Approaches to commingling issues in archeological samples: A case study from Roman Era Tombs in Greece

Abstract

Human remains in archeological contexts frequently present the problem of commingling, especially when they are secondary deposits and involve multiple phases of funerary treatment and postdepositional disturbance. These problems are often compounded with incidents of recent looting and the prior undocumented removal of remains. Fortunately, the problems of interpreting such assemblages can be ameliorated with careful excavation and skeletal analysis related to context. As a case in point, this chapter focuses on the interpretation of evidence from chamber tombs of the Roman Empire at the site of Kenchreai in southern Greece. The systematic recovery and analysis of the commingled human remains from these tombs has contributed to a better understanding of local mortuary behavior and paleodemography. The study of this complex evidence presents an effective approach to samples of this kind, which are not uncommon in Mediterranean archaeological contexts.