PROJECT ON THE MIDDLE HELLADIC ARGOLID

A report on the 2005 season

Sofia Voutsaki, Sevi Triantaphyllou, Anne Ingvarsson-

Sundström, Sophia Kouidou-Andreou, Leda Kovatsi,
Albert Nijboer, Dimitra Nikou and Eleni Milka

The interdisciplinary project on the Middle Helladic Argolid1 is financed by the Netherlands Or-
ganization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. In
addition, specific sub-projects (the osteological analysis of human remains from Asine; the study
and publication of the “tumuli” of Argos (excavations by the late Dr E. Deilaki) have received
Research Grants by the Institute of Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP).
In previous issues of Pharos (Voutsaki et al. 2004; Voutsaki et al. 2005) we presented the
main aims of the project, the methods employed and the rationale behind the analytical tech-
niques used. Here we would like to present the work carried out in 2005 on different MH Argive
assemblages.

I. Lerna

Our work during the first two years of the project (see Voutsaki et al. 2004; Voutsaki et al. 2005)
focused on Lerna. This was, of course, not a fortuitous choice. Lerna is in many ways considered
to be the type-site of the MH period; the excavations by Caskey (Caskey 1954; 1955; 1956; 1957;
1958) and the subsequent preliminary publications of the material (Banks 1967; Blackburn 1970;
Zerner 1978) have transformed our understanding of the MH mainland. Since the integration of
osteological, archaeological and biomolecular data is a main aim of our research, the very well
documented skeletal assemblage of MH Lerna (Angel 1972) offers us a unique opportunity to
apply some of our ideas in practice. However, precisely because of its almost unique significance
in Aegean prehistory, the analysis of the Lerna skeletal assemblage presented some problems.
In particular, our sampling strategy had to take into account not only our research aims and

1
More information on the project can be found on www.MHArgolid.nl.
 94 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

q­uestions, but also the need to preserve the material for future generations of researchers. For this
reason, for instance, we undertook a pilot aDNA analysis of only 12 samples from Lerna; or, we
chose to use the AMS method for 14C analysis, as it requires much smaller samples than the more
accurate conventional method (5g rather than 250g). Our sampling strategy has been amply dis-
cussed in our previous report (Voutsaki et al.2005), but two points still need to be emphasized:
a) Any destructive sampling has to be part of a well though-out programme of research under-
taken by archaeologists and (radiocarbon, biomolecular, etc) specialists in close collabora-
tion.
b) The results of such analyses have to be published, ideally as soon as results have been
o­btained. At the very least, a report of the analyses undertaken and the results have to be sub-
mitted to the local Ephorate. If this does not happen,2 we run the risk not only of duplicating
effort and wasting money on expensive analyses, but also – and this is much more important
– of depleting our resources.

Our work on Lerna has progressed significantly over this last year:
• The examination of the human remains by Dr Sevi Triantaphyllou has been completed, and
the analysis of the data is now under way. A full report is given below (section I.1). It is worth
pointing out that our decision to undertake a full re-examination of the Lerna skeletons was
fully justified. Triantaphyllou’s re-examination is producing results which make us reconsider
some of Angel’s conclusions. She has presented aspects of her work in talks in Nauplion, at
the AIA 2006 meeting in Montreal (Triantaphyllou in print), and at the MESOHELLADIKA
conference.3
• The aDNA analysis of 12 samples from Lerna undertaken by Prof. Sophia Kouidou-Andreou,
Dr Leda Kovatsi and Dr Dimitra Nikou is nearing completion. The results (discussed below
in section I.2) have exceeded our expectations, as the success rate of DNA reconstruction has
reached 80%. A first presentation was given at the MESOHELLADIKA conference.
• The 14C dates from Lerna have been obtained and the results are currently being processed by
Dr Sofia Voutsaki and Dr Albert J. Nijboer (see section I.3 below). They form an extremely
interesting sequence which will, we hope, contribute to the wider debate about the merits of
absolute vs. relative dating. Some preliminary results were presented at the MESOHELLA-
DIKA conference.
• The stable isotopes analysis by Prof. Michael Richards is currently under way; the results will
be available in spring 2006 and will be presented in next year’s report.
• The analysis of the archaeological data by Eleni Milka is reaching completion, and will be
presented in more detail in section I.4. She has presented aspects of her research in talks in
Groningen, Leiden (Milka 2005), at the TAG conference in Sheffield, at the AIA 2006 meet-
ing in Montreal (Milka in print) and at the MESOHELLADIKA conference.
• The analysis of the settlement data by Dr. Sofia Voutsaki has just begun, and will be included
in a future report. A first presentation of the analysis was given at the MESOHELLADIKA
conference.

2
By now this constitutes, of course, one of the conditions upon which permits for destructive sampling are
g­ranted.
3
For more information on the conference, see http://www.MESOHELLADIKA.com.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 95

1 The human remains (by Sevi Triantaphyllou)

The re-examination of all extant MH skeletons of Lerna (210 individuals) was completed in
December 2005. The study concentrated on biological parameters such as palaeodemography,
health status and diet as well as musculo-skeletal markers indicating physical activities.4 Here
I would like to present briefly the results of the re-examination in relation to Angel’s seminal
publication (Angel 1972).
If we first take mortality profiles (fig. 1) both studies show high mortality rates among in-
dividuals under one year of age. This is a common occurrence in prehistoric populations due to
the difficulties affecting babies during the first developmental months. A second peak can be ob-
served in prime adulthood, i.e. among individuals between thirty and forty years old, rather than
– as one would expect – in old adulthood, i.e. among those over fifty. This is due to the difficulties
macroscopic techniques encounter when attempting to age adult individuals.5 It is interesting to
note, however, that my examination has produced significantly higher mortality rates in prime
adulthood than did Angel’s study. This may be explained by the fact that the two studies have
used different macroscopic methods.

