Towards a social bioarchaeology of the Mycenaean period : a multi-disciplinary analysis of funerary remains from the Late Helladic chamber tomb cemetery of Voudeni, Achaea, Greece
This research seeks to develop a holistic bioarchaeological approach to the social dimensions of Mycenaean mortuary practice, with special reference to the treatment of the dead body, through the multi-dimensional analysis of human skeletal remains and contextual mortuary data from Voudeni, an important Late Mycenaean (1400-1050 BC) chamber tomb cemetery in Achaea, Greece. This approach aspires to transcend unproductive cross-disciplinary divisions, advocating the integration of theory and multi-faceted bio-cultural evidence, specifically addressing theoretical and methodological issues in the analysis of commingled skeletal remains. It proposes that the most effective route to explore social aspects in mortuary data is through an emic understanding of historically situated actions and experiences, both of the living actors, the mourners, and of the dead themselves. Human skeletal remains are the primary strand of evidence, both as the object of the acts of the living and the subject of their own lived experiences. The research is presented in successive stages: a) building a solid theoretical and methodological framework, b) presenting the sample and detailed osteological results, c) exploring the relationships
Moutafi, Ioanna
Towards a social bioarchaeology of the Mycenaean period : a multi-disciplinary analysis of funerary remains from the Late Helladic chamber tomb cemetery of Voudeni, Achaea, Greece. This research seeks to develop a holistic bioarchaeological approach to the social dimensions of Mycenaean mortuary practice, with special reference to the treatment of the dead body, through the multi-dimensional analysis of human skeletal remains and contextual mortuary data from Voudeni, an important Late Mycenaean (1400-1050 BC) chamber tomb cemetery in Achaea, Greece. This approach aspires to transcend unproductive cross-disciplinary divisions, advocating the integration of theory and multi-faceted bio-cultural evidence, specifically addressing theoretical and methodological issues in the analysis of commingled skeletal remains. It proposes that the most effective route to explore social aspects in mortuary data is through an emic understanding of historically situated actions and experiences, both of the living actors, the mourners, and of the dead themselves. Human skeletal remains are the primary strand of evidence, both as the object of the acts of the living and the subject of their own lived experiences. The research is presented in successive stages: a) building a solid theoretical and methodological framework, b) presenting the sample and detailed osteological results, c) exploring the relationships
towards social bioarchaeology mycenaean_period multi_disciplinary analysis funerary remain late chamber tomb cemetery greece seek_develop holistic bioarchaeological social dimension mycenaean mortuary_practice special_reference treatment_dead body multi_dimensional analysis human_skeletal_remain contextual mortuary_data important late mycenaean chamber_tomb cemetery greece aspires transcend cross_disciplinary division advocate integration theory multi_faceted cultural evidence specifically_address theoretical_methodological issue analysis skeletal_remains proposes effective route explore social_aspect mortuary_data emic historically situate action experience live actor dead themselves human_skeletal_remain primary strand_evidence object act live subject lived_experience present successive stage building solid theoretical_methodological framework present sample detailed osteological explore_relationship