Variations in the health status of urban populations in Roman Britain : a comparison of skeletal samples from major and minor towns
Romano-British towns are conventionally divided into those that possessed administrative powers (the major or âpublicâ towns) and those that did not (the minor or âsmall townsâ). Public towns and small towns differed in terms of size and socioeconomic status, with the latter sometimes characterised as semi-rural rather than truly urban. Hitherto, research into the differing nature of the communities at public and small towns has focused primarily on variations in settlement morphology, architecture and material culture. This study provides a new perspective on the issue by examining osteological indicators of lifestyle and health in skeletal samples from these two categories of site. Roman populations from the small town of Ancaster, Lincs (N=271) and the public town of Winchester, Hants (N=330) dating to c. AD 200-410 were analysed using standard osteological methods. Data on age-at-death, growth and stature, and skeletal and dental pathology were recorded and compared using a range of statistical tests to identify potential differences. Additionally, published data for contemporaneous populations were collated for comparison. A biocultural approach was used to contextualise the data with reference
Bonsall, Laura
Roman Britain ; bioarchaeology ; population health ; towns
Variations in the health status of urban populations in Roman Britain : a comparison of skeletal samples from major and minor towns. Romano-British towns are conventionally divided into those that possessed administrative powers (the major or âpublicâ towns) and those that did not (the minor or âsmall townsâ). Public towns and small towns differed in terms of size and socioeconomic status, with the latter sometimes characterised as semi-rural rather than truly urban. Hitherto, research into the differing nature of the communities at public and small towns has focused primarily on variations in settlement morphology, architecture and material culture. This study provides a new perspective on the issue by examining osteological indicators of lifestyle and health in skeletal samples from these two categories of site. Roman populations from the small town of Ancaster, Lincs (N=271) and the public town of Winchester, Hants (N=330) dating to c. AD 200-410 were analysed using standard osteological methods. Data on age-at-death, growth and stature, and skeletal and dental pathology were recorded and compared using a range of statistical tests to identify potential differences. Additionally, published data for contemporaneous populations were collated for comparison. A biocultural approach was used to contextualise the data with reference
variations health_status urban_population roman_britain comparison skeletal sample major_minor town romano_british town conventionally divide possessed administrative power major public town minor small_town public town small_town differ term size socioeconomic status latter sometimes characterise semi rural rather truly urban hitherto differ nature community public small_town focus_primarily variation settlement_morphology architecture material_culture study provide_new perspective issue examine osteological indicator lifestyle health skeletal sample category site roman population small_town public town winchester date analyse_use standard osteological method data age death growth stature skeletal dental pathology record compare use range statistical test identify_potential difference additionally publish_data contemporaneous population collate comparison biocultural use contextualise data reference