40
40
35 Mortality profiles
35 Mortality profiles
30
30
25
25
20 Triantaphyllou
20 Triantaphyllou
%
%
15 AngelAngel
15

10
10

55

00
) ) 2) ) 8) ) 0) ) 0) ) 0) ) +)
-1 1) -6 6) )
(0(0- t (1 (1- (6-1 -12 2-1 -18 8-3 -30 0-4 -40 0-5 -50(50 50+
e t 6 1 2 1 8 3 0 4 0 (
at te fan n ld ( ( (1 A ( (1 A ( (3 ( (4 A A
onna InInfa Chi hild nile ile Y YA P PA MA A O O
NNeeo C ve en M
Ju v
Ju

Abbreviations to the figures:

Abbreviations to the figures:
AMTL: Antemortem tooth loss OA: Old adult
AMTL:
MA: Antemortem
Mature adult tooth loss PA:OA: Oldadult
Prime adult
MA: Mature
MSM: adult
Musculo-skeletal markers YA:PA: Prime
Young adult
adult
MSM: Musculo-skeletal markers YA: Young adult
Figure 1. Mortality profiles in MH Lerna (mni=210)

4
The approach and methodology was more fully discussed in Voutsaki et al. 2005.
5
The reliability of ageing methods decreases as biological age increases (Chamberlain 2000).
 96 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

When examining mortality rates for the two sex groups (fig. 2), there are some striking discrep-
ancies between the two studies. In particular, according to Angel more women died in young
adulthood and more men died in the age categories over forty years old. In contrast, my examina-
tion concludes that more women than men died in prime adulthood and more men than women
in young, mature and old adulthood. This conclusion challenges Angel’s interpretation that at-
tributed the high mortality rates of young women to childbirth and pregrancy complications. Ac-
cording to my analysis, men were slightly more vulnerable and likely to die in young adulthood
than women.

80
Triantaphyllou
70

60

50 Angel Male
Female
40
%
30

20

10

0
) ) ) ) )
30 40 0) 0+ 30 40 0) 0+
)
8- 0- 0-5 (5 8- 0- 0-5 (5
(1 (3 (4 (1 (3 (4
YA PA A OA YA PA A OA
M M

Figure 2. Age distribution by sex group

Turning now to health status, my re-examination has focused on two broad pathological cate­
gories:
• First, bone lesions, such as osteoarthritis, vertebral arthritis, trauma, enthesopathies and
s­keleto-muscular markers affecting the skeleto-muscular system, and
• Second, pathological conditions associated with physiological stress and stress episodes which
affect individuals during their lifetimes, such as non-specific infectious lesions, a­naemia and
enamel hypoplasia.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 97

80
70
60
50 Triantaphyllou
40
%
30
20 Angel

10
0

a
ase
po ia
Ne tion
a

tic
’s n a
ase

s
po ia

l a t is
Ne tion

N
tic

Inf es
ma
ti s
art s

Inf es

nta lasi
riti
nta lasi

m
riti

m
MS
m
MS

las
od
ri
hri

las
od

ise
hm Trau
ise
hm Trau

e
r th
e

rte arth

ec

p
rte arth

ec

a
na

op
op
’s n

ld
am An
ld
A

teo

hy
orl
teo

hy
orl
al

bra
br

el
Os
el

De
Os

De
am

Sc
Sc

Ve
Ve

En
En

Figure 3. Distribution of pathological conditions in MH Lerna (mni=210)

The frequency of pathological conditions has been first plotted as measured among the total of
individuals (210) represented in MH Lerna (fig. 3). The overall shape of lesions in both studies
is similar; however, the frequency of the conditions, is significantly higher in my study. Angel
employed the individual count analysis which is not recommended anymore for prehistoric as-
semblages usually characterized by differential preservation.6 This problem can be minimized by
using the skeletal element count whereby the occurrence of pathological conditions is measured
out of the total number of the skeletal elements represented in the assemblage. As the re-examina-
tion of the Lerna skeletons has been completed only recently, the skeletal element analysis has
been applied so far only on fifty individuals, i.e. on ten individuals for each subphase of the
Middle Helladic period to the end of Late Helladic I (fig. 4). The overall shape of the distribution
of pathological conditions appears to be similar in both the individual and the skeletal element
count. However, the rates produced by the individual count, i.e. by Angel’s analysis, are signifi-
cantly higher with the result that low levels of health status in the Middle Helladic period are
overrepresented.

The distribution of pathological conditions in the two sexes reveals an interesting picture (fig. 5).
Men show significantly higher rates of lesions related to the skeleto-muscular system and non-
specific infections. This might suggest that men were engaged with manual heavy work as well
as with long-distance trade and contacts with the outside world. Women on the other hand, show
a high prevalence of anaemia and enamel hypoplasia defects. This indicates that they were more
vulnerable to stress episodes and metabolic disorders which might have been caused by poor

6
I.e. not all skeletal elements are always present. See Triantaphyllou 2001 for an analysis of large skeletal popula-
tions from Macedonia characterized by differential preservation.
 98 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

80
70
60
50
Skeletal element analysis
40
% Individual analysis
30
20
10
0 Ca ia

TL
ma

po ia

lus
s
art is

Ne tion
Inf des

am An stic

ss
tis

rie
rit

s
m
MS

sce
AM
pla
hri

lcu
hm Trau

la
o

ae
rth

ec
’s n

op

Ab
Ca
Ve teoa

orl

hy
al
br
Os

el
rte

Sc

En

Figure 4. Distribution of pathological conditions in MH Lerna (mni=50)

45
40
35
30
25 Male
%
20 Female
15
10
5
0
a
n

tic

sia
ma
tis
tis

es

mi
tio
MS
hri

las
od
hri

pla
u

ae
ec
Tra
art

op
’s n
ar t

po
An
Inf

Ne
teo

orl
ral

hy
eb

hm
Os

el
am
rt

Sc
Ve

En

Figure 5. Distribution of pathological conditions by sex group (mni=50)

 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 99

nutrition and sub-optimal living conditions. These may have had severe effects, but they were not
fatal, since many women lived to be thirty to forty years old.
The distribution of skeletal markers in the upper and lower skeleton in the two sexes (fig. 6)
is consistent with a sexual division of labour. For example, the lower skeleton of men appears to
have been involved in physical work such as walking long distances in rough terrain; this is not
observed among the women.

