Under the two year frame of the MSCA BIOSOCIOPOLIS project, approximately 200 individuals (Minimum number of individuals-MNI) were macroscopically analyzed, mostly inhumation burials and to a very small extent cremations. As already mentioned, the selection of the suitable bodies of research was made based on representative criteria (representation of different time periods and various funenary practices) as well as immediate availability to contextual data. Furthermore, 90 human samples were isotopically analyzed (and are being analyzed at the moment) at the VUB, for the purpose of dietary and mobility reconstruction. Even though, both isotopic and statistical analyses are still on going, a first overview of results can be summarized to: a) During the Classical transition, at the time when Amphipolis became an Athenian colony and therefore a city state, enamel hypoplasia-which is a non-specific stress indicator-significantly increase, even though the Archaic sample is very limited. Enamel hypoplasia is observed on the labial/buccal surface of the teeth and it reflects episodes of stress during growth, as teeth do not remodel after their formation. Enamel hypoplasia has been associated with episodes of metabolic stress (even mild or moderate), malnutrition or infectious disease. This change can be attributed to the negative effects in human health that have been repeatedly associated with the process of urbanization. At the same time, during the stated transition, a vast increase in calculus rates is noted. This can be linked to a possible increase in protein consumption during the Classical transition; b) Moreover, based on our results, it seems that during the Roman transition there was a decline of standard of living. This is primarily manifested through the significant enamel hypoplasia increase. There is also a slight decline both in stature estimates and in nitrogen isotope values during the stated transition. These results are also in agreement with literary sources referring to a widening of class differentiations via the development of a stratified political, economic and social order in Amphipolis during the Roman times. c) primary analysis from Amphipolis' Eastern Cemetery has revealed some very interesting data combining lived reality with funerary elements. In specific, female or probable female burials show a greater variability in terms of burial type and type of materials recovered in them. Burials that have been unearthed with no artifacts have been mostly attributed to male or probable male individuals. Non-adult individuals on the other hand, are mainly found in pit and tile burials, while the most prestigious materials that are associated with them are silver or gilded and not gold ones. Gold artifacts, are mainly found in middle and old middle adult individuals (25-35 years old and 36-50, respectively). Calculus rates seem to prevail in pit burials, while individuals in burials with bronze and/or iron items seem to present higher calculus frequencies in relation to those buried in burials with silver, gold or gold and silver items. Neverthless, it seems that mortuary environment with lived reality do not share a simplistic straightforward relationship and more analysis needs to be done in that regard. d) Interesting differentiations have been noted between individuals that were buried at the site of Domiros, which is located in the inland part of Amphipolis, compared to individuals that were buried at the Eastern cemetery which belongs to the actual site of Amphipolis (much closer to the coast). According to an archaeological hypothesis, Domiros residents might have been “local” Thracians and they definitely would not be considered as citizens of Amphipolis, based on their geographic location. Domiros’ individuals seem to have different oral health and stress patterns compared to individuals buried at the Eastern cemetery. Moreover, there seems to be a differentiation in the nitrogen isotope values between the Domiros sample (inland) and the remaining sites of Amphipolis, with the latter showing more elevated nitrogen values, which could indicate more animal and freshwater consumption. In addition, carbon isotope values between the two locations indicate a greater variability for the Domiros sample with a possible higher inclusion of C4 sources (plants that follow the C4 photosynthetic pathway, e.g. millet); d) regarding biodistance and mobility, cranial non-metric analysis possibly suggests that inward mobility/migration might have shifted the genetic pool during the Classical period, whereas dental non-metric analysis suggests a significant difference between the Classical and the Hellenistic group, also pointing to possible inward migration during these periods, which is supported by literary sources and archaeological data. Moreover, primary strontium and oxygen results, shown significant overlaping between different time periods. More isotopic data are needed to form safer conslusions.
This research has revealed novel information regarding ancient Amphipolis. More than that, this is the first research that focuses on the impacts of multiple and consecutive socio-political transitions on human lifeways and deathways in a historical population, on a large temporal scale, in Northern Greece. This brings important new knowledge for the wider region and for the field of historical bioarchaeology. A most important contribution, that will bring important progress beyond the state of the art is identifying potential health and lifestyle differences linked to socio-economic inequalities. As already stated above, such analysis has brought interesting first insights. The next step, will require an even more detailed approach including as many data as possible to compare funerary elements (type of burial, type of materials and number of artifacts per burial) with health and lifestyle indicators (stress indicators, diet, physical activity, mobility). Even though, each archaeological context is unique, the proposed contextual methodology can serve as a model for future researchers focusing on status-quo transitions and socio-economic differences under the lens of bioarchaeology.
