New insights into the manual activities of individuals from the Phaleron cemetery (Archaic Athens, Greece)

Until the early 5th century BC, Phaleron Bay was main port of ancient Athens (Greece). On its shore, archaeologists have discovered one largest known cemeteries in Greece, including a range burial forms, simple pits, cremations, larnaces (clay tubs), and series burials male individuals who appear to died violent deaths, referred here as “atypical burials”. Reconstructing osteobiographies these will help create deeper understanding socio-political conditions preceding rise Classical Athens. Here, we assess habitual manual behavior people Archaic (ca. 7th – 6th cent. BC), relying on new precise three-dimensional method for reconstructing physical activity based hand muscle attachment sites. This approach has been recently validated laboratory animal samples well recent human skeletons with detailed level long-term occupational documentation (i.e., mid-19th Basel Spitalfriedhof sample). Our sample consists 48 adequately preserved skeletons, which 14 correspond atypical burials. results identified consistent differences behaviors between rest. The former present distinctive power-grasping tendency most significantly less represented latter (p-values <0.01 0.03). Based comparison uniquely documented (45 individuals), this entheseal pattern exclusively found heavy laborers. These findings reveal an important difference typical cemetery burials, suggesting that were likely involved distinctive, strenuous activities. pilot study comprise first step towards identity skeletal remains. Future research can further elucidate profiles through discovery additional well-preserved by extending our analyses other anatomical regions.