30

25

20
Male
Upper
15
% Lower
Female
10

0
ma
ma

tis
tis

N
N

MS
MS

hri
hri

u
u

Tra
Tra

art
art

teo
teo

Os
Os

Figure 6. Distribution of pathological conditions in the upper and lower skeleton by sex group

25

20

15
%
10
Female
5

0
Caries Calculus Abscess AMTL Caries Calculus Abscess AMTL

Figure 7. Distribution of dental disease by sex group

 100 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

The distribution of dental disease in the two sexes (fig. 7) shows high rates of calculus versus
low rates of caries for men, while the opposite pattern can be observed among women. This
suggests that men and women consumed different foodstuffs and had a different diet. Because
of the mechanisms that cause them, caries and calculus tend to be mutually exclusive; therefore,
comparison between rates of occurrence of the two conditions can provide important information
about dietary patterns. Women in MH Lerna appear to have consumed foodstuffs rich in carbo­
hydrates such as fruit, as well as starchy and processed food. In contrast, men appear to have had
a diet based on protein; this may imply consumption of meat products.7
The dental microwear analysis which has been applied for the first time on skeletal popula-
tions in the Aegean,8 has reinforced this picture of differential food consumption between the
sexes. Dental microwear analysis is based on the observation that there is a correlation between
pit size and the toughness of the food items consumed (Nystrom et. al. 2004). Therefore, broad
scratches and large pits are consistent with hard components in the food, while narrow striations
and small pits suggest a more processed, soft type of food. Men from MH Lerna revealed large
pits, broad scratches and a few small pits, while women produced the opposite pattern. This con-
firms the observation made above on the basis of the caries/calculus rates, namely that women
consumed a more processed and soft type of food.
Another interesting point arising from the re-examination of the human skeletal remains of
Lerna is change through time. The analysis is still in its early stages, but following points can be
made:
• Mortality rates (fig. 8) show an equal distribution among all age categories (including n­eonates
and infants) in all sub-phases of the MH period. Neonates and infants do not seem to predomi-
nate in the earlier phases of the MH period as has been suggested elsewhere (Zerner 1990).
• If we examine health status through time ( fig. 9), there is a slight decrease in the levels of
stress markers represented by anaemia and enamel hypoplasia lines from the early MH phases
to the MH III – LH I period.
• Differential rates of calculus versus caries (fig. 10) appear from the early MH to the MH III
– LH I periods; this may suggest a shift from a protein-based diet to a diet based on more
processed foodstuffs, richer in carbohydrates.

A main aim of my analysis is to view Lerna in its broader context and to compare it with other
MH skeletal assemblages of the Argolid, or of the prehistoric Aegean as a whole. However, such
a comparison is only possible if all the assemblages to be included in the analysis have been ex-
amined using the same methodological standards and a similar bioarchaeological approach.

7
We hope that the stable isotope analysis will provide us with more information about dietary variation in MH
Lerna (see Voutsaki et al. 2005, 33-34).
8
The dental microwear analysis was undertaken during the tenure of an INSTAP Postdoctoral Fellowship. The
analysis was carried out in the University of Sheffield, under the supervision of Dr Ingrid Mainland, Department of
Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford. I would like to thank Dr Mainland for her help and support while
this research was carried out.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 101

50
45
40
35 Neonate (0-1)

30 Infant (1-6)
%
25 Child (6-12)
20 Juvenile (12-18)

15 YA (18-30)

10 PA (30-40)
MA (40-50)
5
OA (50+)
0
MHI MHII MHIII MHIII/LHI SGE

MH III / LH I = burial at the transition between MH III and LH I

SGE = burials dated between the transition MH III / LHI and the end of LHI

Figure 8. Mortality profiles by date

50

45
40

35
Osteoarthritis
30 Vertebral
% arthritis
25 Trauma
20 MSN

15 Infection
Neoplastic
10
5 Anaemia
Enamel
0 hypoplasia
MHI MHII MHIII MHIII/LHI SGE

MH III / LH I = burial at the transition between MH III and LH I

SGE = burials dated between the transition MH III / LHI and the end of LHI

Figure 9. Distribution of pathological conditions by date

 102 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

35

30

25

20
% Caries
15 Calculus
10 Abscess

5 AMTL

0
MHI MHII MHIII MHIII/LHI SGE

MH III / LH I = burial at the transition between MH III and LH I

SGE = burials dated between the transition MH III / LHI and the end of LHI
Figure 10. Distribution of dental disease by date

To conclude: As is to be expected in a prehistoric assemblage, MH Lerna revealed high mor-

tality rates among neonates, while adults survived into prime adulthood even if they suffered
from stress factors during their developmental years. Men appear to have been more exposed to
pathogens than women, while there are certain indications of a sexual division of labour as well
as of differential consumption of food by the two sexes. In most respects, therefore, the overall
picture of the MH population of Lerna does not differ significantly from that presented by other
prehistoric populations in the Aegean. We hope that the re-examination of the human skeletal
remains of Lerna will contribute to a better understanding of social life in MH Lerna and in the
MH Argolid as a whole.

2 T
 he pilot analysis of ancient DNA from Lerna (by Sophia Kouidou-Andreou, Leda Kovatsi and
Dimitra Nikou)

The analysis of ancient DNA can provide crucial information about the history of humankind
and other living organisms. Although ancient DNA analysis was introduced several years ago
(Paabo 1989), serious technical problems have hindered the wider adoption of the technique. The
small amounts and integrity of ancient DNA and the risks of contamination from modern DNA
presented serious limitations. Among other factors, the preservation conditions (and, in the case
of samples retrieved from populations inhabiting warm climates, the temperature in particular)
and the strand-breaks introduced as a result, were considered to have a detrimental effect and to
be seriously restricting the amplification efficiency of the DNA. Therefore, until recently most
studies attempted to reconstruct DNA which had been preserved in low temperatures. In Greece,
for instance, aDNA analysis has seen only few applications (Brown et al. 2000; Evison 2001), as
unfavorable climatological-environmental conditions rendered isolated aDNA from Greek skel-
etal material less suitable for analysis. In our laboratory, the frequency of isolation of aDNA
material suitable for analysis was found to be very low.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 103

