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Comparing In Situ and Laboratory Osteological Observations

Buikstra, Jane E ; Ingvarsson, Anne ; Bäckström, Ylva LU orcid ; Hannigan, Elizabeth M ; Hayes, Leigh and Chryssoulaki, Stella (2025) In Bioarchaeology International
Abstract
Among the more than 2,000 interments from the Phaleron Burial Ground, 79 individuals buried in the Esplanada mass graves are said to have died violently, perhaps bludgeoned to death. The Esplanada remains were observed in the field by Ingvarsson and Bäckström (2019); ten of these 79 were later excavated and studied by Buikstra and colleagues in a laboratory setting. The field and laboratory analyses for these ten individuals are compared here. Estimates of skeletal sex and age at death were refined slightly through laboratory analysis. Stature estimates trended toward slightly larger values following laboratory measurements of long bones. Pathology observations for both teeth and bones differed significantly between laboratory and field... (More)
Among the more than 2,000 interments from the Phaleron Burial Ground, 79 individuals buried in the Esplanada mass graves are said to have died violently, perhaps bludgeoned to death. The Esplanada remains were observed in the field by Ingvarsson and Bäckström (2019); ten of these 79 were later excavated and studied by Buikstra and colleagues in a laboratory setting. The field and laboratory analyses for these ten individuals are compared here. Estimates of skeletal sex and age at death were refined slightly through laboratory analysis. Stature estimates trended toward slightly larger values following laboratory measurements of long bones. Pathology observations for both teeth and bones differed significantly between laboratory and field contexts. While these results should not be generalized uncritically to other contexts and observers, we indicate that estimates of skeletal sex and age at death for adults varied little between these field and laboratory situations. Re-searchers should, however, note the differences reported here between field and laboratory observations of dental and skeletal pathology. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Among the more than 2,000 interments from the Phaleron Burial Ground, 79 individuals buried in the Espla
nada mass graves are said to have died violently, perhaps bludgeoned to death. The Esplanada remains were
observed in the field by Ingvarsson and Bäckström (2019); ten of these 79 were later excavated and studied by
Buikstra and colleagues in a laboratory setting. The field and laboratory analyses for these ten individuals are
compared here. Estimates of skeletal sex and age at death were refined slightly through laboratory analysis.
Stature estimates trended toward slightly larger values following laboratory measurements of long bones. Pa
thology observations for both teeth and bones differed significantly... (More)
Among the more than 2,000 interments from the Phaleron Burial Ground, 79 individuals buried in the Espla
nada mass graves are said to have died violently, perhaps bludgeoned to death. The Esplanada remains were
observed in the field by Ingvarsson and Bäckström (2019); ten of these 79 were later excavated and studied by
Buikstra and colleagues in a laboratory setting. The field and laboratory analyses for these ten individuals are
compared here. Estimates of skeletal sex and age at death were refined slightly through laboratory analysis.
Stature estimates trended toward slightly larger values following laboratory measurements of long bones. Pa
thology observations for both teeth and bones differed significantly between laboratory and field contexts.
While these results should not be generalized uncritically to other contexts and observers, we indicate that es
timates of skeletal sex and age at death for adults varied little between these field and laboratory situations. Re
searchers should, however, note the differences reported here between field and laboratory observations of
dental and skeletal pathology. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
paleopathology, human osteology, stature, archaic Greece, skeletal sex, age at death, trauma
in
Bioarchaeology International
pages
8 pages
DOI
10.5744/bi.2025.0009
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cca6e0ab-08a5-42d1-95c6-615711740eee
date added to LUP
2026-01-30 12:50:25
date last changed
2026-02-02 11:59:08
@article{cca6e0ab-08a5-42d1-95c6-615711740eee,
  abstract     = {{Among the more than 2,000 interments from the Phaleron Burial Ground, 79 individuals buried in the Esplanada mass graves are said to have died violently, perhaps bludgeoned to death. The Esplanada remains were observed in the field by Ingvarsson and Bäckström (2019); ten of these 79 were later excavated and studied by Buikstra and colleagues in a laboratory setting. The field and laboratory analyses for these ten individuals are compared here. Estimates of skeletal sex and age at death were refined slightly through laboratory analysis. Stature estimates trended toward slightly larger values following laboratory measurements of long bones. Pathology observations for both teeth and bones differed significantly between laboratory and field contexts. While these results should not be generalized uncritically to other contexts and observers, we indicate that estimates of skeletal sex and age at death for adults varied little between these field and laboratory situations. Re-searchers should, however, note the differences reported here between field and laboratory observations of dental and skeletal pathology.}},
  author       = {{Buikstra, Jane E and Ingvarsson, Anne and Bäckström, Ylva and Hannigan, Elizabeth M and Hayes, Leigh and Chryssoulaki, Stella}},
  keywords     = {{paleopathology; human osteology; stature; archaic Greece; skeletal sex; age at death; trauma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  series       = {{Bioarchaeology International}},
  title        = {{Comparing In Situ and Laboratory Osteological Observations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5744/bi.2025.0009}},
  doi          = {{10.5744/bi.2025.0009}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}