Nonetheless, it should be possible to gather significant information from the bones about the people buried in the polyandreia: the number of individuals present, age range and sex (from morphology and metrical analysis), body structure and physique, health (as reflected in pathologies; trauma; and general skeletal biology, for example growth checks, known as Harris lines, on long bones), and diet (through trace-chemical analysis). Indications of occupational activities, such as bony modification of the calcaneus (heel bone) that might reflect constant mounting and dismounting of horses, will be of particular importance in identifying the remains. Cross-checking the remains from each polyandreion may reveal any differences, or uniformity, in such characteristics. Agelarakis, now on leave from his teaching duties, hopes to complete an initial examination by the end of this spring.
Agelarakis uses a probe to indicate tooth sockets on a maxilla fragment. © ARCHAEOLOGY/Joshua Nefsky |