Bioarchaeological insights into the Late Helladic communities of South Kynouria, Peloponnese: The case of the LH IIIA2-IIIB2 burial cluster of Socha

Abstract

This paper examines the human osteological remains unearthed from six Late Helladic (LH IIIA2-IIIB2) (1390/70–1200/1190 BCE) tombs at Socha in the Peloponnese. It seeks to investigate the character of a Mycenaean community that though organically integrated into and highly dependent on the palatial system, manifested Mycenaean burial practices with a distinctly local character, namely, through the use of built cist-tombs. Our analysis investigates further the identity of this community and explores whether these people had also adopted a different way of life, diet and mortuary behavior toward specific groups. The results show that the demographic composition, diet, and health characteristics of the deceased of Socha were analogous to most Mycenaean sites: (a) equal representation of males and females, (b) burial exclusion of infants and young children, and (c) homogenous C₃ terrestrial diet. In addition, a tendency for a more frequent inclusion of middle-aged females with subadults in the same tomb suggests gender and age differentiation are in play. On the other hand, even though the burials of Socha practiced collectivity, an emphasis on individuality through a less variable post-mortem manipulation of the deceased is also in evidence and is characterized by single secondary deposits within the original grave, no evidence for commingling, and no evidence for removal nor selection of bones in secondary deposits. These characteristics demonstrate the differentiation of the group of Socha during a period of intensive movement and the creation of new settlements in South Kynouria.