However, the recent introduction of repair methods for the amplification of cross-linked DNA has
brought significant advances in the field. These methods are particularly suitable for sub-optimal-
ly preserved ancient skeletal material (Pusch 1998; Di Bernardo 2002), and are now used in an
increasing number of studies. We employed it on our samples from MH Lerna with great success.
In fact, in contrast to previous efforts which were performed on the same samples without having
submitted the DNA to repair prior to amplification, we achieved a success rate of 80%. Our analy-
sis therefore achieved successful isolation, repair and amplification of nuclear DNA. Nuclear
DNA allows us to identify the sex of the deceased; in our analysis, the results have largely con-
firmed the identifications made during the osteological analysis. Most importantly, nuclear DNA
can give us the complete genetic fingerprint of the individual and can be used in various studies in
the emerging new scientific discipline of palaeomicrobiology. The study of ancient pathogens by
direct detection of their DNA has answered several historical questions and indicated changes to
pathogens through time.9 A recent example is the molecular analysis of DNA of skeletal remains
from late 5th century Athens which was carried out in order out to find the cause of the 431 BC
plague in Athens (Papagrigorakis et al. 2006). For a long time now, the debate among scientists
and any attempted diagnoses were based exclusively on Thucydides’ account. The analysis of
aDNA can shed new light on this question, and on pathologies of past societies in general.
We ought to stress that the high success rate involves nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial DNA
seems to remain unaffected by the repair, and the results of this analysis remain rather limited.
However, it is nowadays becoming apparent that nuclear DNA is more polymorphic and there-
fore more informative than mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA was the “favourite” target
of ancient DNA analysis for a long time despite the fact that it carries less information. This was
because it is more “abundant” when compared to nuclear DNA, as it can be found in many copies
in every cell. However, the introduction of successful repair methods has significantly altered the
situation.
In conclusion, the repair method applied to our samples produced high quality nuclear DNA.
Such a result was until recently considered impossible, especially in the case of intramural buri-
als preserved in unfavourable thermal conditions and excavated almost fifty years ago. The study
of the nuclear DNA allowed us to determine the sex (in concordance with anthropological data),
but the analysis will continue in order to acquire the complete genetic fingerprint-profile of each
skeleton. The aDNA analysis of MH Lerna opens up exciting possibilities for the exploration of
ancient pathologies.

3 The radiocarbon analysis (by Sofia Voutsaki and Albert J. Nijboer)

Samples from 18 human skeletons from MH Lerna have been submitted to radiocarbon analysis
at the Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen. The specific method employed was
Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy (AMS) of direct 14C isotope counting.10 As it was pointed out
above, the main advantage of this method is that it can date small samples (5g).

9
See studies such as Haas et al. 2000; Konomi et al. 2002; Zink et al. 2002; Gilbert et al. 2004; Donoghue et al.
2004.
10
The sampling strategy and analytical techniques of the radiocarbon analysis were presented in our previous
report (Voutsaki et al. 2005, 32).
 104 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

The aims of the radiocarbon analysis are:

• T o refine the MH chronological sequence, in general, and to enhance the chronological reso-
lution of our analysis of mortuary and settlement data;
• To contribute to wider chronological debate in Aegean archaeology, and especially the highly
contested issue of “High versus Low” chronology (Table 2) with data from the mainland
(Manning 2005, 113).
In this report, we present some preliminary observations on the results. It is to be emphasized
that the analysis has not been completed; in particular, we need to study once more in detail
the find contexts of all the graves from which samples have been taken.

(i) The results

The interpretation of the radiocarbon results involves correlating the absolute dates with the
stratigraphic data. The interpretation has to include an assessment of the quality of the radiocar-
bon results as well as a careful examination of the archaeological contexts. The quality of the ra-
diocarbon determinations is high: the error of the analysis is low (at the most +/- 50 years) and the
quality parameters of the bone samples such as the organic content and δ13C value are good.11
The quality of the archaeological contexts is a much more complex problem, and cannot be
fully discussed here. The problems are well known:
• Most MH tombs contain no offerings.
• Even if the graves do contain offerings, these objects are not always diagnostic. In particu-
lar, MH pottery cannot always be attributed with certainty to specific sub-phases of the MH
p­eriod.
• Therefore, the dating of the graves relies heavily on their stratigraphic association with other
graves, floors or houses. However, dating intramural graves opened upon disused houses is
notoriously difficult ; as Carol Zerner has aptly put it: “It is possible to establish into which
layer a grave has been cut; but it is very difficult to establish from which layer the grave has
been cut.”12
• The relative sequence and stratigraphy of the different areas excavated in Lerna are now be-
ing re-examined and revised by Dr Carol Zerner.13

Period No of Relative date of tombs Duration Duration in years BC

C14 results in years BP
MHI 4 All tombs MH I 3830 - 3600 BP 2200/2100 - 1900 BC
MH II - III 13 Tombs assigned either to 3600 - 3450 BP 1900 - 1700 BC
MH II or MH III

Table 1. Preliminary results of the radiocarbon analysis from MH Lerna

11
Only one sample had no bone collagen preserved, and was therefore not included in the analysis.
12
Carol Zerner, personal communication.
13
We would like to thank Dr Carol Zerner for discussing with us at length the problems of Lerna stratigraphy, and
for making her unpublished notes and plans of the excavation available to us.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 105

Trace line plot of 17 Lerna 14C dates

18

16

14

12

individual dates
10

0
3850 3800 3750 3700 3650 3600 3550 3500 3450 3400
Radiocarbon years BP

Figure 11. Trace line plot of C14 dates from MH Lerna

The following observations can be made on the basis of the preliminary results shown in Table 1
and fig. 11:
• The lower chronological boundary between the EH III and MH I cannot be defined with ab-
solute accuracy. The C14 result from grave BD 27 (3830 +/- 35 BP), clearly stratified within
the MH I period,14 falls within the EH III range. It may therefore be necessary to raise the EH
III / MH I transition to 2200 BC.
• Despite the uncertainty about the lower boundary, the duration of the MH I period seems to
fit with the accepted chronological schemes (see Dickinson 1994, 19; Dietz 1991, 316ff.).
• The chronological division between MH II and MH III seems more problematic: the 14C
r­esults fall too close together, and the absolute date of a sample does not always correspond
to the relative date of the grave. This may be attributed either to the complex stratigraphy of
MH Lerna, or to problems inherent in the radiocarbon method (Wiener 2003), or both.
• The upper chronological boundary, i.e. the transition from MH II/III to LH I, seems to be
placed around 1700 BC. This may render support to the ‘High Chronology’.

