Changes in skeletal robusticity in an iron age agropastoral group: The samnites from the Alfedena necropolis (Abruzzo, Central Italy)

Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NCKEY WORDS cross-sectional geometry; humeral asymmetry; mobility; pastoralism; NeolithicABSTRACT Cross-sectional geometrical (CSG) prop-erties of an Iron Age Samnite group from the Alfedenanecropolis (Abruzzo, Italy, 2600–2400 B.P.) are com-pared with a Ligurian Neolithic sample (6000–5500B.P.). In the period under examination, Samnites wereorganized in a tribal confederation led by patrilineararistocracies, indicating incipient social stratification.In comparison, Neolithic society lacked clear signs ofsocial hierarchy. The subsistence of both groups wasmainly based on pastoralism and agriculture, butchanges in habitual behavior are expected due to thesocio-economic transformations that characterized theIron Age. The Samnites’ warlike ideology suggests thatunimanual weapon-use and training would havebecome frequent for males. The intensification of agri-culture and the adoption of transhumant pastoralism,performed by a smaller subset of the population, likelyled to a lower average level of logistic mobility. Thestrongly genderized ideology of the period suggests astrict sexual division of labor, with women primarilyperforming sedentary tasks. CSG properties based onperiosteal contours were calculated for humeri, femora,and tibiae (N 5 61). Results corroborated the expecta-tions: Alfedena males show substantial humeral bilat-eral asymmetry, indicating prevalent use of one arm,likely due to weapon training. In both sexes lower limbresults indicate reduced mobility with respect to theNeolithic group. Sexual dimorphism is significant inboth humeral asymmetry and lower limb indicators ofmobility. Although both groups could be broadlydefined as agropastoral based on archeological and his-torical evidence, CSG analysis confirmed important dif-ferences in habitual behavior. Am J Phys Anthropol144:119–130, 2011.