Maaranen, N. orcid.org/0000-0001-5821-1167, Stantis, C., Kharobi, A. orcid.org/0000-0002-5642-3526 et al. (3 more authors) (2023) The rise of coastal Middle Bronze Age Levant – A multidisciplinary approach for investigating in Sidon, Lebanon. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 182 (3). pp. 428-439. ISSN 2692-7691
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.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | ASUDAS; biodistance analysis; Gower; Mediterranean; Western Asia |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Department of Archaeology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 15 Aug 2023 13:52 |
Last Modified: | 04 Oct 2024 15:02 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/ajpa.24831 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:202419 |
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