Novos dados sobre os hipogeus do bronze pleno de torre velha 3 (Serpa): Contextos sepulcrais e estudo do espólio osteológico humano

Abstract

The present work focuses on the anthropological analysis of the human remains exhumed from 21 hypogea of the archaeological site of Torre Velha 3 (TV3; São Salvador, Serpa), which is dated between the middle and second half of the II millennium B.C. Sixteen hypogea were individual, three double (one in situ burial with an associated reduction) and one triple (double burial with associated reduction) and two inconclusive funerary contexts. The human remains were collected unearthed from the chambers of the tombs. Besides these, one hypogeum displayed an in situ burial with an associated reduction in the chamber and other in situ burial in the antechamber. From these tombs were exhumed 28 individuals, 22 adults (11 females, nine males and 2 inconclusive), five non adults and one unknown. In primary and individual burials, meat offering were found in association with adults from both sexes. Ceramic vessels and awls are found only in female burials, with the exception of one awl found in association with the male adult [2007]. Using a principal component analyses, it was possible to observe that the differences in dental morphological traits found in TV3, in comparison with other samples from the Iberian Peninsula’s recent pre-history, are minimal and can be explained by genetic changes derived from possible inter-regional contacts and interactions. Some atypical dental wear patterns were also identified, mostly in adult females, and these suggest the parafunctional use of the masticatory system. Finally, the incidence of cariogenic lesions found is 5.85% (29/495), affecting around 57% of the individuals analysed (n=21). These values are higher than Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic samples from nowadays Portugal, but similar to the values found in Bronze Age samples.