ANTHROPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FIVE SKELETONS FROM SARMATIAN CULTURE DISCOVERED IN TIMIȘOARA - FREIDORF (ROMANIA)

Abstract

During a rescue excavation campaign in 2017, human osteological remains were discovered in the Timișoara - Freidorf archeological site, which based on funeral inventory were attributed to Sarmatian and Gepidic cultures. The main purpose of this paper is to perform an anthropological analysis of the 5 Sarmatian subjects discovered within this archaeological research. Specific morphological aspects were used to determine height, sex, age at death, non-metric traits, musculoskeletal markers or pathologies. It was determined that the subjects are 2 subadults and 3 adults at time of death: 1 male, 2 females and 2 with the sex undetermined due the immature age. Morphologic traits observed on these skeletons such as the septal aperture, Allen’s fossa, hyperdorsiflexion facets, Schmorl's nodes, Allen’s fossa and Charles’ facet, may give a clue of the lifestyle and the intensity of physical activities from the Migration Period.

Keywords

• epigenetic traits
• migration period
• musculoskeletal markers
• non-metric traits
• osteological pathologies