Social Inequality and Difference in the Ancient Greek World

Bioarchaeological Perspectives

Anna Lagia, Sofia Voutsaki

• Publisher: University of Florida Press
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781683404606
• eBook ISBN: 9781683404675
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Greek Ancient History
• Index: Social Sciences

Exploring the relationship between health and inequality in the societies of ancient Greece

In this volume, bioarchaeologists, osteologists, archaeologists, and paleopathologists examine the ways social inequalities and differences affected health and well-being in ancient Greece. Although the ancient Greek civilization is often associated with the ideals of democracy and social equality, the region was characterized by pervasive divisions. Moving beyond elitism and idealization, this book focuses on health-related disparities and difference.



Case studies cover a wide temporal range—from the eleventh century BCE through the sixth century CE, a period not usually examined in bioarchaeological studies of the region—and geographical areas including city-states in the Greek mainland, the Aegean islands, the Ionian coast, Albania, and southern Italy. Comparing health-related data across social groups and sociopolitical systems, contributors explore the relationships between colonists and Indigenous communities, strategies of inclusion and exclusion in mortuary practices, and the impact of urbanization and Romanization on health, diet, and growth. This book also discusses methodological questions such as the challenges posed by poor skeletal preservation, small sample sizes, and incomplete or legacy data.



With a focus on marginalized groups including ordinary people, women, children, and enslaved workers, Social Inequality and Difference in the Ancient Greek World shows how bioarchaeology can dialogue with the disciplines of archaeology and ancient history to explore subjects such as health, inequality, ethnicity, age, and gender. This book opens a new avenue for addressing questions concerning living standards in the ancient world.  

Contributors: Hannah Liedl | Lukas Waltenberger | Britney Kyle | Dimitra Ermioni Michael | Victoria Sabetai | Carrie L. Sulosky Weaver | Anna Lagia | Elena Vlachogianni | Sandra Garvie-Lok | Jane Buikstra | Reine-Marie Bérard | Christina Papageorgopoulou | Efthymia Nikita | Aliya R. Hoff | Eleni-Anna Prevedorou | Sofia Voutsaki | Lisa Steige | Sam Cleymans | Paraskevi Tritsaroli



A volume in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• 1. Introduction
• 2. In Sickness and in Health: Health-Related Quality of Life in Bioarchaeological Research
• 3. Stable Isotopes: Examining Ancient Greek Diet and Identity in Environmental and Biological Context
• 4. Reconstructing Population History through Paleogenomic Analysis
• 5. Untimely Death: Funerary Treatment and Status of the Subadults in the Cemeteries of Megara Hyblaea (Late 8th to Early 5th Century BCE)
• 6. At the Intersection of Biology and Identity: Nonmetric Traits as Indicators of Ethnicity in Greek Colonial Contexts
• 7. Unwritten Histories of Ancient Athens: The People of the Phaleron Cemetery
• 8. Using Stature, Long-Bone Length, and Sexual Stature Dimorphism to Evaluate Socioeconomic Inequalities in Ancient Athens
• 9. Kinship Patterns in Ancient Greece: Preliminary Bioarchaeological Insights from Boeotia
• 10. The Bioarchaeology of Health and Status in Roman Greece: State of Knowledge and Future Directions
• 11. Response: Anthropometry, Stature, and Social Inequality in Ancient Greece
• 12. Response: Bioarchaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean; Plans and Prospects
• List of Contributors
• Index