Further analyses may be needed in order to clarify the problems:

• The chronological limits of the period may be defined more accurately by sampling more EH
III and LH I / IIA burials.
• The chronological division between MH II and MH III may be set more celarly by sampling
more burials with a more secure stratigraphic position, or more diagnostic artefacts.

14
It is earlier than House 13 (MH II), and contemporary to or later than House 24 (MH I early) (C. Zerner, personal
communication).
 106 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

The results also raise some wider issues: How secure are the internal sub-divisions of the MH
period? How should a local sequence be tied to a widely accepted scheme? These questions lead
us inevitably to the wider chronological debate in Aegean prehistory (Table 2). The debate and
in particular the ‘High versus Low Chronology’ controversy (Manning 1999, Warren 1996), has
become highly polarized.

‘Low’ Chronology ‘High’ Chronology

MH I 2100-1900 BC 2200 /2100 – 1900 BC

MH II 1900-1700 BC 1900 – 1800 BC
MH III 1700-1600 BC 1800 – 1700 BC

Table 2. Approximate dates for the MH period: the debate

In order to move beyond the current impasse (Wiener 2003), we need:

• To approach the scientific dating methods and the traditional synchronisms as objectively as
possible.
• To remain aware of the advantages and shortcomings of both methods.
• To acquire new sequences of absolute dates from well stratified contexts.
• To acquire new sequences of absolute dates from mainland sites which so far have played a
limited role in the debate (Manning 2005, 113).

We hope that the 14C analyses of MH samples will contribute to the discussion. However, at this
moment, we do not wish to take a position in this debate, as we first need to complete the re-ex-
amination of the find context of all the graves included in the analysis.15

4 The analysis of the archaeological data (by Eleni Milka)

The burial data from the MH cemetery of Lerna (which had been collected in 2004; see Voutsaki
et al. 2005, 36-7) were further analyzed in 2005. During the analysis special attention was given
on the location of the cemetery in relation to the settlement, and on the relation between graves
and houses.
The main question addressed at this stage was whether the burials at Lerna should be char-
acterized as intramural throughout the course of the MH and LH I periods. Dietz (1991, 275,
285) had already suggested that during MH IIIB - LH I the site was exclusively used as a burial
ground; and Maran (1995) had concurred with this view. More precisely, the graves were placed
upon abandoned houses, as in the case of Barbouna in Asine (Nordquist 1987, 98-99), and Peu-
kakia Magoula in Thessaly (Maran 1995).
A systematic examination of the preliminary reports (Caskey 1954; 1955; 1956; 1957; 1958)
and the preliminary publications (Blackburn 1970, Zerner 1978), supplemented with the revised

15
Eventually the Lerna results will be compared to those obtained from Aspis and Asine. A brief report on the 14C
results from Aspis is given below. The results from Asine will be available in spring 2006.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 107

dating of the graves,16 confirmed this pattern for the latest part of the MH and for the LH I period.
During MH III / LH I and LH I, the excavated area was used primarily for burials, as no houses
dating to LH I have been found so far. In addition, two shaft graves were constructed during the
later part of LH I. The presence of these two graves reinforces the hypothesis that the site was
exclusively used as cemetery during this period, as shaft graves were always placed outside the
settled area.
At the same time, however, it became obvious that already in MH I-II some graves post-dated
the houses in which they were dug. In the absence of a published plan showing both houses and
burials in each sub-phase, a more detailed analysis based on the preliminary information alone
could not be undertaken.
After extensive discussions with Dr C. Zerner and consultation of the unpublished plans17
showing the relation between houses and graves in three important excavation areas (namely BE,
DE and D), a series of new observations can be made:
• During the MH I period only a few graves in all three areas may have been contemporary to
the houses they were associated with.
• From the late MH I onwards, a new practice was introduced (Area DE): graves were opened
upon ruins of earlier houses. In all three areas this was more widely practiced upon destruc-
tion levels of the MH II period.
• After some time, roughly at the transition from MH II to MH III, new houses were erected
upon these graves. The use of the three areas alternated between habitation and burial use
until the transitional MH III/LH I phase.
• In areas D and DE graves dating to the early part of the LH I period may have been contem-
porary or later than some walls of the same period.
• Finally, all graves dating to the later part of LH I period (contemporary or slightly earlier
than the two shaft graves) post-date the houses in which they were dug. In fact, architectural
remains from this period have not been found in the excavated part of Lerna.

We see, therefore, that there are separate horizons of house construction, destruction and aban-
donment of houses, and construction of graves. It becomes therefore obvious that the general
characterization of all burials at Lerna as intramural is neither sufficient nor accurate.18
I would like to suggest that the cemetery history developed in three stages:
1. EH / MH I - MH I late: Typical intramural burials. Few individuals (mainly neonates and
infants) were buried among or inside houses.
2. MH I late - MH III / LH I: the use of space moves back and forth between habitation and
burial. The burials may be considered intramural, as they were situated inside the settlement,
but they were mainly placed upon abandoned houses rather than under the floors or in be-
tween houses still in use.
3. MH III / LH I - LH I late: extramural cemetery upon abandoned house. The same phenom-
enon can be observed in the Barbouna cemetery in Asine and in Peukakia.

16
Kindly provided by Dr C. Zerner.
17
I am extremely grateful to Dr C Zerner for taking the time to discuss with me MH Lerna at great length and for
allowing me to use unpublished plans of the MH layers of Lerna.
18
Maran 1995, 71 has stressed that the term intra-muros is rather unfortunate for the Shaft Grave Era tombs.
 108 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

II. Argos, Aspis

The settlement on the Aspis is the only well documented part of the large and important MH site
of Argos (Touchais 1976; 1978; 1996). The Aspis presents some very interesting contrasts to
Lerna: the settlement is occupied from MH II onwards, and seems to grow, expand and acquire a
more organized lay-out in MH III (Touchais 1998). The extensive MH cemeteries, the so-called
“tumuli” of Argos (Protonotariou-Deilaki 1980) will be discussed in the next section.
During 2005 the following analyses were carried out on the Aspis assemblage:
• The aDNA analysis of 5 samples and the stable isotopes analysis of 7 samples from Aspis will
be completed in spring 2006; the results will be described in the next report.
• The analysis of the funerary data by Eleni Milka has been completed. The analysis is reveal-
ing an interesting contrast between Lerna and Aspis: the burials in Aspis can be described as
‘classic’ intramural graves, as they were placed under, or in between houses that were in use
at the time. As has been pointed out above (section I.4), the situation appears to be more com-
plex in Lerna, where certain areas seem to be used interchangeably for habitation and burial.

