feff-4fe8-96e9-f3db79bba99d
Schutkowski, H.
97605e77-bfc5-4424-9eca-75d5392ea7d2
Doumet-Serhal, C.
e34dad27-ef96-444e-836a-e3f98fd57437
Maaranen, N., Stantis, C., Kharobi, A., Zakrzewski, S., Schutkowski, H. and Doumet-Serhal, C.
(2023)
The rise of coastal Middle Bronze Age Levant - a multidisciplinary approach for investigating in Sidon, Lebanon.
American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 182 (3), .
(doi:10.1002/ajpa.24831).
Abstract
Objectives: the Levantine Middle Bronze Age (MBA, circa 2000-1500 BCE) marks a period of increased trade and regional interaction, spurred on by technological developments. In light of previous research exhibiting limited mobility in Sidon, further investigation was conducted using biodistance analysis to understand local population history and site development.
Materials and Methods: dental nonmetric traits, a proxy for genetic information, were explored using ASUDAS on a sub-sample of primary inhumations (n=35). The biodistance matrix was generated using Gower distance measures, and further tested using PERMDISP, PERMANOVA, Mantel test and hierarchical cluster analysis. The data was also contrasted to 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O as well as δ13C and δ15N values.
Results: there were no significant diachronic differences in isotopes values, and there was biological continuity (n= 35, Mantel test r=0.11, p=0.02, comparing local phases and biodistance). The analysis also suggested of a sub-group of individuals with biological proximity shared a more limited range of mobility and dietary habits.
Conclusions: the isotopes (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C, δ15N) and biodistance analysis conducted on the Sidon College site skeletal assemblage exhibits stability and continuity of the people, despite the site’s increasing role in the maritime network. This continuity may have been a key factor in Sidon’s success, allowing it to accumulate wealth and resources for centuries to come.
Text
Maaranen-et-al-Main-text-Sidon-revised-SRZ
- Accepted Manuscript
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American Journal of Biological Anthropology - 2023 - Maaranen
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 26 July 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 August 2023
Published date: November 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This data was collected part of a project funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 668640, “The Enigma of the Hyksos”). We thank the Sidon excavation and project leader Dr Claude Doumet‐Serhal for granting access to the Sidon assemblage, and the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon for permissions to export samples for isotopes analysis. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their insight and suggestions, allowing us to improve the manuscript.
Funding Information:
This data was collected part of a project funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 668640, “The Enigma of the Hyksos”). We thank the Sidon excavation and project leader Dr Claude Doumet-Serhal for granting access to the Sidon assemblage, and the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon for permissions to export samples for isotopes analysis. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their insight and suggestions, allowing us to improve the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Keywords:
Levant, biodistance, dental anthropology, isotopic analysis, Gower, Mediterranean, biodistance analysis, Western Asia, ASUDAS
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 480273
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/480273
ISSN: 2692-7691
PURE UUID: cc045e92-121a-4cb1-953b-7a98be45b58a
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Date deposited: 01 Aug 2023 17:15
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:57
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Contributors
Author:
N. Maaranen
Author:
C. Stantis
Author:
A. Kharobi
Author:
H. Schutkowski
Author:
C. Doumet-Serhal
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