The 14C analysis of human remains from the Aspis (by Sofia Voutsaki and Albert J. Nijboer)

Samples from 7 human skeletons from MH Aspis have been submitted to radiocarbon analysis
at the Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen. Once more, the method used was
Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy (AMS).
Unfortunately 3 out of the 7 samples19 produced results which were too high (4275 ± 40 to
4000 ± 50). This clearly indicates that there was a problem with the samples. Indeed further ex-
amination revealed that these bones had been treated with a consolidant (Betacryl). Fortunately,
the other 4 samples produced meaningful results (fig. 12). These samples come from graves dated
to the MH III period.20 The interpretation of the data and the examination of the archaeological

Trace line plot of 17 Lerna 14c dates and 4 Aspis 14C dates
referring to the Middle Helladic sequence
ca. 2100 BC ca. 1900 BC ca. 1700 BC
25

20
Individual dates

15

10

0
3850 3800 3750 3700 3650 3600 3550 3500 3450 3400
Radiocarbon years BP

Figure 12. Trace line plot of 14C dates from MH Lerna (dots) and MH Aspis (rectangles)

19
From graves TA 12 - locus 600; TA 5 – locus 591b; TA1 – locus 586.
20
These graves are: TA7 – locus 469; TA8 – locus 529; TA4 – locus 591; TA11 – locus 598.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 109

contexts is now under way. In general, however, it can be said that the Aspis dates seem to con-
firm the Lerna results for the MH III period. As the Aspis graves can be dated to sub-phases of the
MH III period (MH III A and MH III B), the 14C results may enable us to define the chronological
boundaries of the MH III period with more accuracy.

III. Argos, MH ‘Tumuli’ cemeteries

In 2005 we applied for permission to study and re-publish the MH “tumuli” of Argos, i.e. the
excavations by the late Dr E. Deilaki in the foothills of the Aspis (Protonotariou-Deilaki 1980). In
spring 2005 we undertook a first examination of the finds stored in the Argos Museum, searched
for the skeletons in one of the apothekai of the Argos Museum, and located the sherd material from
the excavations in a different apotheke.21 We located approximately 15 skeletons,22 but we hope to
continue our search in a future occasion. In July 2005 we were granted permission by the Ephorate
of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology of southern Greece to undertake a preliminary examination
of the archive of the late Dr E. Deilaki which is kept at the Ephorate. These preliminary investiga-
tions indicated that the study and re-publication of the material from the Argos “tumuli” may offer
important insights into the development of the MH settlement of Argos which must have been the
largest and perhaps the most important site in the Argolid during most of the MH period.
For this reason, a separate sub-project has been set up in order to study the finds, skeletal
remains and archival material pertaining to the Argos “tumuli”. The project team consists of Dr
Kalliopi Sarri who will study the MH finds and the archival material, Dr Oliver Dickinson who
will examine the grave contexts, Dr Sofia Voutsaki who will co-ordinate the project and study the
LH finds, Dr Sevi Triantaphyllou who will examine the skeletons, and Eleni Milka who will carry
out the analysis of the funerary data. As only a small number of skeletons seem to be preserved,
the decision whether we will carry out any analyses on the human bones (14C, DNA, stable iso-
topes) will be taken only after the osteological examination has been completed.

IV. Asine

During the first year of the research programme, we concentrated on Lerna (Voutsaki et al. 2004),
but already during the second year we laid the foundations for the research on the next biggest MH
assemblage in the Argolid: Asine. Asine is an extremely interesting site, extensively excavated and
relatively well documented (Frödin and Persson 1938; Hägg and Hägg 1973; Dietz 1980; Dietz
1982; Nordquist 1987; Nordquist 1996; Ingvarsson-Sundström 2003). The site is used throughout
the MH period, and both the settlement area and different cemeteries or burial areas have been ex-
cavated: there are intramural burials among the houses of the Acropolis and the Lower Town; there
are burials on top of ruined houses in Barbouna; and there is a formal cemetery (East Cemetery)
with a burial mound (Tumulus IQ) east of the settlement. Asine, therefore, gives us the opportunity
to study differentiation between groups of people who receive different treatment, and to study
change through time. Different analyses of the Asine material have started:
• The examination of the human remains by Dr Anne Ingvarsson-Sundström is progressing.
A full report is given below (section IV.1).

21
We would like to thank the apothekarios of the Argos Museum, Mr Vangelis Giannopoulos, for his invaluable
assistance in locating the sherd material and the skeletons.
22
The number is approximate, as we did not open the bags containing the human bones.
 110 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

• 4 samples for aDNA analysis have been taken from Asine. The analysis by Prof. Sophia
Kouidou-Andreou, Dr Leda Kovatsi and Dr Dimitra Nikou is now under way.
• 21 samples for C14 analysis from Asine have been taken. The samples are being analyzed
at the Centre for Isotope Research, University of Groningen; the results will be available in
spring 2006.
• 38 samples have been taken for the stable isotopes analysis, which will be carried out by Prof.
M. Richards. The results will be available in the summer 2006.
• The analysis of the archaeological data by Eleni Milka is reaching completion, and will be
presented in more detail in section IV.2.
• The analysis of the settlement data by Dr. Sofia Voutsaki has just begun, and will be presented
in the next report.

1 The human remains from Middle Helladic Asine (by Anne Ingvarsson-Sundström)

The MH skeletal material from the two burial locations Barbouna and East Cemetery at Asine
was inventoried and repacked during 2004 and 2005. During the autumn 2005, I examined the
dental remains from the two burial locations, as well as the skeletons from the East Cemetery.
Sampling for stable isotope-, radiocarbon- and DNA analyses was carried out alongside the os-
teological examination.

(i) Inventory of skeletal remains

Following excavations in the 1970’s, the skeletons from the East Cemetery and Barbouna had
been packed in paper boxes, many of which were now found to be severely damaged by humid-
ity, mice and earthquakes. In some instances information about the find-context of the skeleton
was lacking, but on the majority of boxes a burial number, or the number used by the anthropolo-
gist (i.e. Angel no.) was written on the outside. However, changes and additions had often been
made to this information, and some skeletons (or parts of skeletons) seem to have been re-packed
without the labels having been modified accordingly. A grave number could eventually be at-
tributed to the majority of individuals, with the exception of bones from 4 large boxes marked
“Karmaniola 1970-72” which could not be associated with a specific grave.
Most paper boxes contained 3-4 individuals individually packed in plastic bags (or more
rarely paper bags). Since these bags, in many cases, had also started to disintegrate, bones were
“leaking out” and the labels had sometimes gone missing.
All skeletons were fragmentary and most were poorly preserved. Dietz (1980) reports that
some graves lay under water at the time of excavation; the wet/soggy burial environment may
explain the bad skeletal preservation. Many of the skeletons had also been subjected to sampling
by earlier researchers: in some cases notes were found together with skulls indicating that teeth
had been removed by Dr Kim Cramér.23 Furthermore, an unidentified researcher (probably Dr
Sara Bisel) had sampled compact bone. The sampling was noticeable as small drilled holes in
parts of the skeletons. In addition, no skeletons had been cleaned with the exception of certain

23
The late Dr Kim Cramér, a Swedish physician, carried out research on the effects of lead content in ancient and
modern material and lead poisoning in the ancient world. Unfortunately, the teeth sampled by him seem to have
been lost.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 111

skulls and pathological bones, therefore other materials (such as stones, sherds or animal bones)
were frequently found together with the human bones. A number of skulls had also been recon-
structed with preservatives without having been cleaned first. In conclusion, the preservation of
the Asine skeletons, and the problems encountered during inventory, very much resembled the
circumstances described for the Lerna skeletons (cf. Voutsaki et al. 2005).

The inventorization of the human remains from MH Asine involved the following steps:
1. Identification of the individual skeletons: When information written on the boxes was frag-
mentary or inconclusive, the available data (for instance, trench no. and date) were compared
to unpublished excavation documentation and to descriptions and photographs from the site
publications (Dietz 1980; Hägg and Hägg 1973).
2. Cleaning the bones with a brush, or in some cases with water. Many skeletons were covered
with hard dried-out soil or a chalky crust sticking to the bone surface. Several skeletons were
successfully cleaned, but in a number of cases it was impossible to remove the cement-like
soil without causing damage to the bone surface.
3. Sorting and re-packing the bones from each individual in new sturdy plastic bags. Any old
documentation (e.g. tags and/or paper bags with notes) was kept together with the bones. This
information may, I hope, aid in further investigations regarding missing samples and burial
contexts, and may help identifying the scholars who handled the material previously.
4. Labelling: the new plastic bags were labelled on the outside with permanent ink. Acid free
tags were also placed inside the bags. The bags were then packed in wooden cases especially
made for this purpose. The burial no. and Angel no were marked on the outside.

(ii) The osteological re-examination and sampling

During the autumn of 2005, 18 adult MH skeletons from the East Cemetery were re-examined
and documented. Since no description of the individual skeletons and their preservation was
included in Angel’s report (1982), providing a detailed account of each skeleton is an important
aim of this study. The forms recommended in Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994 were used for re-
cording preservation and completeness of skeletal elements (for example, number of joints and
the preservation of bone element as percentages), pathologies, muscular-skeletal stress markers,
non-metric traits and criteria for sex- and age determinations. Further, the preserved parts of each
skeleton were illustrated on a visual recording form, and pathologies were photographed. In ad-
dition, the five subadult skeletons which had earlier been re-examined and reported (Ingvarsson-
Sundström 2003) were registered in accordance with the current study protocol.
All dental remains from the East Cemetery and Barbouna were macroscopically and mi-
croscopically examined at the Wiener Laboratory at Athens, and the following information was
registered: tooth type, development, wear, pathologies, morphology and measurements.
Angel’s (1982) report did not include the number of teeth present nor any data on dental
pathology. For the Bronze Age sample he gave instead a mean figure for “lesions per mouth”. It
was therefore considered particularly important to examine and document all the existing teeth.
Unfortunately, only 12 out of 24 skeletons from the East Cemetery, and 8 out of 11 skeletons
from Barbouna still preserved their teeth. Ante mortem tooth loss was sometimes noticeable, but,
as mentioned above, taphonomic processes and sampling by earlier researchers may have been
largely responsible for the majority of missing teeth.
 112 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

The osteological data collected from Asine will be used in bioarchaeological comparisons be-
tween the cemetery populations included in the project. So far, a comparison between Angel’s
work and my re-examination allows me to make the following preliminary observations:
• “Extra bones” indicating the presence of more than one individual were found among eight
skeletons: 44AS, 45AS, 47AS, 49AS, 53AS, 56AS, 60AS and 61AS. In five cases, only one
or a few extra bones were found among the bones from the original individual. It is possible
that these “extra” bones should be regarded as unrelated to the burial, but their presence is
nevertheless interesting from a taphonomical point of view, since they indicate a proximity to
destroyed or unexcavated graves. In three cases (47 AS, 49AS, 56AS) two individuals buried
in one grave or in a double grave had probably caused their bones to get mixed.
• There is an underestimation of skeletal pathologies in Angel’s study, especially of periosteitis,
cribra orbitalia and osteo-arthritic changes.
• Dental hypoplasia is not reported in Angel’s study. His mean figure for dental lesions per
mouth included only ante-mortem tooth loss, caries and abscesses. The re-examination
showed that out of 20 individuals having teeth preserved, 15 showed hypoplasia.
• The re-examination yielded wide age categories for the adult individuals and slightly lower
ages for the subadults when compared to Angel’s study.
• The sex determinations made by Angel agreed fairly well with the re-examination. However,
a few individuals showed contradictory criteria for a sex determination.

In connection to the osteological re-examination, bone samples for stable isotope (38), radiocar-
bon (21) and DNA analysis (4) were selected from the East Cemetery and the Barbouna skel-
etons. The results from the osteological and chemical analyses will be integrated with the aim
to explore intra-cemetery variation in diet, pathology and genetic affinity between the sexes,
between individuals from different burial grounds, and between different grave groupings within
the cemeteries.

2 The analysis of the archaeological data (by Eleni Milka)

During 2005 the burial data from Asine were collected. All archaeological publications and pre-
liminary reports (Frödin and Persson 1938; Hägg and Hägg 1973; Dietz 1980; Dietz 1982; Nor-
dquist 1987; Nordquist 1996; Nordquist n.d. (a); Nordquist n.d. (b); Nordquist n.d. (c); Backe-
Forsberg and Norgquist n.d.24) as well as the anthropological studies of the burials (Angel 1982;
Ingvarsson-Sundström 2003) were consulted.25 The burial offerings were systematically re-ex-
amined and photographed at the Nauplion Museum. Further, an electronic archive of all the avail-
able grave photos was created.
All the available information from the three burial grounds of Asine-Kastraki, East Cemetery
and Barbouna- was encoded into a relational data base. The use of exactly the same methods of

24
I would like to thank Prof. G. Nordquist for making these manuscripts available in advance of publication.
25
As the anthropological re-examination of the skeletons from Asine is still in progress, the information on sex
and age of the adult burials is still based on Angel (1982), and for the sub-adult burials on Ingvarsson-Sundström
2003. The results of the re-examination will be incorporated into the archaeological analysis once Dr Ingvarsson-
Sundström’s study is completed.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 113

data collection and of the same database structure as for Lerna and Aspis will facilitate the com-
parative analysis between the sites. In total 148 tombs were included.
The analysis of the Asine data proceeds in two stages: an intra-cemetery analysis and an
inter-cemetery comparison. In the first stage all data from each burial ground will be analyzed;
the second stage involves a comparison of the three different cemeteries. The type of the tomb,
the burial offerings, the sex and the age of the diseased and the position of the body together with
any evidence of ritual behaviour are used as tools in order to detect variation among the burials.
The cemetery type and the spatial organization of the burial ground are additionally used for the
inter-cemetery analysis.
At Asine a unique opportunity is given to discus the significance of co-existing different
cemeteries in the same site. The study of the differentiation between the burial grounds can give
us invaluable insights into the social structure and burial ideology of the MH community.

V. Epilogue

In 2005 the work concentrated on the large assemblages of the MH Argolid: Lerna, Asine and Ar-
gos. As the results have started to come in, we hope to integrate archaeological, osteological and
biomolecular data, and complete the work on the individual sites by 2006-2007. The next stage
of the analysis will involve the comparison between the large sites. In the final and third stage we
will add the results from the analysis of smaller sites, or sites which are not very well documented
(such as Mycenae, Tiryns, Prosymna, Berbati and Myloi). We hope that this integrated and multi-
disciplinary approach will elucidate social change in the MH Argolid.

Dr Sofia Voutsaki
Groningen Institute of Archaeology
University of Groningen
Poststraat 6
NL – 9712 ER Groningen
s.voutsaki@rug.nl

Dr Sevi Triantaphyllou
Sheffield Centre for Aegean Archaeology
University of Sheffield
Sheffield

Dr Anne Ingvarsson-Sundström
Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis
Upsalla

Prof. Sophia Kouidou-Andreou

Department of Biological Chemistry
Medical School
Aristotle University
Thessaloniki
 114 Sofia Voutsaki et al.

Dr Leda Kovatsi
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,
Medical School
Aristotle University
Thessaloniki
Dr Albert J. Nijboer
Groningen Institute of Archaeology
University of Groningen
Groningen

Dr Dimitra Nikou
Department of Biological Chemistry
Medical School
Aristotle University
Thessaloniki

Ms Eleni Milka
Groningen Institute of Archaeology
University of Groningen
Groningen

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the National Scientific Organization of the Netherlands (NWO) for its gener-
ous funding of this project and the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen for providing match-
ing funding. We would also like to thank the Institute of Aegean Prehistory, Philadelphia for
financing the study of the human remains from Asine, and the study and publication of the MH
“tumuli” at Argos. Finally, our thanks to Enbom’s Donation, Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis
(SAU) and the Wiener Laboratory for providing additional grants for the study of the Asine hu-
man bones.
We would like to express our thanks to Mrs Zoi Aslamatzidhou, Head of the 4th Ephorate of
Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, and to the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Culture
for granting us permission to examine and take samples from the human skeletons from Lerna,
Aspis, Asine, and to study for publication the finds from the MH “tumuli” of Argos. We would
also like to acknowledge the assistance of the staff at the 4th Ephorate, particularly Mrs A. B­anaka,
Mrs E. Pappi and Dr A. Papadimitriou. Our thanks also to the Ephorate of Palaeo­anthropology
and Speleology of southern Greece, and especially to the Head of the Ephorate, Mrs Stauroula
Samartzidou and Mrs Katerina Gleni-Barakari, for allowing us to make a preliminary examina-
tion of the archive of the late Dr. E. Deilaki.
We thank the American School of Classical Studies, the French School at Athens and the
Swedish Institute in Athens as well as Prof. M. Wiencke, Dr C. Zerner, Professor E. Banks, Pro-
fessor G. Touchais, Mrs A. Philippa- Touchais, Professor G. Nordquist, Professor C.G. Styrenius
and Professor R. Hägg for granting us permission to study the finds and to take samples from the
Lerna, Aspis and Asine skeletons respectively.
 Project on the Middle Helladic Argolid 115

We are particularly grateful to Professor G. Touchais, Mrs A. Philippa-Touchais, Professor G.

Nordquist and especially to Dr C. Zerner for giving us additional data in advance of publication,
and for helping us in every possible way.
Finally, we would also like to thank Dr C. Zerner, Mr P. Zerner and Mrs C. Winder for their
wonderful hospitality in Winston-Salem, NC.

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